THE BEGGARS OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1691, 20 October 1887, Page 3

THE BEGGARS OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

♦ Generally the eye rests firßt upon one of tbe nomerooa beggars who are always at hand, muttering their words of praise to the donor of a penny or their curses to iho nuheedlug pasaengor. The majority ate blind, or pretend to be bo, and eaoh one haa his favorite spot, where he alts m hia I rags, perfeotly oblivious to all but his own j wants Others are hideously maimi'd, and I tho offensive part is always upheld 1 1 riew, In hope of pxcitlng pity. They are mostly men. The women and children have a beaten track, over which they follow people and implore alms. Thoyßerm (o go no further, »nd often by the e nphatic reptiilon of " hiddy git " we rid ourselves of them sooner. We oeldoin tee them rewarded, except by Turkiah subj cts, and It is said that they give frooly, aa the Koran requires ( f them. They are particularly generous on all daya of special religious observance. At such times these beggara congregate m the must attractive place*, and doubtless make large sums. We learn that many of theso pitiablelooking creatures are m reality very well off, and only dou their poverty for the sake of trade. They have meetings, and there decide where to take up their positions and how to divide their spoils. — " San Francleco Chronicle."