Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-08-30
Hookertown Views on the Dog Ques-
tion.
Coz. Ameriean Agrieulturist.

lively. The last topic stirring this ru~
raj region is the dog question. And
nothing comes nearer the heart of the
average landhOlder than his dog. The
proverb, "Love me, love my dog"
must have originated in the rural dis
tricts. The dog owner here prizes his
cur of low degree more highly than
the aristocrat his st. Bernard or his fox
hounds. Old Bose is the we're jewel of
his establishment, and any insinuation
that he chases, sheep, kills turkeys,
steals bones from the neighbor's back
doors, or snaps at school children, is
resented as a personal insult. Bose is
a well bred dog, grew up in the fami-
ly, and never did anybody any harm.
Malice must be at the bottom of all
evil reports about him. If one inquiries
Of the owner what is the brute good
for? the responses are various and
characteristic.
George Washington Tucker says.
"that yaller dorg of mine is worth his
weight in gold jest to watch the house
at night. I'd like to see any tramp
enter my house when old Tige is round;
he'd make mince meat of him quicker
'en you could say Jack Robinson"
The necessity Of watch dog about
will be understood when it is known
that Mr.. Tucker lives in a hired shanty,
rent two dollars a month ; live stock
one shote, five hens and a rooster
household goods worth about fifty dol
lars Burglars are so prone to visit
such establishments that old Tige must
stand guard inside by night, and worry
his neighbors by, day, the year round.
Jake Frink is among the most Stalwart
indicators of dog rights. 81 kalker-
late that I've jest as good right to
keep dorg as the next man, legisla-
ter or no legislator. What upon 'arth
du they expect Teller is gwine to du
with skunks and woodcucks and other
varmiHts if they tax the dogs out of
existence. With woOdcucks on yer
beans and clover, skunks after yer eggs
and chickens, and nosein' round yer
garden sass, and cOoDs in yer corn,
there'd be a mighty lean look fur
Thanksgiven, tell ye. The Guver>
ner might jest as well not issoo his proc.
lermashun. Pm agin this dorg law"
A look at Jacks garden or cornfeld in
summer, will impress any one with the
high value of dog power as an aid to
cultivation.
Seth Twiggs thinks dogs worth hav-
ing for company. "Ye see, Pm lone
some sometimes, even with the old
pipe and Tizah for company. Mr..
Spooner breaches that it's scripture
doctrin, Its not good fer man to be
alone. Jess so, believe that, don't
know what the Almighty made dorgs
for, if it weren't fur company. Chill.
dren take naturally to dorgs, as ducks
do to water. | guess they are made
to go together, The felIers what we
sent up to Hartford had better be care
full how they unsodder things what the
Almighty has put together. This tin>
KERN at the State House is bad bust
ness. l really like to see statesman
ship once in a while" The smoke was
very thick about Seth's head,
Benjamin Franklin Jones says: II
believe in prOtectin' sheep, but can't
see how this dorg law is going to du it.
1t don't seem to thin off the dogs much.
They multiply jest as fast. What we
want is an improved breed of dogs.
Shepherd dogs won't harm sheep, and
are necessity for sheep-keepers. We
can breed the thirst for blood out of
the common cur, civilize him and make
him indispensable on the farm He is
in the process of evolution, working up
toward the shepherd type. 1t seems a
great waste Of these hundred or more
generations of training, if our law
makers are to arrest him in mid career,
as an unfinished, abortive sample Of
the Creators works | take some stock
in evolution. Jones is one of the phi.
losophers Of our town. He lives in a
tenement hOuSe--never owned sheer
and probably never expects to, but he