The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-01-03
The English MastiR

nout W huo ~ Ms purify ~ tue present
day, having been crossed with the bulldog,
under the false notion that il would give
him pluck, whereas it only deteriorAted
some Of his noblest characteristics, and
added to his nature ferocity and logged
ness. He is typical of the English char
acter-courageous, tenacious, unhinching
"Why should we go, says a certain cele-
brated writer, "to the ignoble to obtain
for the noble 7" The brute fero-
city Of the bulldog is more prominent from
his stupidity, hsying but one idea, that Of
fighting. True courage is the attribute of
true nobility, and is ever allied with gen
tleness and forbearance Hence, the
mastilf is not feroeious, but teens with true
courage which some observers may not
perceive; is 50 buried beneath dociIity
and selfrespect that it may be supposed
not to exist in him, because the faithful,
magnanimous animal is so conscious ofh
power that he is not prone TO abuse il, being
a genuine conservative and patrician Of his
order
A great deal Of interest has been taken
of late in this country to improve the stock
of watch and sporting dogs. The change
of climate, soil and surroundings will be
beneficial to the mastitf, and give more
vigor to the stock, provided he is mated
judiciously and trained properly. have
been called upon to look at some very fine
dogs which the parties called mastiffs {;
but the brown and yellow coats and pointed
nozzles showed the base alloy. They may
make good watch dogs, but treachery
turks in their eyes The same writer
quoted above says THE mastiif proper
has been nearly destroyed by injurious
crossing, and it is now in few hands
indeed" Historical records tell us that
the mastiff was highly priced at Rome
aud Camden notices the employment Of a
special officer, "Procurator Cynegii'' in
Britain, for superintcnding this breed Of
dogs, and that they were used ia the
amphitheatre in the combats of animals.
Strubo adds that they trained British
mastifis for war, and used them in battle
According to DIR. Caius three were match
for bear, and four lion Stone men.
tions a lion-fght with three Of these dogs,
in which two we're disabled and died
The lion retreated, ard refused to resume
the battle with the survivor. How faI
we may give credence TO these ancient
traditions Of the day win depend upon the
faith weplace in the testimony ofthcse writ
ers My dogs are chained in a retired place
during the day, and have the freedom Of
the barn-yard during the night, which
consists Of about an acre of ground shut
in by my henneries and "A high picket fence.
1t so happened that one Of the men Of my
place and q carpenter that was working
for me went into the barn.yard for some
boards before the dogs were placed on their
chains. Not seeing the animals they
opened the gate and took up some boards,
when they were suddenly pinned by the
dogs, and in their fright they let the boards
fall, and the dogs loosened their hold, and
the men walked quietly away, the dogs
politely showing them outside the gate,
and laid themselves across the entrance
until it was closed. On another occasion
one Of the workmen in the place ran to
the pump in the barn-yard to get pail,
and as soon as he fairly got hold of it he
was reminded by severe jerk Of the pants
that it would be more for his interest to
leave it alone, and he dropped the pail, and
was politely shown the barn-door. They
seem to say, "Walk around as you please,
but touch not, handle not A neighbor
complained to me of some one stealing his
eggs and milking his COW, and seemed
anxious to find out the individual.
agreed to aid him, as it had become a
matter of grave importance to him. Upon
his stipulating with me that he would bear
all the consequences of the experiment,
put one Of my dogs in the manger in his
stable for the night. About four in the
morning a terrible screaming and shouting
was heard in the direction of the stable.
My ncighbor arose and went to the place,
and found man lying PROSTATE, with the
dog hold Of his throat. He was so alarmed
that he came Immediately over for me.
coaxed the dog to let loose his hold, which
he did, but planted his right leg upon the
mans breast. | approached him gently
and earessed him, and, mising the man
up, asked him if he was hurt, seeing no
blood, and he replied he was, in the leg.
/ asked him how II was that he was bitten
in that part of the body when the dog did
not touch his throat. He said he attempt
ed to escape and hit the dog with crowbar,
when be seized him by the leg and bit him
severely till he threw him, and then he
jumped for his throat and held him by the
shirt and cravat. The individual turned
out to be my neighbor's gardener, who
resided short distance from the house,
and lived upon his masters eggs and milk.
He said the more he resisted the animal
the more ferocious he became, aud he
concluded when the dog had the better Of
him to leave him alone. He remarked
that once or twice the dog, in trying to
get a better hold of him, choked him badly
and that bis weight upon his chest almost
suffocated him. He had been playing that
joke upon his employer nearly six months
with the greatest cunning in avoiding de-
lection