Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-07-23
A Clever Dog.


A handsome Scotch colly dog In tho
Office of DR.. j. @. Corlies, I'm Market
and Mulberry Streets, Newark, has
been trained by his owner, X. Is. Will
liams, DR. Corlies's young clerk, to do
things which prove him to be an ami
NAL OF unusual intelligence. He spells
words, distinguishes colors, and per-
forms arithmetical calculations; or else
he and his owner are among the most
clever of living practicers of legerde-
main. Yesterday u reporter Of tho
Sun called, with q friend, nc DR. Cor
LESS Office to see the dog The friend $
tecting any possible collision between
Mr.. Williams and Boz. The latter was
found TO be beautiful animal, with q
white and tawny coat, largo head,
and dark intelligent eyes. He is TWEEN
ty-two inches high and is ten months old.
''Dr. Corlies gave Boz to me when he
was three weeks old, said Mr.. Will
liams. at would take me day to tell
you how / taught him to spell and fig
ure. 1t will be easier for me to show
YOU the results. Boz, get on the sofa. "
The colly jumped upon lounge and
remained there while his owner set sew
eral blocks in row on the floor. Each
block was painted a different color.
"Now call for your colors." said Mr..
Williams.
The reporter asked Boz to pick out
green, and the dog walked slowly
along the row of blocks until he came
TO the color called for, when he lifted
the block by n leather strap on tho top
of it and set it one side. In like man
ner Boz correctly selected red, white,
yellow and black. The reporter OBJ
served that when making his choice OF
colors, and later, of letters and figures,
the dog faced his owner. The visitors
therefore watched the latter to ascer-
tain if he gave Boz any signals, but
were unable to detect any communica-
ton between tho two. Several times
when the dog was doing his work Mr..
Williams turned his face away from the
blocks and looked out of a window.
"Boz, match this book said Mr..
Williams, pointing TO a pink-covered
telephone list.
The dog promptly picked up the pink
block. Finally. only n dark-blue block
remained on the floor. Mr.. Williams
called for light blue. Boz walked
several times around the block and
without disturbing it, returned to his
master to signify by bark that there
was no light-blue block. Blocks with
letters on them werp next placed on the
floor, and the reporter asked the dog Ia
spell Tan. Boz picked up L and then
got A and N. The other visitor called
for the first letter of the word white,
and tho dog presented the letter w.
Next he spelled his own name, and then,
being asked for the first letter of wha,
he is, picked up ID.
"Who is the biggest fraud in the
roomP" inquired Mr. Williams.
Boz set u before him. When only X
and q remained, the reporter asked fol
ascertain whether Boz approved Of
phonetic spelling. The dog ignored X
and picked up G.
This gold collar on his neck Boz
won," said Mr.. Williams. "Alr
Edward Cox, of New York, said the
dog couldn't pick out colors unless
these blocks were used. So he triet
Boz with pieces of leather, and the dog
did just Us well. Mr.. Cox also asked
for the initial of his first name and fol
all tho letters of his last name. The
dog succeeded in this, too, and Mr.
Cox was so much pleased that he GO
tho collar and gave it TO Boz. Now
test his memory. Call for severa
colors at once"
The color blocks having been put back
on the floor, tho reporter said: Boz
want green, pink, red, blue, yellow
black and white" AS he called them
the reporter wrote down the names o.
the colors. Mr.. Williams asked fol-
the names and wrote them down fol
himself. After minute had been con
sumed, he said:
snow, Boz, give the gentleman Tho
colors in the order in which he called
for them,'
The reporter could not remembe,
them without the aid of his paper, bu
Boz picked up each block in its order
As in all the tests, the dog faced his
master, while the visitors were behinc
the dog, and facing Mr.. Williams.
II suspect that you guided him, y
said the reporter to Mr.. Williams
ELSE why did YOU ask for q list of the
colors beforhandP | would have told
you whether the dog succeeded o.
failed.n
Mr.. Williams explained that h,
wanted to know during the progress o1
the experiment how Boz was getting or
with it.
With ten blocks with figures on thom
the intelligent colly performed sums il
addition and satisfaction, multiplied
two by four, and then, getting into
fractions, gave the product of twice
-and-a-half. He answered ques
ton rs to the number of days in thu
week, and counted five by producing
five blocks. He was told TO pick up
4, then l and afterwards Q, and wa,
again equal to the demand. The re
porter asked for So, when there wa:
only one on the floor. Boz barked K
say that he could not comply with tn,
request Eight newspapers were laid
on the floor, with their names in sight
Boz led off by producing the Sun il
response TO call for it, and then pre-
sented the Telegram, Police Gazette, th,
Newark Ne,cs, and the others rs he wa
requested.
Mr.. Williams called the dogs atten
ton to the clock, and asked him wha
the time was. 1t was 1920. Boz wa
slow in responding, apparently being
tired, and had to be punished. "You'v,
wasted time" said tho owner, " and
want to know what time it is now"
Boz picked up 3, 2 and 1. 1t wa
1921 o'clock.
IF l gave you eight cents and tool
away eight how many would you ha8i
leftP" asked Mr.. Williams.
Boz picked up an 0.
AT l. f.,