Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-10-10
KURDS LIVE IN
SAME WAY THAT
ANCESTORS DID
Wadike NomadS of the Far
East Still Garry on Profess
sion of AIMS Without Much
Regard for Opponents,

tNatioual Geographical Magazne)
The Kurds are a survival from the
DAYS when self-respectinE men lived
only. on at lease principally by the
sword. Their wild tribes are scat
tered throughout Asia Minor acting
To thWart The most modest efforts OF
the land toward modern comfort Sc
curity and organization Although
| once fabulously rich, the country mas
not been able To- bring forth suttl-
cheney throueh an the years that the
Kurds have pracuced their untamed
housekeeping here a Housekeeping
/ that has consisted in abandoning the
summer tent for the winter cottage
Iafter preliminares of Killing inc
owner and his family and The repleh-
/ ishng of goods at The point OF tulV'
1 the transaction usually followed by
/ the burning of the looted shop.
The Kurd is a picturesque citizen,
and. whatever his numbers may be-
census matters in Turkey are indeii-
nite-hc lis much more In evidence
/ chan the Armennns and other peo-
/ pies amongst whom he lives.
/ The Kurd is the travellers first im-
preston i'm Asia Minor and, I'M most
I eases he rcmainA the predominant
one. The Kurds wear clothes of viva
| colors: they also wear rags, that 49,,
I the poorer ones, of the most teck-
I less nondcscription. The Kurds ride
/ the best horses, they are always arm
/ ed they bully the Armenidns. the
/ travellers and the overload Turks
/ themselves.
The Turks have been unable to get
q complete mastery over their subJecl
I Eurds ana have employed AN admin
] g. Thorn of let
( ting them alone Thus. the Kurd mas
sacres Armenians, robs Armenians
and travellers and considers both OF
/ these occupations his just right lh
1 "a useful state, the kurd lives IN the
! hills and herds sheep. lie Is "a pas
toral tent dweller In the summer In
/ tho winter he moves 70 the Mcsopo-
/ tamian plains ana either lives IN ms
/ tent or turns the owner out of sc-
lected house His tent is of black,
! homcspun goats hair and its fur
uiture IL mats, quilts aud cooking
pots. His children go naked and his
women ragged. His board IS set with
sour milk.
/ When bv chance he builds a winter
/ home, it consists of "a hole IN the
/ ground with fiat roof OF waffle ana
I clay-air-tight. smoke-tight light
3 llEUlt ] iit'i ~ ~ HiiA''ii A'iAAh''N
/ in the roof, but the whole effect ~
that prairie dogs dwelling Within,
it Is as light and airy as low Level
coal mine.
TO be of "Ashirat' blood, in Kurdish
4 estimation. is 10 be really worth Whllt'
I The Kurds have a conscious SUPER
ulity which gives them "a certain bear
/ ing Of nobleness and dignity a kurd-
. ish chief rs an impressive, oiten an
affable individual These people are
MOI inclined to settle down, ana lney
do not seem to want others to settle
In some districts, however, they nave
taken lands wholesale from the Ar
menians. massacrng the owners, ana
have become rich ldndholdefs. 't
casional kurds attempt CIVILIZATION.
OFFICIALLY. II least. the Kurds are
Mohammedans. They reject the cus-
tom Of yelling their women reverence
fire. ana are on subjects Of religion,
altogether liberal Many of them are
Kizilbashis. hereto Moslems, ana
some few are Christians Thor ilttle
fpudal organizations are then nation
Iallties and their patriotism rs a ut-
voton to The privilege OF being Iblr
to i've at the expense OF others IheN
are MEDIEVAL with an the headstrpng
Irregularities Of medieval times. u
was not until 1918 that The Ilrsl
Kurdish newspaper appeared. rms
was published AT Constantuople. AS,
however there is no such thing as q
definite written kurdish language,
this uaper is carried on under some
difficulty There was eomathinf
called "a kurdish movement before
the war, but its la5or5 seemed hone
less The latest reports from the
haunts u the Kurds tell OF the mas
sacre Of many thousands Of Armen-