Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-20
THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, JULY 20. 1884,

that II designates himself. Thus he may
be taught the word hat aud the articles II
signifies. Romeo knows the name Of
many objects, and if / place a hat,
handkerchief, whip, and a basket on the
stage and ask him tor any one OF them. ne
will bring it to me with never-failIng ac-
curacy. / give you my word OF nonor
that this is not done by any cue or sig
nal whatever, the dog actually knowing
the names Of the different objects just as
he knows his own name.
s.Dogs have an excellent eye for colors,
and can be taught to distinguish between
them by their names just as readily as
they can be taught the names OF objects"
'sDOes it not necessitate an immense
amount Of time and patience to teach any
of these thingsS'
'sUndOubtedly. Romeo is an unusually
bright dog, but it required two years OF
constant, unremitting effort to perfect him
in the trick Of picking out numbers
'sFrom a careful study Of them l am
convinced that dogs are capable OF as
much affection, jealousy and passion as
any human being. They have magma
ton also. as is proven by bulldog OF
mine. which always sleeps beside my bed.
He often has strange dreams, which cause
him to growl and bark in his sleep. Some
times he will start suddenly to his feet
from a deep slumber, with his eyes wild
and staring. Then, as he gradually re-
gains his cOmposure, he viii give me
look which seems to say, 'Pshawl What
a fool l am. 1t was only Dream and
will lie down and 90 to sleep again.
''That dogs possess reasoning power
am convinced. from the conduct of one Of
my dogs, which is a cross between a st.
Bernard and Newfoundland. spent
last summer about nineteen miles from
Baltimore, and every morning used to
give the dogs a swim in the GunpOWder
river. A short distance from the shore
there was a large quantity of sea grass,
which grew in such way that while 1t
was easy for the dogs to make their way
through it while swimming out into the
stream it was quite an obstacle to their
progress shoreward, requiring a severe
effort to overcome it. When swimming in
the dogs would come all abreast, but just
before reaching the sea-grass the one
have mentioned would fall out of his place
in the line and, allowing the others to
precede him, would follow close in their
wake, thus making them beat an easy
pathway for him through the grass.
''There is also charity and unselfshness
in dogs nature. / knew two dogs in
San Francisco, some years ago, who re-
minded me very fOrcibly of the Judge and
the Major in Chanfrau's exit" They were
very seedy in appearance and were al
ways trying to sponge on other dogs for
bones. They were absolutely inseparable
and you would never see one without the
other. At length one was taken sick,
and throughout his illness, which lasted
for a week or more, the other dog nursed
him like brother, and never left his side
except to get bones for him, which he stole
or bulldOzed from other dogs.
'Since dogs possess so many human
qualities does it seem strange to believe
that if human beings are immortal dogs
must be so, too? l cannot help thinking
that such is the case, and that there is a
system Of rewards and punishments for
good and bad dogs hereafter. One thing
l am sure of: if there is a place where
the good dogs go after death it must be
located in the dog star"