St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-09-13
The Biography of a Dog.

The writer once owned Il dog. He
WAS Il spurious pointer which Il wicked
wag palmed off upon me aS Il full blood
ed and we'll bred descendant of Il we'll
known hunter. noted for his intelligence
and discriminating nose. | called him
P"nto in his pIppNhoo but, as he
grew older. and the fraud developed. |
changed his maine to kmaNe. He was Il
good hunter for sheep but his nose
could not he depended on for tcathcrcd
game. He would come to II dead point
on Il gra>>huppcl. and run hradlomg over
il coVcy of quail the next mnincmr.
KnaNc'> best hold. however. was in the
circus line. He had Il very extensive
circle of low bred acurlaintaucc>. and
Was rmgmI>tcl "i' Il canine hippodIomIc.
which met every night in the flower
garden. knaNc had been haN ing
deal of fun at my expense. 80 one dav
i concludcd to have Il little tuu at his.
| took him ont about half u mile away
from home. tied AN "l >t,I can to his
tail. gave him II stimulating kick. and
turned him adIitt. | never suspected
the speed there Was in that dog. He
looked like Il white and liver crl"rcd
comet whiZZiug through space. have
81
- much. uI tends more to the develop
ment OF his speed. than to make him
the medium for the rapid transit ot tim
ware between given points. Kuayr
having Welded such splendid sport |
tried him again and again. until he he
gan to take an interest in the prOcrcd-
ing>. He would back and stand quietly
while the oyster can was being attached
Il. / 1 ! 1 Il
word hr would stan at his highest Spc, Il
H. if shot from Il cannon. His Httrcta-
ti"m of fright Was the best piece "t act
ing even >tW. and he quickly stizrd
upon opportunities of adding To the sell
>ational features nt the display. His
tiNoitc rum of Il Saturday attcInoun
was around the circular track surround
ing the Cont house grounds. to which
from one Ia two hundred rural horses
were generally hitchcd. all of which
/ would take fright. break their haltclS
and >tmt fur home at lively cantcr.
[ ! hat noble dog also delighted III >cud-
ding down Il sidewalk crowded with
people. up>ctriug the men 10y running
hctWecu their legs. and frightening the
women into commissions.
once he grew impatient at the long
DELAY in la>himg his freight /" ;hc tail.
and started pirmaturclN. running Il
hundred yards at II Slappimg pace he
fore he discovered that he WAS Il living
light. He Snrakcd back looking sheep
i>hlN apnlugctir. backed up again. and
waited until Il bunch of tin clippings
Was securely fastened.
BY and lay these dog races became
an old thing with u> boys. hut the ap-
petite grew upon kmaNr, until he didn't
feel in good health if he missed his di-
ulnal '>purt." Then he got To collect
ing all the tin ware he found lying
around loose. and storing ii up for flu
turc use. IT, 10y amy chance We forgot
to exercise him. he would go t" his tin
pile. select II promising can or section
of >t"vcpipe. carry it III his mouth to
one of his hipcd friends. and beg piic-
ou>lN To have il tied ON. kmHVc'S en-
/ thlISi;lSm for the turf finally led him on
to hi> death. ~ he grew Older his
taste grew more t;I>Iidiou>. He came
! to prefer new tin Ware To- that which
/ wa> talni~hcd 10y atmospheric oxidation.
and having little respect for either NOR
/ al or statute laws. he stole ahumdantlN
| from the village shop. Finally. an ap-
prentice detected him in the act of set
ting off with Il string of pint cups fresh
from the mint and gave him Il fatal clip
with the hammer. which CAUSED him To
Weld up his ti>kN ghost. We buried
him on the hill with Il hjc iact head
board hrarin" an inscription To the ct-
feet that We could have spared Il better
dog.
/ II any one doubts the trurh of this
/ story. can show him the place where
/ knaN,. j. buried. NSS0Hri DcmOcIHf