The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-29
DOGS DISCUSSED.
BY ". H. NEAVE.

CHAPTER I.
Dog. or no dog" il, and has been
a vexsi question for many years. ]
now propose to settle ito my own
satisfaction, at least. l think every
dog has had its day." and am in favor
of their utter extirpation, with the
questionable exception Of pure breeds
of three kinds ; namely, the New
foundland, the Scotch terrier and the
Scotch colley, which latter is the best
sheep or shephard's dog. The exist
ing prevalence of dogs, in such mil
lionary multiplicity, of such anomalous
genus and mongrei breed. is = perpe-
tual horror, q perennial source OF in
calculable danger, waste and destrue-
ton, and a sore reflection on humanity
y disgrace to modern civilization.
| know that these broad assertions,
coupled with an avewal of
DOG OsTRACIax,
will gain for me misnomers, such AZ
'doggon'd old hunks '.dogged cur
nudgeon" &c. from others; n'in,porte,
read on.
The Scotch proverb that bids yen
"beware o. them that dogs and BARNS
drea and turn frae," is a good and true
admonition, but it brings no qualms TO
me; for, dogs and children take to me
kindly and at once. am not vindic-
tive towards dogs; have no personal
grudge, SO to speak, any more than l
have against rats, bed-bugs, house flies,
snakes, garden weeds or Canada this.
ftna Thoy wara no6o CO opA conoot
be other than they are; but if they
were created for any good to mankind.
it is not generally known; and all the
appliances Of ingenuity are used to
destroy or abate them and all kindred
nuisances-except the dog, which is
entitled to pre- eminence of rank among
the animated, baneful pests of poor hu-
manity.
In my youth l was an snthusiast tic
admirer of dogs, and read, with avid
ity all tales and anecdotes of the more
than human sagacity, matchless fidei-
ity and heroic self-denial Of dogs Gull
ping them down with simple creiulity,
as | did school-book stories of the
wisdom and gratitude of
THE ELEPHANT,
which l nOlc knOU to bo the most
t~reacherous and thankless animal ex-
tant. In extenuatiOn of such puerile
verdancy, l may stale that 1 knew then
only pure and half breeds of oil kinds
of dogs.
But event in early manhood, 10 which |
transplanted myself to where mongrel
CANNES do most abound, | chung long
and %tenaciously to my early impressions
in favor of dogs. The necessity OF
q total eradication of them was a slow,
reluctant, painful and piece~mesl con
viction with me.
War was then, IS now, waged against
dogs by newspapers and other great
factors in human enlightenment and
progress, which my instincts Of early
bias. resented as a senseless, unregen-
crate hullabalioo. holly paliated the
alleged misdemeanors of dogs. What
if they dio steal meat, worry chickens
and children and such likei God
made them so and men, whose legiti-
mate friends and companions they are.
should keep such temptations out of
their way, and protect and feed them
well. | even considered muzzling as
barbarous, and the danger from
HYDRorHoBIA
inadequate to excuse such cruelty.
As 10 thsir sheep-killing preuiisc-
tions, | considered it unjust anu bloody
minded to let rich men sheep live aud
kill of poor mems dogs (Sub rosa, 1
inclined to the sans culotte school of
politics then.) | further argued, that
if farmers killed sheep, without any
com junction, merely for their peIts,
why deprive poor dogs of a lit lie con
genial amusement in doing such work
for them? Was a pelt worth any less
because the sheep was killed by q doRS
Besides q sleeps pelt brought more IN
market than a dogs pslt-er0O, why
should the dog be ki'ledi Then there
were the silly p~rete1ts Of CITY people
for prosecuting the poor dogs; and the
DEMoNICAL MALEDICTIoss
with which they anathematixsd them
Tor disturbing their sleep of nights, by
their bowling and yelping. l told
such m~alcontents that their neighbOr ;
dogs merely did so-instinctively and
without malice prepense; and as to
their ''baying at the noOn,' they had
al,caus done so and have never hurt
the moon. As to their growing
against their neighbours dogs for u
mug across lots and lawns; pulling
clothes off the lines, rolling on flower
beds. playing havoc in cellars, pan
tries, poultry coops and other charac
t~eristic canine gambols, ct hoe genus
on,ne at iafnituna, l met and rebuffed
o the best of my ability. My labored
pleas and deienses | will not weary
he rxadcr 10y repeating; nor the stun
ming replies of the dog regulators.
Let it suffice to say, that | was on the
diim;nuentioes, while they wa1ed csendo.
My sails Tapped for want of wind; |
was sensibly weakening, and conscious
of now seeking victory rather than
truth.
Driven TO extremes, Irecurred to the
| Blue, as q de1nier resort, and search
ed it for drops and stays to my side.
| found the dog to be
HISTORIC ANIMAL,
to the extent of only . few ''mere
mentions" but occupying ne pronoun-
ced prominence in the Bible. 1t tells
of dogs tapping the blood of the
upgodly Ahab. Allusion is also made
to the fact that ''the dog returns to his
vomit;" and, par pdrenthescs, | may
hazard the remark, that the dog 10 the
only animal of the present day addicted
to the filthy and disgusting practice. 1t
IS also recorded that dogs licked the
sores of Lazarus; but whether from
kindly comnissration, or to partially