The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-08
Tho st. Bernard Dogs Of Rome.

In Rome there is as fine O collection
OF four-legged dogs as can be found in
{ any clty Of Europe A certain tourist
said he would "rather be o specimen of
the canine family IN Rome than the
Mayor of Birmingham" Chacuns son
gout. 1t IL proposed to have dog
show in Rome | Well. we have had
worse shows. But we are pleased that
the st. Bernard dog is to have local
habitation and name in it. There is
but one place where we know the simon
pure st. Bernard. This ia the Canton
Wand. @
The race of this fine dog is kept Wig
orous and pure there, though all through
out the canton we have noticed number
OF these auimals which evidently have
strains of other blood. In fact, except
ing from the St. Bernard Monastry, it.
self, the Valaisians say you can not
procure a thoroughbred dog, and not
always even there Their peculiar
training for the assistance of wayfarers
begins, of course. only on the mountains,
and it was from the Monastery on the
st. Bernard that the Prince of Wales
obtaiued, when passing there, the fine
canine specimans which are the orna-
ments of his kingly kennel at Sandring-
ham. These dogs are fed three times a
day with vegetable and animal food.
The Christian dog there, contrary to
some 'dogs Of Christians" elsewhere.
observes the monastio regime, and is
limited Oh fast days and days of abstiu-
euce in his food. Next to London Joint
stock companies we never saw canine
creatures with 80 much "limited liabil-
ity." There are about 400 dogs held
there in training orders for the final les
sons IN humanitarian seeking and find
ing on st. Bernard's bleak top. These
dogs have most attractive names. and
respond to them as intelligently as a
oorporals guard on roll. call. A sort of
stud-hook Is kept which, for it's details
and accuracy, would draw tears of envy
from the racing authorities of Newmark-
ct and our Roman "Jockey Club" and
or learned In dog pedigree, that theywould
amaze and nmuse Darwin in Herald's
College. The first family Of dogs here
are as proud of their lineage as if they
belonged to the bluest blood of all dog
dom ohronicled in the ''Bow-wow Peer
age." Or the canine ':Who's Who'll" or
ALUMINIUM uo UFOuua, a,-.-----------------.--.---
One old family traces it's origin to the
dog-days of tho celebrated Bishop of
Leon, who was hurled from his palace
windows Ill the fourteenth ceutuary by
spendthrift nephew, who was the rouc
our of the canton.
We may mention on the subject of
these dogs and their sense of smell that
it is keener than in dogs Of the smaller
and more domestic type. It is by tho
smell they arc guided in their chief
works. Ithas been said TINT "pet dogs"
lap dogs, and dogs esndoged, If we may
use the term, by silly fondling and fe-
male nursing. are less strong in thoir
sense of smell than the natur,l dog pure
and simple. A dog deprived of smell
ing power ceases to DO IL dog. Schif,
in his Treatise on dogs and their facul-
ties, says the dog with loss of smell
loses its faculty of attachment and faith.
fulness towards its master whom it re-
cognizes and loves simply on account Of
his individual perfume. He cansod
some young dogs to be deolfaotorized,
and forever after they forgot their cum
ming and knew no master, be he ever 80
kind. The olfaotory nerve in the Mount
st. Bernard mastiff is particularly large.
iborally containing sinuses for increas-
ing tho olfactory surface. and you do
not discover it so developed in small
dogs.