The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-06
the sagacisy Of DOGS

u ST. JOHNS RSWFouNDLhSD, u ~ - Ao ~.
About an hour before dawn on january 24tD
3 father aud three sous. named Partrldge,
set out on WOOD. oFping expedition from
the town OF Piacentia, Newfoundland, which
lies west of St.Johns. Such expeditions are
made witt Ks1uina1x dogs, which are Sc.
curely harnesssed to rude seds called "cata.
.nsraus.n on account of their resemblance
to the. RATS which the South Sea Islanders
use aud call By that name. When the men
left their cabin the weather was less frosty
than |. had been for several days before, ana
in every way it seemed favorable for the
woedecutters; but before 8 o'clock ter
r:;c snow storm was raging throughout
Placensia bay. and at noon great
hanks OF snoH.drife he'd blocked the
roads In many directions. In such CIR.
cunstances there is extreme anxiety 10 the
homes Of persons who are absent cutting
wood In the forests, as the gloomy records
Of mapy.a winter tell Of skeletons found be-
neash the snow In spriug-time-of men VINO
had left their cabins in fair weather several
months before and were evertaken By grea:
snow-storms.
When Monday evening came, and the
woodsmen did not return, the wife aud
mother of the absent men grew very solicit.
Gus 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 evening had nothing hap
peped. But the wild snoW-storm was still
sweeping over the bay, and there was every
reason to fear that the worst had befallen
them. -'..-,---.-,. -.
!; About dawn the next morning Mrs: Part.
ridge aud Der daughter were aroused by the
owing of dogs, who paved the threshold
and pounced upon the door in m0st;yehe-
,ment manner. Mrs. Partridge at first re-
isiced. believing that her husband aDd soDs
had arrived. When the door was opened
the dogs would not enter, however, but con-
tipue1 to whine and paw the ground impa-
tieu,ly. The old woman then went to the
wood. yard to call her husband and boys;
but the only answer given was the piteous
whining and yeping Of the dogs. Aftera
while many of the neigAhors gathered
around the cabin, and most Of them
knew too we'll the narrowing story that the
Door brutes could tell had they the faculty
of speecb. The dogs were implacable; mel
Their food nor caresses could quiet them. One
old fisherman said be would test the animals
by moving 10 .he direction Of the woods.
He had no sooner called them and started in
that direction than they bounded past him
and led the way, looking back every few
PAGES to make sure that he was following.
Four young fishermen ther volunteered to
follow the dogs, and were led to the prt Of
the woods where the men lay buried In the
snow.
Prodigious banks Of snow, piled on the
regular road, made the way 10 the fatal spot
circuiteus and diff ult. 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.shovels recovered the bodies OF
all the men. but too late to resuscitate them.
This remarkable instance of sagscity and
idelity 10 the trained draft-dogs of New
foundlabd is not without precedent. About
four years ago a young nan left Hearts,
Content with one dog and q catamaran for
the woods. 1t was windy day, ard the
man was killed by the falling of a Tres which
be bad been cbopping. The dog being I'm.
barnessed, as all draught Gogs are on reaching
the woods, came home slone at night. refused
food, and gave the usual dismal warnings,
such as yelping and 'pswiug the ground. This
animal also led the way to the spot where his
masters corpse lay resting. ..z