The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-15
A DOG DOCTOR.
The Business to Which q CoIored Man
Dcvotes His Whole Time-A Dogs
Eunerol.

The Business to Which a CoIored Man
Dovotes His Whole Time-A Dogs
Funeral.
Canine Infrmary. Dr.. Treats
all diseases of dogs. Dogs called on at
their residences. Office hours from nine
till four" This is the sign which hangs
over the door of q dingy little shop in
Canal street. Within the shop, one side
of which is adorned with shelves full of
bottles, while the three other sides are
lined with dog cages, was a small boy,
who said that the doctor" was out at
tending to patients, but would be in
presently. and would the reporter please
be seated. The reporter would. The
room is not more than six by twelve feet
in dimensions, and even this space Is
diminished by the dog cages arranged on
tiers about the sides. These were all
cleanly kept, and though the occupants
of many Of them were unable to stand
up, they rested on what seemed to be
comfortable couches. "The doctor"
came in within a few moments. He is
q negro, apparently fifty years old, with
an intelligent face and quiet demeanor.
and every dog in the room recognized
his presence with a wag of the tail, and
q wink, as much as to say, HE under
stands U.s." With the doctor" was q
young woman who had come from
Newark, N. j., to get medicine for q
poodle.
We'll" said the doctor at his first
leisure moments, II have treated dogs
off and on for over thirty years. If q
dogs got anything the matter with him
I can find out what it is mighty QUICK,
and if he's durable at all I can fetch him
around as quick as the next one. Now,
these dogs which you see around here
are all patients of mine. That dog is
one of my most valuable patients.
There is nothing the matter with him.
BE is merely staying with me for the
summer. His owner Is q broker, whose
family has gone abroad, and who did
not want to take care of the dog. To-
morrow I shall send him to the board
ing-house on Eighty.frst street.. The
clearinghouse Is q larger place than
this, with plenty of grass about it,
where the dogs can spend the summer
in good company and get clean food.
For o terrier, pug or any small dog, the
rates are 81 q week. a pointer pays
| 80. My quarters up there are nearly
full now. I cannot accommodate more
than twenty-five or thirty dogs at a
time"
"But about these sick fellows; how
many have you on the sick list nowp"
swell. there are about six or eight
here. not including that setter, which
will only be here until her little family
is somewhat stronger. Then I have
about as many more to call on. You
see, some of these rich people will not
let their dogs leave the house at all, and
I 20 to see them once q day or once in
two days, as the case requires. 1charge
81 8 visit for patients in town, SIS to
Brooklyn and $40 for out Of town."
Ever see any touching scenes about
a dogs deathp"
"Why I should say 81. have seen
entire families weeping over q dying pet.
One day last season l was standing at
my office door when a coach was driven
up to the curb, and the footman jumped
down ard opened the door. A gentle
man stepped to the pavement, I went to
the curb, and he banded me a beautiful
shawl, which contained a lap:dog. As
he did 80 be turned to assist a lady from
the carriage, and at the same time he
said to me:
your carep
"'Why,' said I, this dog is Dead
"The lady sank to the pavement as
though she were dead, too. She had
tainted clean away upon the announce
ment. We assisted her into the carriage,
and her husband told me to take care of
the dogs body until he returned. The
next day he came back and said:
"'My wife is still sick. have been
unable to talk to her about Spots death
at all, but I want you to get a box and
pack him in ice until you hear from
me-
1.-THE day following I received word
that the dogs body would be sent for at
10 A. N. Next day an embroidered robe
with dogs heads, deers' heads, and the
dead dogs name and the date of his birth
upon it, which | was told to put around
the body in the coffin, was also sent to
me. Al the appointed time the carriage
came, and the lady and her mother and
daughter were in it. They had beautiful
white flowers; they opened the coffin
and put the flowers in 1t, and all drove
away. II I Get half as good a burial as
that dog did, { shall be grati6ed. "-New
York Sun.