The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-30

WITH PRofUsIoN OF TIN CANIsTERs
To lT-FoRCE OF HABIT FATALLY
BROKEN.
e. G. llarding's Autobiography in the St.
Louis Democrat

The writer once owned dog. He
was spurious pointer which wicked wag
palmed off on me as a full-booded and
well-bred descendant of IA well-known
hunter, noted for his intelligence and dis.
eliminating nose. | called him Panto in
his puppyhood, but, as he grew Older, and
the fraud developed, changed his name
to knavc. He was good hunter-for
sheep - but his nose could not
be depended on for fea,hered game. He
would come to dead point on grass
hopper and run headlong over a covcy OF
quail the next moment. Knave's best
hold, however, was 10 the circus line He
had very extensive circle of low bred
acquain'ances, and was ring.master of a
canine hippodrome, which met every
night in the flower garden. Knave had
been having deal Of fun at my expense,
so one day concluded to have little at
his took him out about half mile
away from home, tied an oyster-can to
his tail, gave him stimulating kick, and
turned him adritt. | never suspected the
speed that was in that dog lie looked
like white and liver colored comet
whlzzing through space. l have obscrv-
ed that nothing encourages dog SO much
or tends more to the development of his
speed, than to make him a medium for
the rapid transit of tn.ware between
given points. kuave having yielded such
splendid SPORT tied him again and again
until he began TO take an interest in the
proceedings. He would bark and stand
quietly while the oyster.can was being
attached to his thick plebeian tail, and
then at the word he would start at his
highest speed as if shot from cannon.
His affectation. of fright was the best piece
of acting | ever saw, and he quickly
seized upon the opportunities of adding
to the sensational features of the display
His favorite run OF n Saturday afternoon
was around the circular track surround.
ing the courthouse grounds, 10 which
from one to two hundred rural horses
were generally hitched all of which would
take fright, break their halters, and start
for home at lively canter. That noble
dog also delighted in scudding down a
sidewalk crowded with people, upsettng
the men by running between their legs,
frightening the women into commissions.
Once he grew impatient at the long
delay in lashing his freight to the tall
and started prematurely running hund-
red yards at slapping pace before he dis
covered that he was flying light. He
sneaked back, looking sheepishly apolo-
getic, backed up again, and waited until
a bunch of tin clippings was securely
fastened. BY and by these dog races
became an old thing with US boys, but
the appetite grew upon Knave, until he
didn't feel in good health if he missed his
cinrnal "spurt." Then he got to collect
ing all the tnware he found lying around
loose, and storing il up for future use
IT, by any chance, We forgot to exercise
hi'n, he would 60 to his tin pail, select q
promising oyster-can, or section of stove-
pipe, carry it in his mouth to one of his
biPed friends, and beg piteously to have
it tied on Knave's enthusiasm fo- the
turf finally led him on to his death. As
he grew older his taste grew more iasti-
dious. He came to prefer new tin.ware
to that which was tarnished by atmos.