East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-09-30

y
witches. The old woman suspected
was tied hand and foot, and thrown into
the water If she swan, then she was
instantly carried of and burnt for a
witch; if she sank, then indeed she was
acquitted of the charge, but drowned in
the experiment. In the same manner a
crowd gather round dog suspected of
madness, and they hegln 10y teasing the
devoted animal on every side. If he
attempts to stand upon the defensive,
and bite, then he is unanimously fouad
guilty, for "a mad dog always snaps at
every thing If, on the contrary, he
strives to escape by running away, thcn
he can expect no compassion, for "mad
dogs always run Streight forward before
them"
1t is ploas ant enough for neutral
being like me, who have no share in
those ideal calamities, TO mark the stages
of this national disease. The terror at
first feebly enters with disregarded
story of little dog that had gone
through ncighboring village, which
was thought to be mad by several who
had seen him. The mex; account comes,
that Il mastilf ran through certain town
and had bit FIVE geese, which immediate
" ran mad foamed at the bill, and died
IN great agonles soon after. Then
comes an affecting story of little boy
bit in The leg and gone down to bedipped
IN tho salt water. When the people
have sufficiently shuddere at that they
are next congealed with frightfui ac
count of a man who was said lately to
have died from a bite he had received
some years before This relation only
prepares the way for another, still more
hideous; as how the master of family,
with seven small children, were all bit
by mad lap dog; aud how the poor ia
ther first received the infection, by call
ing for draught of water, where he
saw the lap.dog swimming in the cup.
When epidemic terror is thus once
excited, every morning comes loaled
with some new disaster; as in stores Of
ghosts each loves to hear the account,
though it only serves to make him un-
easy; so here each listens with eager.
ness, and adds to the tidings with new
circumstances of peculiar horror. A
lady, for instauce,in the country, of very
weak nerves, has been frighted by the
barking of dog; and this, alas too
frequently happens. The story soon is
soon improved. and spreads, thats mad
dog had tl'ghted lady Of distinction
These circumstances begin to grow ter.
rible before they have reached the
ncighboring village; and there the re.
port is, that lady of quality was bit
by mad mastiff. This account every
moment gathers new strength, and
grows moro dismal as it approaches the
capital; and, by tho time 1t has arrived
in town, the lady is described, with
wild eyes, foaming mouth, running mad
upon all fours, barking like a dog, biting
her servants, and at last smothered be.
tween two beds by the advice of her
doctors; while the mad mastif is, in the
mean time, ranging the whole country
over, slavering at the mouth, and seek.
ing whom he may dcvour.
My landlady, good natured woman,
but little credulous, walked me some
mornings ago before the usual hour,
with horror and astonishment in her
looks. She desired me, if had any
regard for my safety, to keep within;
for few days ago, SO dismal an acci-
dent had happened, as to put all the
world upon their guard. A mad dog
down in the country, she assured me,
had bit farmer, who soon becoming
mad, ran into his own yard and bit a
fine brndle COW; the COW quickly be-
came as mad as tho man, began to foam
at the mouth, and raising herself up,
walked about on her hind legs, some
times barking like a dog and sometimes
attempting to talk like the farmer.
Upon examining the grounds of this
story, found my landlady hal it from
one neighbour, who had it from another
neighbor, who heard it from very good
authority.
Were most stories of this nature
well examined, it would be found that
mum ers of such rs have been said to
suffer were no way I'M niurc1; and that of
those who have been actually bitten,
not one in hundred was bit by a mad
dog. Such accounts, in general, there
fore, only serve to make the people mis-
cradle by false terrors; aud sometimes
fright the patient into actual frenzy, by
creating those very symptoms they pre-.
tended to deplorc
But even allowing three or four TO
die in season of this terrible death
land four is probably too large con
ccssion), yet still it is not considered
how many are preserved in their health
and IN the property by this devoted
animals services. The midnight rob
Der is kept at distance; the insldous
thicf is often detected; healthful chase
repairs many worn constitution; and
the poor man finds in his dog willing
assistant, eager to lessen his toll, and
content with the smallest retribution.
"a dog" says one of the English
poets, sis an honest creature, aud | am
friend to dogs" OF all the beasts
that Craze the lawn, or hunt tho forest,
dog is the only animal that, leaving
his fellows, attempts to cultivate the
friendship of man: to man no looks, in
all his necessities, with speaking eye