Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-01-17

'lu LCNls MuulHlys
We speak of five senses, and perhap
have never thought there could be an
othel.'
But we have others. One of thes
may be called the "Sense of Direction.
This is possessed in but slight degre
by men who live in cities, but men VIII
live a wild life on the plains or in th
forests, often have it in high degree
There arc many animals whose sens
of direction" is wonderful. A pigeon
of what is known as the "homing'
variety. taken from New York City t,
Columbus, Ohio, in box, within car
and released, will rise In the air, max
circle or two, and Immediately com
mence, with the most unerring Ger
ainty, bee.lino for his little box in
New York. A cat, put in close bag
and taken ten or twenty miles from heI
homo at night, will appear in hel
former haunts early next morning
This "sense of direction is common
among animals. 1t is as unerring a!
tho sense of sight.
In attempting TO explain the "sensc
of direction" it has eel suggested
that tho animal observes and keep,
track Of all the wanderings and turn
ings, and thus determines the exac
direction Of his home.
When a man is riding in the cars, i
ho shuts his eyes, be cannot tell il
which direction h" is going. With hi'
eyes bandaged, let him stand between
two seats and turn round dozen times
then Sit down upon one of the seats
and he cannot tell whether he is going
backwards or forwards. How then can
pigeon, shut in a close box, within q
car, take notice of the scenery, and
make calculations about directionsP
puring one of our camping
trips in California, | tried To
show 4 party of friends the
magnificent scenery seen from the
top Of Mount Diablo. We stayed too
long, and before we reached Martinez,
finding ourselves on n strange and dark
road, concluded to 60 into camp by the
roadside, and wait till morning. My
teamster came 10 say that we had nc
hay, and after some reflection, | direc'
ted Joe. the big Norwegian, to put Oul
small, bright mules before the herdel
wagon, and he and | would 90 into the
village OF Martinez for some bales oI
hay. We had to trust the mules tC
keep the road, and when we reached
the village found the streets very dark.
At the little tavern we were directed tC
Il livery in the suburbs. There they
told us to 90 to a citizen down Mt the
end of the street. AT the fifth place VT
found the desired hay, and having, as
we thought, kept the points of the COM
pass, started back to camp. After
cropping about here and there, We gave
up trying to find our way, let the rcins
fall, and give Jim and Bob their heads.
They soon contrived to turn q corner,
and going in a direction which we
agreed was wrong, took us back to oul
camp, and | have no doubt by the
shortest possible route.
On another occasion when we were
in the Upper Sierra Nevada Noun
tains, strayed from my party while
examining u remarkable canon, and
found, with great alarm, that | was
lost. Leaving the saddle, | climbed &c
an elevated point, and was delighted
TO see what | had no doubt was the
location of our camp Again in the
saddle started Pinto toward the camp.
He tried to turn the other way, but
insisted. The moment let the relns
drop, he would turn around. At
length, for it was now almost dark,
threw the rcins on PintO's neck, with
tho exclamation, "Well, 90 aheadi |
shall not leave your back till we are in
camp, if it takes twenty-four hours. "
He turned and started on pace which
would mean, on mountain trail, a
broken neck for an eastern horse, and
in less than half an hour, showing
meanwhile, in the motions of his head
and ears, an increasing pleasure, he
carried me into camp, where found
my companions sad ling for search
At still another time | found myself
lost in the mountains, with no other
companion than the most powerful and
vicious mustang | ever rode. | was
certain, when we came TO fork in the
trail, that we ought to turn to
the right. Tiger cherished the opinion
that tho left led to our camp. He was
Il stranger in that region, while | knew
every foot of it. The left trail was
confident would take us into wild
region with no water, and fright
smart chance of u broken neck. |
applied the spurs, and Tiger began
that dreadful LLsiness called bucking.
Soon hc had me sprawling on the
ground, but fortunately without broken
bones. He ran away on tie left trail.
contriyed to get on my feet and run
after him, but soon saw that was use
less, and returned to the fork of the
trails. Rcsorting to an cXpedient with
bits of paper familiar to mountaineers,
| started off on the right.hand trail, but
soon returned to the point where part
ed company with my vicious compan-
ion, and with the most painful reluct-
ance concluded | spent the night there.
| walked about, slapped my arms a.
round my shoulders after the manner
of wood-choppers, and about two
clock in the morning heard the hoo
hoo of John, who, with the whole par
ty, including my wife, were making a
desperate night search for the lost. They
told me that Tiger returned at eight o.
clock, which must have been within
fifteen minutes after no left me. ]
found, when help came, that | was
nearly killed. John helped me into
the saddle, and wrapping thick
blanket about me, soon had the lost
back in camp, where they spent the
rest of the night applying hot arnica
and bandages.
Tiger crunched his fodder, and as he
saw me nursed, no doubt thought his
master great fool.
"In March, 1916, an ass, the proper
ty of Captain Dundas, R. N, then at
Malta, was shipped on board the lister
frigate, Captain Forest, bound from
Gibraltar to that island. The vessel
having struck on the shore, the ass was
thrown overheard to give it chance OF
swimming to land-a poor one, for the
sea was running so high that boat
which left the ship was lost. A few
days afterwards, however, when the
gates of Gibraltar were opened in the
morning, the ass presented himself for
admittance, and, proceeded to the sat-
BILE of Mr.. Weeks, a merchant, which
he had formerly occupied, to the no