The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-03-29
Anecdotes Of Clever Dogs.


should like to be allowed to help pre-
serve the memory of most worthy dog
friend of my youth, we'll remembered by
many now living who knew Greenwich
Hospital thirty or thirty-hve years ago.
At that time there lived there dog pen
sioner called Hardy" q large brown
Irish retriever. He was so named by Sir
Thomas Hardy when Governor Nelson's
Hardly, who at the same time constituted
him q pensioner, at the rate of one penny
per diem, for that he had one day saved a
life from drowning just opposite the Hos
pital. Till that time he was . poor stranger
and vagrant dog-friendless. But thence
forward he lived in the Hospital, and
spent his pension himself, at the butchers
shop, as he did also many another coin
given to him by numerous friends. Many
is the halfpenny which, as child, gave
" Hardy" that might sec him buy his
own meat-which he did with judgment,
and due regard to value. When penny
was given to him, he would, on arriving
at the shop, place it on the counter and
rest his nose or paw upon it until he re-
ceived too hdlfpenny-acorths; nor would
any persuasion induce him to give up the
coin for the usual smaller allowance. l
was young child at the time, but had
a great veneration for I" Hardy" and re-
member him we'll; but, lest my juvenile
memory might have been in fault, have,
before writing this letter, compared my
recollections with those of my elders,
who, as grown people, knew " Hardy" for
many years, and confirm all the above
facts. There, indeed, was the right dog
in the right place. Peace to his shade!
J. d. C.
When q student at Edinburg, enjoyed
the friendship Of brown retriever, who
belonged to fishmonger in Lothian street,
and who was certainly the cleverest dog l
had ever met with. He was q clcverer
dog than the one described by "A. L..
W., because he knew the relative value
of certain coins. In the morning, he was
generally to be seen seated on the step of
the fishmonger's shop-door, waiting for
some of his many friends to give him .
copper. When he had got one, he trotted
away to the bakers shop few doors off,
and dropped the coin on The counter: II
remember rightly lit is twelve or fifteen
scones." If he dropped halfpenny on
the counter, he was cOntented with one
scone; but, if he had given penny, he
expected two, and would wal for the Sec
ond, after he had eaten the first, until he
got it. That he knew exactly when he
was entitled to one scone only, and when
he ought to get two, is certain, for tried
him often. LAWSON TAFT.
A correspondent favored your readers
last week with an interesting anecdOte of
dogs intelligence in reference to the use
of money. Permit me to relate an in.
stance of dogs intelligence in reference
to the day of the week. Some three-and-
twenty years ago, in the infancy of the
Canterbury Province, New Zealand, there
lived in the same neighborh0od as myself
two young men, in the rough but indie
pendent mode of life then prevalent in
the colony, somewhat oblivious of old
institutions. These men possessed dog
each, affectiOnate companions of their
solitude. 1t was the custom of this prim.
tive establishment to utilize the Sabbath
| by q ramble, in quest of wild ducks and
wild pigs, about the swamps and creeks
of the district. 1t was observed that,
long before any preparations were made
for starting, the dogs always seemed to be
more or less excited. This was remarka-
BILE enough, but not 80 much as what fol-
lowed. One of these men after while
left his friend, and, taking his dog with
him, went to live with a clergyman about
four miles off. Here ducks and pigs had
to be given up on Sundays for the church
service. It was soon noticed that this dog
used to vanish betimes on Sundays, and
did not turn up again until late. Upon
inquiring, it was found that the dog had
visited its old abode, where on that day of
the week sport was not forbidden. The
owner tried the plan of claiming up the
animal on Saturday evenings, but it soon
became very cunning, and would get
away whenever it had the chance. On
one occasion it was temporarily fastened
to . fence-rail about midday on Saturday.
By repeated jerks, it loosened the rails
from the mortice holes and dragged it
away. Upon search being made, this
resolute but unfortunate dog was found
drowned, still fast tn chain and rail, in
stream about two miles away in the direc-
ton OF its old haunts. The gentleman,
who owned the other dog is in England
~AnSIO SNf