Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-07-02
A PENsHONED DOG.
What Led to an Official RecOg-
milton bya Territorial Legis-
Iature.
Boston Globe.l

0NoNea NAN
In the territory Of New Mexico the
legislature, by joint action. recently
pensioned a dog for noble services.
In that country there are many sheep
farms, and shepherd dogs are so we'll
trained in caring for the hocks OF
their masters hat it is their daily
practice to take out the hocks in the
morning to pasture, guard them all
day, and at night return them to the
fold or corral. This work ofthe Mex
lean dogs is so common and so faith
fully performed that it is looked upon
as a matter of course, and nothing
more than this should be expected
from a well-trained dog. This being
the case, it would appear that the dog
worthy ola pension, in that territory
must have performed some very mar
velous feat indeed, and something out
of the common line e canine achieve
ment. And he did. He did not save
his mistress's life from the murderous
fury of the savage, nor her child from
being Drained against the door post or
being choked by a huge black snake,
for his master was not married, and
had no wife and babe, but led a soil
tary life in his solitary ranch in a very
solitary part of New Mexico.
1t CHANGED that the dog in question,
on returning Of an evening with his
sheep to the fold, discovered that his
master was not stirring about, but re-
NAMED inside the shanty and kept
very quiet. The next evening it was
the same. The dog, when he penned
up the sheep, repaired to the shanty,
smelled through a clack in the door
his masters presence, but the mar
was still quiet and did not breathe
The dog scratched, barked, and even
howled, but no response came from
within. The door remained closed
no smoke rose from the chimney &c
greet the early morn. But the dog
true to his appointed duty, went Out
with the sheep on the day, and cared
for them while they cropped the
heritage on the hillsides. But he wa,
getting hungry, and that night when
ne drove the flock into their pen, the
last n to attempt to go in became
the victim to his appetite. This
method of providingfo for his own wants
became a portion OF the faithful dog
daily duty. Every evening, the last
sheep to try to enter the fold wai
seized by him and served for supper
and for breakfast and dinner the foI-
lowing day. AS stated before, tn,
ranch to which the dog belonged wa.
0 in a solitary part of the territory, anC
out Of the track Of travel and socia
l intercourse or visitation.
= For two years from the time Of til,
masters death-as as~certained by dat
left by the latter-the faithful dol
e tended the flock committed to hi
charge, andhadf fresh rsuppe,
every night. The flock was not deci
e mated by this steady drain upon it
resources. On the contrary, it in
creased in numbers, and when, at tn.
end Of two years from the time Of tn
: death Of the proprietor. the rancl
was visited and the remains Of tn,
;. poor fellow found, the dog was still a
his post Of duty, jealously guardiu,
his flock, and driving them to tn
. best pastures every day, and to tn
S fold at night, before which he slept
to keep the wild sheep-eaters Of tn,
plains at a civil distance. Such fdel
q ity excited admiration wherever tn
J story was told, and the Arcadian Lee
: ~islators of the territory, in a fit Q
b generosity and enthusiasm, at thei
session two years ago [they have bien
NAL sessions in that happy country
Z granted a pension for life to that dog
to be paid from the state treasury, a
a reward for his fidelity, and no doub
as an encouragement to all other shep
herd dogs in that territory to be goo.
dogs and faithful,