Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-11-09
Dogs on Farms.

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descent Of man from the monkey, Q
account Of the marked physical +,
semblances between them, still II h
had wished to show that men re
sembled animals in their mental funt
tions, he would have made stronge
argument in citing the dog as tn
progenitor OF the human species. Il
the matter of companlonship there j
no instance OF strong attachments be
ing formed between two dlssm!la
species of animals as in the case OF TIL,
dog and man.
That in many countries, with many
races and among the members o
several callings, the dog is the most
useful animal Is also sure. In herd
ing reindeer in Lapland, one dog is
worth dozen men. But for the dog
to draw his slcdgcs and hunt his
game, the Esquimaux could hardly
inhabit tho drearv region which has
been assigned them. The dog is the
father of the chase-the ta.orito pas.
time OF the nobility in all ages. The
81 cphcrd in France, the herdsmdn on
the Llanas and the keeper of goats IN
mountain countries, all find the dog
most useful in their occupations. The
like may be said of the sportsman
and the professional hunter.
Occasionally one meets in the coun-
try some respectable species of the
canine race-dogs trained to habits
OF usefulness on the farm, or pretty
household pets. But it must be &c.
knowlcdged that the average farm
dog Is simply a british Ishmaelite,
His very looks are repulsivc. Ills
regular business is soaring horses go.
ing to market, or frightening little
girls on til cir way to school. For
pastimc he worries the mich cows,
kills spring chickens, murders young
lambs and breaks up setting hens.
Occasionally, to make little whole
some excitement III quiet country
ncighhorhood, one Of them goes mad
and spreads the hydrophobia There
are few ovc.grcens and no flower
beds about honses where these dogs
are kept.
One time last Summer, being tired
and well nigh worn ont by the noise
and turmoil of city life, we went to
enjoy few days Of quiet in the coun-
Try. We arrived at the place where
we were going to recruit, quite late
IL the evening, and were met at
the depot by surlcy, halt-bred bull
dog, who. with protracted
growl, welcomed us to the hospitali-
ty of the village. His ears and tail
were cropped, the former presenting
very ragged outlines. About the
head and neck, and on various parts
Of his body were bare spots indica-
tive of many hard fought battles.
This ugly looking wretch was the
representative dog of the ncishbor-
hood, the patriarch OF the numerous
tribe we soon met. On our way to
the tavern we were followed by a
pack of wolifish looking creatures,
which ARMY was recruited by rein
forcements from every house We
passed. We did not have to knock
at tho door of the tavern to call up
the inmates. Tho dog in the stable,
the dog IN the house, and the three
or four that Were doing sentinel duty.
gave due notice Of our approach.
We soon found ourselves between
two fires, and our retreat cut off or
either hand. The master of the house
soon came forth to welcome us. which
he did by opening the door just vide
enough to let out an animal the size
of an English mastiff, which seemed
to have all the belligerent qualities o!
q half-starved tiger. Fortunately
however. a civil war now commenced
and while it was raging, we beat j
retreat into the house.
We were we'll guarded that night
and were sercnaded besides. At nc
time was there cessation of .he
sound of discordant barks and bowls
The ours barkcd at every thing that
showed signs of moving; at the
horses kicking in the stalls, at the
leaves moving on the trees When
all else was still, they harkcd at the
moon and The clouds that were pass
ing over her face. We did not need
TO he called in the morning to &c
fishing. There was abundant trouble
IN getting ready. One dog guarded
tho spade that was needed for dig
ging bait. while others disputed on,
right to disturb the worms in thel,
quiet retreat. 1t was easy to obtain
permission of the owner of boat tc
use il for fishing excursion, but to
get the consent Of lis dogs was quite
another matter. They went before
MS to the place where the craft was
tied on the bank OF tho river; d,sput-
cd oRr right to unite 1t; and set up a
united howl as we pushed off as il to
give notice to all dogs up and down
stream to be on their watch for a
common enemy. In this they were
entirely successful. The ancient
rights Of fishermen, guaranteed by
the common law, to land, obtain sup.
plies and draw their nets on the
banks Of navigablo river, were
openly anil pcrslstently denied. We
evidently had no rights that these
ours felt bound to respect.
We gave up fishing and bctook
ourselves to the green fields and
shady forests; but it was only to en-
counter moro and harder looking
specimens Of dogs. They came away
from houses to bark at ns. and left
the chip-monk's hole to follow our
track. We were constrained to call
ont good dog, poor fellow" and
other terms of endcarmcnt; but the
dogs seemed 10 have an instructive
knowledge that these were lying
words uttered in selfishness, and
barkel at rs the more Justify as II to
punish IFS for our lack of truthful