Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
4 Musical bog.
New York Mail and Express

4 Musical Dog.
New York Mail and Express.
Alexander Bings is a well-known
professor of music. and is much sought
after by select parties giving social
private entertainments. The Professor
is known IN musical ci1cles as man
of extraordinary musical talents. be-
| ing able TO play on almost every in
strument, from q jewis harp UP. Pro-
lessor Blngs has companion that is
looked upon as even a greater curiosi-
ty, IN whose parsonage his friends
and acqualn taDces see none other than
hit faithful dog Momer, for which his
master has already refused different
large sums Of money. The dog is
very much attached to its master. In
deed, it is scarcely out of his presence
for a moment. Homer has been a
constant listener to the Professors
practice on different instruments, and
has become such an adept IN music
that the moment his master uses a
wrong note ne growls first, and should
the discOrdant strain be repeated he
bowls vociferously until the right note
is struck.
A reporter for the Mail and Express
learning OF Homer's rare ability, call
ed upon friend of Mr. BipgS, a Mr..
Thomas Himmel, yesterday and was
told of
MANY WONDERFUL TESTS
to which the dog has been put to test
his ear for music, and he has never
failed yet.
II was a party of one" said Mr..
Himmel to the writer, ''who had no
faith IN the alleged wonderful ear of
the dog, and to back up my assertion
that it was all a sham [ offered to bet
$500 and a quiet supper for a small
number o. friends that I would play
upon several musical instruments,
and that the dog would fail to detect
certain discordant notes. To my sur
prise the Professor covered my bet,
and an evening was appointed to test
| the sagaclty Of Homer. So that there
could be no mistake, three professors
of music were selec ted to act as Judges
The most important point of all was
to get some musical instrument that
Bings did not play on or have ia the
house. and that I could manipulate
struck upon tin whistle and found
ong 50 faRn ar TIL thai F B9gS did o n6t haze
to it. The evening came and we were
on hand at BIng S house. He wanted
to exhibit the sense of his dog first,
but L objected and was sustained by
the judges, on the ground that if
Homer had any music IN his compo-
sition his ears might be sharpened by
hearing his master play. Without
word of warning [ played Climbing
Up the Golden Stairs correctly,
whereupon the dog got at my feet and
wagged his narrative with apparent
delight. / followed with the Last
Rose of Summer and purposely
USED A FLAT FOR A SHARP.
To my utter establishment the dog
did groWI. l repeated 1t a number of
times when Homer appeared to be
| getting crazy. [ tried several other
operate airs with the same effect.
Then we all took hand in the piano.
the cornet, concertina, and futina
were all played upon in turn, and
give you my word Of honor that
every time mistake, even OF the
most trivial character, was made it
was at once detected by Homer. The
supper was prepared, and during the
meal the question was discussed from
every stan dpoint as % how the dog
acquired such keen ear for music.
After suppe r. of course we had plertv
to drink The Professor was so de-
lighted wit his success that he i'm
bibee pretty freely. Now was NV
time to fla d out something. I got
Blngs into a very talkative mGod and
encouraged him. At first every at
tempt to find out how he had edUcat-
ed his dog failed, but finally his
tongue began to wsg and he gave the
secret away. Homer is nearly ten
years old. During that time his
master has been practicing on all
kinds of in struments. While learn
ng he would, of course, find himself
run up and down the scale, making
muddle of the piece. The faithful
dog lay a his feet. Every time he
made dis cordant note and got mad
with hims elf he gave Homer kick
which sen him OF howliue with
pain. This sort Of chastise ment was
so frequent in the early days of Bings
less ons that The dog actually
became acq tainted with dIscordant
notes and no matter when Or where
he hears them he growls or yelps as
he did when mis- M aster kicked him.
This is the Professors own story and
bears every semblence of truth uron
it. E[e has won several wagers up
on the dog already.
In nearly every railroad station in
London is small box en- legs, paints
ed Crimson, which may be called an
automatic postoffice. It is divided
into two CO apartments. In the top
are apertures admitting penny, one
being for p ostal cards and the other
for envelop es. You drop a penny
through tn slot and open a little
drawer ben cath. and, presto, you find
a postal car d. Drip two pennies in
.he right b and sloth, open corres>
bonding dra wer, and you find stamp
I'd envelope F., containing a dainty