The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-06-05
A Dog Story.


"Greenbax" strayed from side-show con-
nected with the Great Eastern Circus, and
became lost dog. A boy was sent from
Terre Haute to hunt up the lost dog, and
he put an advertisement into the Herald,
promising reward of $40 for the deliv
cry of Greenbax to Fred Thompson, of the
Clipper Saloon. The Herald came out
about half-pas one o'clock on Saturday
afternoon, and in couple of hours the
information was diffused from the furthest
Oak Hill addition on the northeast to the
Sellers Farm, that dog had been lost, and
money could be made by refunding him.
By four O'Clock dogs began to arrive
freely in front of the Clipper. The news
boys who usually sell the evening papers
had all taken the chances and gone dog
hunting. Three thousand appren-
tees had put in their Saturday
afternoon halfholiday in dog hunt
ing, and each one reported at the
Clipper some time during the afternoon or
night, with a dog which he was sure was
the veritable "Greenbax." There were all
sorts of black-and-tan dogs, in various
stages of dilution, all answering to the
name of ''Greenbax."
Mr.. Thompson adjudicated the claims
of the various applicants for the reward,
and decided adversely. But still the dogs
came in, and being turned loose, and hav-
ing no place to 60, most of them hung
about the establishment. There were
dogs in the back yard, dogs behind barrels
and casks, and dogs shifting about the
heels of customers trying to scrape an &C
quaintance. Mr.. Thompson began to get
little frantic. He mathematical the en-
tire canine race in vigorous English with
slight Irish accent, and registered SOL
emn oath that he would never again try
to help Snowman to recover his lost dog.
Some wags rather enjoyed Mr.. Thomp-
sons rage, and concluded to keep it up.
After Mr.. Thompson had turned in for
the night, and was passing through the
delightful neutral ground which lies be-
tween wakefulness and the domains of
the drowsy god, there came knock at the
thinking it merely some hummer he turned
There came more knocks, and finally a
piece of scantling, operated after the fash
ion of ram, was brought to bear on the
door with tremendous conclusion. A
front window raised, and Mr. Thompson's
head was poked out:
"What do you want?" he inquired.
"Come down, Fred; we've got Green
bax'-the dog"
"Oh, get out" said Mr.. Thompson.
"Oh, but we've got him, sure enough, !"
was the reply. "Come and take him in"
Mr.. Thompson came down, opened the
door an inch or two, and peered out. He
saw two men, with q yaller dog about the
size of walrus.
The door shut to with q vicious bang,
and as Mr.. Thompson's retreating foot
steps re-echoed along the corridor, sup
pressed laughter was heard outside.
Many times that night was the battering
ram brought into play, and other dogs
rendered until finally the discharge of a
double barreled shotgun warned the jok-
ers that the thing was getting dangerous.
Mr.. Thompson got an hours sleep just be-
fore daylight, and awoke with nervous
start. He thought he heard a dog bark.
Looking out of q window, q most extraor-
binary sight met his exasperated vision.
Up and down Illinois street on both sides,
from Miller's Block to the Bates House,
every awning post and shade tree and
every door knob had q dog tied to it.
There was every variety of canine turpi-
tude and decrepitude, from DR.. Newcom-
er's eighty year old ginger colored veteran
to the 1opeared hound. Canine loaferdom
seemed to be assembled in mass conven-
ton. Mr.. Thompson gazed for moment
in speeches. wonder, and then shouted
aGreenbax." Each one of the three hun
dred and forty-seven dogs pricked up his
ears, or all that was left of them, at the
sound, and set up howl of gratified rec.
ognltlon.-IndsanGp0sts Herald.