Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21

| The Noble Sagacity--R emar X a BILE
Feline Pluck-As to Some Peculiar
Pets-Astonishing Uses to Which
Vermines are Put, and other Notes
That VIII Afford Information and
Entertainment to the Readers of All
Glasses.
A horse in Sayr eville, Pa, has to
haul sixty-fve loads of clay and one
load of coal dust every day. He
receives no orders, yet never fails to
go exactly the number of times to the
clay pit, and then to the coal heap on
the pier He has his own idea of how
much each load ought to be, and rears
and kicks if too much is put on his
cart.
For fifteen years a horse belonging
to Col. Mott, of Westbury, Conn.,,
has been driven at certain hour to
town for the family mail. Recently
the animal was declared entitled to a
rest, but at the usual time he broke
from the stable and was soon at the
Post Office. The animal has ever
since appeared daily at the regular
hour at the Post Office.
During the burning of a London
music hall cat exhibited remarkable
pluck and devotion. Her kittens
were behind the scenes on the stage
She war repeatedly driven back by the
smoke, but succeeded in rescuing
three kittens. She hurried back for
the fourth, but returned ne more.
After the fire the charred remains of
cat and kitten were found lying side
by side.
Station agent Harding, of Winter
ton, N. Y, has a dog that has as
sumed to take charge of the mail bag
on the arrival of the trains. When
near time for the mail train the dog
takes his position on the platform of
the depot, and as soon as the bag is
thrown off takes it carefully in his
teeth and carries it to the Post Office.
When the train is behind time he be-
comes uneasy, and shews much i'm
patience at the delay.
Mrs. Sleight, of New York, has for
pets black and-tan pup and a young
alligator. The two have a great ik-
ing for each other and are together
all the time. The dog has left his soft
cushion to sleep on the hard floor
with his friend. When the dog is
called to the dining room to be fed
the alligator creeps after it uttering
peculiar cultural sounds, showing its
displeasure at being left alone. One
of these days the alligator will swal-
low the dog.
DR.. Henry Leonard, of Toledo, has
been studying up the history, uses
and abuses of lice. He has discovered
that sailors believe certain number
of body lice, or graybacks, eaten in
jam or jelly, will cure the liver com.
plaint Some of the Northern tribes
of Indians regard the fat head louise
as a most delicate and savory morsel.
They spend much of their time pick
ing them off of each other the pick
er getting one half the game for catch,
ing it.
One day last week! a horse broke
loose from sleigh aEd ran down the
Huesburg road leading from Burling-
ton, VT, at fearful speed Turning
a short bend on the steepest part of
the road, it came upon the stage
sleigh. Being unable to stop, and the
road to narrow to pass, it made leap
to clear the vehicle and landed in the
middle of it, all four of his feet going
through the bottom. A lady on the
middle seat was considerably hurt,
but the others escaped
1t has been calculated that red
breast requires daily an amount of
food equal to an earthworm fourteen
feet long. Assuming sausage nine
inches in circumference to be fair
equivalent for man as theI earthworm
for the bird, Prof. Wood finds that
man would have to consume sixty
seven feet of such sausage in every
twenty-four hours in order to eat as
much in proportion to his bulk as the
red breast. Prof. Wood offers this
as an illustration of the amount of
work which is done by the insect
eating birds.