The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-05-11
THE gAGACITY OF DOGS.

4 correspondent OF the New York
Eveniag Post at ST. Johns, Newfound-
land, sends that paper the following:
About an hour before dawn on January
"a, p father and three sons, named Par
fridge, set out on woodworking ex-
petition from the town of Placentla,
Newfoundland, which lies west "a st.
Johns. Such expeditions are mace
with Esquimaux dogs, which are secure
IL harnassed to rude sleds called s'cat-
amarans." on account of their resem-
blance to the RATS which the South Sea
Islanders use and call by that name.
When the men left their cabin the
weather was less frosty than it had been
for several days before, and in every way
il seemed favorable for the wood-cut-
tiers; but before eight O'Clock terrific
snow storm was raging throughout
Placentia Bay, and at noon great banks
OF snow drift had blocked the roads in
many directions. In such circumstances
there is extreme anxity in the homes of
pc rsons who are absent cutting wood in
the forests, as the gloomy records of
many winter tell of skeletons found
beneath the snow II springtime-ofm men
who had left their cabins In fair weather
several months before, and were over
taken by great snow storms.
When Monday evening came and the
wocdsmeu did not return, the wife and
mother of the absent men grew very So
fictitious for the safety of their relatives.
They should have been at home-no
matter how bad the roads or heavy their
loads-at or o'clock Monday even
ing, had nothing happened. But the
wild snow storm was still sweeping over
the bay, and there was every reason to
fear that the worst had befallen.
About dawn the next morning Mrs.
Partridge and her daughter were aroused
by the bowling of dogs, who paved the
threshold and bounced upon the door
in most vehement manner. Mrs.
Partridge at first rejoiced, believing that
her husband and sons had arrived.
When the door was opened the dogs
would not enter, however, but continu
cd to whine and paw the ground i'm
patiently. The old woman then went
to the woodward to call her husband and
boys; but the only answer given was the
piteous whining and velping of the
dogs. After while many of the neigh
bors gathered around the cabin, and
most OF them knew too well the harrow
story that the poor brutes could tell had
they the faculty Of speech. The dogs
were implacable; neigher food nor cares
ses could quiet them. One old fisher
man said he would test the animals by
moving In the direction Of the woods.
He had no sooner called them and start
ed in that direction than they bounded
past him and led the way, looking back
every few PAGES to make sure that he
wes following. -Four young fishermen
then volunteered to follow the dogs,
and were led to the part of the woods
where the men lay buried in the snow.
Prodigious banks of snow piled on the
regular road made the way to the fatal
spot circuitious and difficult. On the
side of one mountain of drifted snow
four dogs were found yelping dismally
and digging the snow with their paws.
The volunteers went to work, and after
about two hours search with snow
shoyels recovered the bodies of all the
men, but to late to resuscitate them.
This remarkable instance of sagacity
and fidelity in the trained draught dogs
of Newfoundland is not without prece-
dent. About four years ago q young
man left Hearts Content with one dog
and catamaran for the woods 1t was
windy day, and the man was killed by
the falling of tree which he had been
chopping. The dog being embarrassed,
as all dranght dogs are on reaching the
woods, came home alone at night, refus-
ed food, and gave the usual dismal warn
ings, such as yelping and paving the
ground. This animal also led the way
to the spot where his masters corpse lay
resting.