The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-04-15
some Facts about rogs.

=
"Did the reader ever count the cost OF the
dogs in the rountry?-the cost of their keeping.
the value of the sheep and other animals He'd
and worried and the quarrels and lawsuits oc
casioned by them1 Is it possible to estimate
the cost of hydrophobia in single human sub
ect2 To the extent of their exceptional use
fuiness dogs ehould be credited, but what hg
ures shall we place in the long account against
themf"
These questions were asked by AZ intelli-
gent writer in 1858, in an arsiche cn Dogs
and Dog Laws" In 1853 tire nsnber Of dog
in the States not In rebellion was estimated
from reliable data a. Earee sailEoA. In Ohio
the official enumeration Cor that year was
les, I67. 1t is ssfe to say that tI.;e ave in
the United States to-day JaA0' naiRiOR& OF
dogs and ia PeSaSy4vaaia ahaat three hvH
d,ed aad ffly GtOu~qnd, or ore dog to every
than 100 coo dogs in 186e-thirteeu 10
every square mile. What is the cest Of
boarding theHe three millions Of dogs Z
An agricultural writer las estimated HE
ccst to the farmer Of keeping deg csc year
as equivalent to the Cost of giving the
weight Of one hsnirei pounds to q pig.
which at the ordinary prices Of pork. would
be worth about $40. Assuming this essi-
mate to be correct, the cost of keeping three
millions of dogs would amount annually tn
thirty millions Of dollars, The loss of sheep
is fearful to contemplate. The Secretary of
the New York State Agricultural Society esti-
mated the loSs in that State in 1862 at 50,-
600 sheep, valued at $176.03 In Ohio
in 1868 the pscertaiped lnss was Sl45 600.
In the same State during 1868 there were
25 600 sheep MANNED and injured by dogs.
Taking Ohio as basis for the Northern
and Southern States, the entire loss in 1863
would be 230 900 sheep killed and l43 900
MANNED. At fair average the value Of
sheep killed in that year would amount to
$4,000, and the total loss of sheep in
iured. S48O 900. The account against dogs
thus far made out would therefore stand as
Keeping 5000, 900 dogs at sIo., So ,oa0 ,OGo
Sheep killed, .-.....--... ......-.... 1,l9o-poJ
Sheen injured 49, 001
Total, .................. s3l .575 .Ooo
This sum would pay almost one-fourth of
the interest of the national debt, and would
buy l65, coo farms, at government Irlce Tor
| lan6, each year. Let it lee remembered that
these dog st is't:cs apply to 1863 Allowing
| for the increase of dogs and including every
State in the Union, the figures for 1860
would show corresponding increase.
Bow is THE dog nuisance to he sbated
Simply by sys en- Of rigid taxation. And
yet how difficult is it to secure the passage
SINCE every man who owns dog has also
vote A writer in a State whose legis'a-
ture had repealed a stringent dog law says
"Has snv man political aspirations? Before
the people will supp art him he must declare
dead and damned dog law unconstitutional,
and must, at the 20 cI ifce OF his manhood, honor
! and Integrity, swear that he will never favor
the smallest interference with the mu'tiplica
! ton of h0rdes Of dogsI candidate must, in
answer to the inquiry What do YOU think Of
the dog law?' instead Of diEpoSing of il with
| wave of the hand and the declaration that it Is
| dead and buried, enter into lengthy disquisi-
tion upon it- cOnstitutionaiitv and over its ten
dency to utterly subvert the rights of the AMER
| lean citizen. NAY, more he must heartily
abuse every man EhO had ausht to do, directly
or indirectly, with its passage"
In almost every State there are laws reg
ulating dogs. imposing a tax on them, re-
quiring them to be registered etc. La this
State there is no general law compelling the
payment of dog tax but they are usually
! taxed by the corporate authorities CT the
different boroughs. In some counties of the
State the owners Of dogs are required to
have them registered by an officer elected
for that purpose. The writer from whose
article we have gathered our statistics says
that Massachusetts, has the best dog law
In that State dogs are taxed from two to FIVE
dollars each. Owners are made responsible
under a heavy penalty for their registry
and taxation, untsIed dogs are killed with
out mercy, and district attorneys are requir
ei to prosecate officers who neglect to de-
stroy them.
Some people are in favor of the entire
destruction of all dogs This would scarce
| ly be possible. for wherever man exists there
will the dog be found. lie is his insepara-
! BILE companion. Although in manv respects
they arc positive nuisance, it will be found
in the future as it has been in the past that
''every dog must have his day"
The Malaria Of Spring.
Everybody should now be on their guard
against the great danger of disease sri.ing from