The Jasper weekly courier., 1874-12-25
A Remarkable Dog.

Talking about dogs as is sagacious," )"
remarked Mr.. Cannon, as he leaned back
in his chair, threw one leg over pile OF
exchanges and ran his fingers through his
gray hair ..talking about smart dogs.
raised dog once which was just consider
ably the pertest animal ever saw or read
of. Never knew what breed he was. Kind
O peculiar eemed 10 have all the best
pints of the whole species. He came to
me in singular manner, too, when he
was no MORN three months old. Heard a
scratchin' at the door one cold winter
mornin' as | was maxim fire. Opened
the door. and in walked that pup. The
first thing he done was 10 wipe his feet on
the mat Then he pushed a stool up to
the stove and set down on it and held his
paws up 10 warm. After he got comfort
able ne asked me 10 adopt him into the
family.
~ am telling the truth now. and of
course don't pretend TO say that pup ac-
tually addressed me i'm the English lam
guage. but his looks. his manner, his
what dye cali it?-pantomine, was so per-
feet 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 Chinaman. Picked up
things faster'n child. He took TO the
children right away-liked them as well
as though they had been his own brothers
and sisters-and they come TO consider
him as one of the family. He learned all
that was possible from the limited facili-
ties afforded sn the farm. Before he was
year old. he could ride horses, tend the
baby, pick up chips, and do a thousand
other useful and amusing things. Ola,
my oldest boy. had learned him 10 whistle,
and IL would done you good to ha' seen
Rassler utilize that accomplishment. You
know a rabbit will stop ii you whistle 10
IL. Well. when he got after a rabbit and
il was about 10 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 a minute.
We never had 10 take an AK along
when we went coor hunting with that
dog. No need to cut down any trees. lie
would Just skin up tree like squirrel.
and snake a coon or a possnm out in jiffy.
One Of his favorite pastimes was TO take
a small pail and go out In the meadow and
drown ont ground-hogs, gettin' the water
from pond near by.
"Once took Rassler to town with me,
and as il was election day, allowed my
self 10 ges rather more liquor aboard than
could conveniently carry. About three
o'clock in the afternoon started home.
taking the railroad track. | hadn't gone
far before the whisky made me stupid. and
laid right down on the track and went
dead drunk. Rassler tried every way to
get me off TO the side of the road. but |
was heavy and senseless, and he couldn't
bulge me. \ train was comm. and in ten
minutes more would have been run over.
Now. gentlemen, what do YOU think that
dog doney Excuse e, but | can Z repress
The rising tear. when | think how that
faithful animal saved my lie. He grabbed
nv red bandanna handkerchief from my
pocket. run toward the train and signaled
IL. and by George stopped ii, and saved me.
les. sir.
- But i'm his death he exhibited greater
degree of gratitude and intelligence than
he had ever done before. The boys had
lestrned him to smoke. and he became such
a slave To- tobacco that | feared IL would
impair his mental faculties. tried To
break him Of the habit by whipping him.
but il did no good. He'd steal Oft some
place and smoke, in spite of all could do.
Well one night he went 10 sleep I'm the cell
lar with a pipe in his mouth. and the fire
fell out on some straw and soon the whole
place was in blaze. Rassler walked up i'm
time TO arouse the family and get them all
out. but we couldn't save any thing.
While we were standin' around, lookin' al
the burnin' house. all of "A sudden Rassler
gave bark and rushed through the flames.
In five minutes after he appeared In the
library window on the second floor with
something in his mouth. The flames had
cut Off his retreat. He sprang from the
window and fell lifeless at our feet. And
now. gentlemen. what do you think that
dog lad in his mouih--that he had given
his life to savei Ii was the insurance poll
cy on my house!"
And the old man wept at the remem-
brance of Rassler's fidelity. .-Br,nstCickcr.