Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-07-08


Who can tell the use of dogs? What good do
they do or of what, value are they to man? 1t
is to be presumed to be sure, that they were
created for some good purpose. But what is
that purpose7 1t would be SIS difficult to tell as
it is fer psychologists to point out the uses of
the tonsils in the human throat. The glands
are there, but their functions are not known with
deiniteness to man. So the dogs are in being:
big dogs little dogs, black dogs white dogs
cross dogs, good-natured dogs, and dogs of all
descriptions. The Esquimaux find dogs very
useful indeed. So we may judge that dogs
were made for the Esquimaux. The monks of
st. Bernard train their great dogs to very good
account, and manage to save life by their aid.
Very well, dogs were made for monks them
Occasionally noble Newfoundland picks
sinking child out of some pond or stream into
which it has fallen. Very well. That pays for
the life of number of dogs. The dog, too is
a very useful companion of the settler in new
country. He does well in hunting and watch
ing. So, after all, there is something to besaid
in favor of the canine quadruped. Ardyet all
this can establish a claim to liberation in favor
of only very small proportion of dogs. The
great majority of dogs are, each one of them, an
expense to them who keep them, and an annoy
ance to their neighbors. The writer was once
travelling on the banks of the Cuyahoga river,
He passed miserable looking house which oc-
cupied pretty location, and might easily have
been made very charming residence. But the
dwellers there were manifestly what Miss
Ophelia would call ''shiftless" The door was
open, and Just before it stood one of the biggest
lankest specimens of the dog tribe-pouring
into the house from his empty ribs the hungri-
est of gazes Behind him lounged two COM
panions, both almost his match in size, lankness
and hungriness The family were evidently
poor 1t would certainly take no small amount
of food to sustain three great dogs. And then
those dogs were the indication of many days
spent in proftless hunting instead of industri-
Gus labor. The three CANNES before the door
were able to tell the whole story of idleness and
thriftlessness on the part of that family.
But some people are able to keep dogs. No
doubt of it. And so the streets are well sup
piled with dogs. But of what use are they. A
few days since little boy, certainly not more
than six or seven years of age was playfully
trotting on the walk by house in Fremont
He was the very embodiment of happiness,
singing and exulting in enjoyment. But sud-
denly dog in the yard he was passing dashed
furiously up to the fence barking with all his
might and causing the boy to start with
shrek of terror. That dog, in his whole life,
was not worth enough to compensate for the
evil he did in giving that gladstone child that
one moment of fright.
Thus it is. No parent can send his little son
or daughter into the street without the risk of a
most painful fright from some worthless cur
Suppose you call, some day, upon friend who
keeps dog Yes that is one of his conditions,
he keeps a dog, to annoy visitors. Well, his
dogship does not happen to know you, or to
fancy you. And SO you must make your way
to your friends door, perhaps at the risk of be-
ing bitten, at least with an unclean, obscene
beast at your heels offering you the meanest in
dignity. Your friend insults you by subjecting
you to this annoyance as you go to his door
For one never yet met in any mans door
yard a dog large enough to be an annoyance if
he were il-natured, without feeling myself in
suited. l have often absented myself from the
residences of people for months together for no
other reason than that they always had dogs to
growl and bark at me. The animals are not
dangerous it may be. That is not the point
They commonly behave uncivilly. They are
dogs, and it is certainly not good manners to
thrust dog in your neighbor's face as he comes
to visit you.
Some people have an intense antipathy to
dogs am one of that class. And propose
to hate dogs as long as live, unless it be that
very small number of them that are good-na-
tured and friendly. And my antipathy is not
diminished by the remembrance of the fact that
l have known my aged mother to go out to Wis.,
it lady friend in Fremont and return home
wearied out without making the call because
prevented from entering her friend s gate by an
unmannerly dog. A dog may be Of use to a
farmer But of what use can he be to dweller
in town?
Dogs are undoubtedly made more trouble
some than they would otherwise be in conse-
quence of being annoyed by bad boys. But
decent civil people have to take the consequent
ces. 1t is often intolerable
If you must keep dog, at least keep him at
home, and out of the way, so that he will not
annoy your neighbors. B.