The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-24
a Remarkable Dog.

"TALK1NG about dogs as is sagacious,"
remarked Mr.. Cannon as he leaned
back in his chair, threw one leg over a
nile Of exchanges and ran his fingers
through his gray hair" talking about
smart dogs, raised a dog once which
was just considerably the pertest animal
ever saw or read of. Never knew
what breed he was. Kind of peculiar
seemed TO have all the best pints Of the
whole species. He came to me in sin
gular manner too when he was no
more'n three months old. Heard
scratchin' at the door one cold winter
mornin' as was maxim fire. Openeu
the door and in walked that pup. Inc
first thing he done was to wipe MS ioo'
on the mat. Then he pushed stool up
to the stove and sat down on II ana helu
his paws up to warm. After ne got
comfortable he asked me to adopt him
into the family.
ALAN tellin' the truth now, and of
course don't pretend to say that pup
actually addressed me in the English
language, but his looks, his manner, his
what dye call it?-pantomime, was SO
perfect that knew just what he wanted.
never went much on dogs as general
thing but couldn't go back on one of
such extraordinary promise as this.
kept him, and we named him Rassler.
He was as initiative as a Cninaman.
Picked up things Eastern child. He
took to the children right away-liked
MS own well as though they had been
come to consider him as one of the tafiY
lily. He learned all that was possible
from the limited facilities afforded on
the farm. Before he was year old he
could ride horses, tend the baby, pick
UP chips and do q thousand other useful
and amusing things.
OLA, my oldest boy, had learned hin,
to whistle, and it would dGne YOU good
to ha' seen Rassler .;tilize that accom-
pllshment You know rabbit will stop
II you whistle to it. Well, when he got
ate. rabbit and it was about to get
away from him he'd stop and whistle
The fool rabbit would stop to listen and
Rassler would have him by the neck in
less'n minute.
we never had to take an ak along
when we went coon-hunting with that
dog. No need to cut down any trees
lie would just skin up tree like a SOUR.
rel and shake coon or 'possum out il
Jitfy. One of his favorite pastimes was
to take small pail and go out in the
meadow and drown out ground-hogs
gcttin' the water from pond near by
"Opce took Rassler to town with me
and il was election day. l allowed my
self to get rather more liquor aboard
than | could conveniently carry. About
three o'clock in the afternoon I started
home, taking the railroad track. hadnf
gone far before the whisky made me
stupid, and | laid right down ON the
track and went dead drunk. Rasslel
tried every way to get me off to the side OF
the road but was heavy and senseless
and he couldn't bulge me. a train was
comm, and in ten minutes more | would
have been run over. Now, gentlemen
what do you think that dog done? Elk
cuse me, but | can't repress the rising
tear when | think how that faithful ami
mai saved my life. He grabbed the red
bandanna handkerchief from my pocket
ran toward the train and sgnaled 1t, and,
by George, stopped it and saved me. Yes,
sir
But in his death he exhibited a
greater degree of gratitude and intelli-
gencc than he had ever done before.
The boys had learned him to smoke, and
he became such q slave Of tobacco that
feared it would impair his mental facul-
ties. tried to break him Of the habit
by whipping him, but it did no good
He'd steal oil some place and smoke in
spite OF all | could do. Well, one night
he went TO sleep in the cellar with a pipe
IN his mouth, and the fire fell out on
some straw and soon the whole place
was in a blaze. Rassler walked up in
time to arouse the family and get them
all out, but we couldn't save ANYTHING
While we were standin' around lookin'
at the burnin' house all of sudden
Rassler gave bark and rushed through
INC flames. In five minutes after he an.
peared in the library window on the sec
ond floor with something in his mouth
The flames had cut of his retreat. He
sprang from the window and fell lifeless
at our feet. And now, gentlemen, what
do you think that dog had in his mouth
that he had given his life to save? 1t
was the insurance policy on my housem
And the old man wept at the remem-
brance Of Rassler's fdelity.-B5unsutcker.