The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-05-31
ABOUT DOGS.
Nebraska Farmer.

Il
What shall be done with the dogs2
has become to the farmers of Nebraska,
as to older communities in the past SER
ious question which, like Banquo's ghost,
twill not down" but instead is continually,
like the dog, rising up.
1t is believed by many with whom we
have conversed that Nebraska contains
to-day more dogs than voters, and what
aggravates the case is the fact that very
many of these dogs are wholly worthless
to their owners and nuisance to the
public; and now, when our farmers have
discovered that exclusive grain raising to
sell on the market gluts that market and
does not pay, and have turned to woolgrow-
ing, the question--what shall be done with
the dogs? becomes greatly intensified.
We have no statute which holds the
dog or his owner, amenable for damages
done by the former, and owing to public
sentiment in the past, prosecutions under
the common law were rendered useless.
We are happy to be able to state i this
connection that public sentiment in this
respect has greatly changed within the
last two years. This is a good omen.
Again, the statute taxing each dog one
dollar, and each bitch two dollars, for the
benefit of the school fund does not seem
to abate the nuisance one title. Wheth.
er this is due to the love which the peo-
pie have for the dog, or to their interest
in the cause of education, we will leave
the reader to judge. r.. b.. g.. "a.
Dogs have been mathematical in all
ages of the world The great Apostle Of
the Gentiles counsels to @beware of dogs. F"
The cost of boarding a dog for one year
has been figured by, competent authority
at thirteen dollars for farmers dog;
and the Agricultural Report for 1868
states that Washington sportsmen pay
two dollars per week for the board of
their hunting dogs. The number of dogs
in the United States cannot be less than
100000; at thirteen dollars per head
for board would swell the cost to $685.
100000 per annum-a sum equal to the
cost of board and tuition at our best
academies of 325, 900 pupils one year.
Massachusetts had in 1859 about 1907
900 dogs, and in 1860, according to the
census tables, 114,829 sheep, which in
1870 had decreased to 1850. Rhode
Island had upon her tax list 6,645 dogs,
and her sheep in 1870 were only 23,938,
while they were 32,624 in 1860. In
1868 Ohio taxed l83,l67 dogs, while
intelligent citizens of the State estimated
the real numbers at about 100000, and
those dogs in that year destroyed sheep to
the value of $l44,65s. The average
annual loss in Ohio for series of years
amounting to $lll,548. In 1862, New
York lost $4,000 sheep by dogs, worth
4 $4,000. .
The Commissioner of Agriculture for
the State of Georgia, reports the number
of sheep killing ours within her borders at
99,415, and that between April lst
1874, and April LIST, 1875, they destroyed
28,622 sheep, worth 1882, or nine pei
cent. of all the sheep in the State, and
this is too in State, where, accordingly
to the same authority, sheep husbandry
pays annually sixty.three per cent, upon
the capital invested. And further, that
rinty per cent. of his correspondents re-
port dogs to be the principal, and gener
ally the only obstacle to sheep-husbandry
From 1860 to 1875, the numbers Of
sheep in that State destroyed were thirty
eight per cent.
In the fall of 1864, Col. John Scott
of Nevada, Story county, Iowa. had lie
head of fine sheep killed in one night by
a gang of dogs. These sheep were worth
So per head, or an aggregate of 1928
The writer saw Col. SCOTS flock about a
month previous to the above killing
Subsequently the same fall second raid
was made upon the Colonels flock, in
flicting serious damage.
On the night Of July LIST, 1875, 6
pack of dogs destroyed for Moses Stock
ing, of Saunders county, Nebraska, 484
sheep; over thirty others, badly crippled
subsequently died; and in addition to
these, about 200 lambs belonging to the
dead ewes persisted for lack of sustenance
inficting a total loss of about $1,000
For portion of these sheep he had paid
but a few months previously ten dollars
per head, and they were worth it; many
of the others, were equally valuable.