The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-04-13
"Tyke," the Firemen,s Dog.

"Tyke," the Firemen's Dog.
A few years ago the public were
amused with an account given in the
newspapers of dog which possessed the
strange fancy of attending the various
fires that occurred in the metropolis
The discovery of this prediction was
miles from town, who was called up in
the middle of the night by the intelli-
gence that the premises adjoining his
place of business were on fire.
"The removal of my books and pa
pers," said he, in telling the story, of
course claimed my attention; yet, not
witbstanding this, and the hustle which
prevailed, my eye every now and then
rested on dog, whom, during the hot
test progress of the conhagration, 1 could
not help noticing running about, and
apparently taking deep interest in
what was going on, contriving to keep
out of everybody's way, and yet always
present amidst the thickest of the stir.
When the fire was got under, and 1 had
leisure to look about me, again OBJ
served the dog, which, with the firemen,
appeared to be resting from the fatigues
OF duty, and was led to make some in
quiries respecting him.
" Is this your dog, my friend p said
to fireman.
"No, SIR answered he; he does not
belong to me, or to any one in particu-
lar. We call him the fremen's dog
"The fremen's dog = replied. why
soY Has he no master!'
"No, SIR rejoined the fireman he
calls none OF us master, though we are
all of us willing to give him nights
lodging and pennyworth of meat. But
he won't stay long with any of us. His
delight is to be at all the fires in Lon
dom and, far or near, we generally find
him on the road as we are going along,
and sometimes, if it is out of town, we
give him lift. don't think there has
been fire for these two or three years
past which he has not been at
1.-The communication was so extraor-
dinary that found it difficult to believe
the story until it was confirmed by the
concurrent testimony of several other
hremen. None of them, however, were
able to give any account of the early
habits of the dog, or to offer any expla-
nation of the circumstances which led
to this singular propensity. Some time
afterward was again called up in the
night to a fire in the village in which
resided (Camberwell, in Surrey, and, to
my surprise, here again met with the
tiremen's dog still alive and well, pur-
suing, with the same apparent interest
and satisfaction, the exhibition of that
which seldom fails to bring with it dis
aster and misfortune, oftentimes loss of
life and ruin. Still, he called no man
master, disdained to receive bed or board
from the same hand more than night
or two at time nor could the firemen
trace out his resting place."
Such was the account of this interest
ing animal as it appeared in the news
papers, to which were shortly afterward
appended several circumstances commu-
nicated by fireman at one of the police
offices. A magistrate having asked him
whether it was fact that the dog was
present at most of the fires that occurred
in the metropolis, the fireman replied
that he never knew "Tyke," as he was
called, to be absent from fire upon any
occasion that he (the freman) attended
himself. The magistrate said the dog
must have an extraordinary predilection
for fires. He then asked what length of
time he had been known to possess that
propensity. The fireman replied that
he knew "Tyke" for the last nine years,
and although he was getting old, yet
the moment the engines were about
"Tyke" was to be seen, as active as ever,
running off in the direction of the fire.
The magistrate inquired whether the
dog lived with any particular fireman.
The fireman replied that "Tyke" liked
one fireman as well as another; he had
no particular favorites, but passed his
time among them, sometimes going to
the house of one, and then to another,
and off to third when he was tired.
Day or night, it was all the same to
him; it fire broke out, there he was in
the midst OF the hustle, running from
one engine to another, anxiously looking
after the tiremen; and although pressed
upon by crowds, yet, from his dexterity,
he always escaped accidents, only now
and then getting a ducking from the
engines, which he rather liked than 9th
erwise. The magistrate said that "Tyke"
was most extraordinary animal, and
having expressed wish to see him, he
was shortly after exhibited at the Office,
and some other peculiarities respecting
him were related. There was nothing
at all particular in his appearance He
was a rough-looking, small animal of
the terrier breed, and seemed to be in
excellent condition. no doubt from the
care taken of him by the firemen be-
longing to the different companies.
There was some difficulty experienced in
bringing him to the office, as he did not
much relish going any distance from
where the tiremen are usually to be
found, except in cases of attending them
at conhagration, and then distance
was OF no consequence. 1t was found
necessary to use stratagem for the pur-
pose. A fireman commenced running ;
"Tyke, accustomed to follow upon such
occasions, set out after him; but this
person having slackened his pace on the
way, the sagacious animal, knowing
there was no fire, turned back, and it
was necessary to carry him to the police
Office Chambers'S anecdotes Of Dogs"
SusPIoIoN-Any body can tarnish the