Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-30
PEOPLE WHO BUY PETS.
They Have Many Peculiar Fansies-A
Monkey that Wore Sp%ectacles.

PEOPLE WHO BUY PETS.
They Have Many Peculiar Fansies-A
Monkey that Wore Spectacles.
"What sorts of people care most 70,
pet animals?" asked a reporter of &
dealer.
"Such a variety of people like pets,''
said he, land they like them in SC
many ways and for SO many reasons,
that it is hard to say which ones have
the call. Perhaps it's the g~ood-hearted
people, and then perhaps it isn't. The
biggest price l ever got tor a "A was
$50, and that was from q man who
would feel sore about giving 30 cents
to a blood relation. He was a widow.
er. One morning he came i'll here to
collect a bill, and q fine Maltese Of
mine kept rubbing against his leg. The
widower made believe not to notice the
cat, but at last he looked up to me
quite suddenly and said: i suppose a
man has got to love somcthing.' He
said it as though it wa q sort of hard
SHIP: Then he paid tue price without
%grumbling.
1.-The wisest old chap that aver came
into this store bought a terrier for a
grandson of his who was a sort of an
invalid. K
"'My grandson's mighty irritable
said tho old gentleman, 'and he is hard
to live with, but if he gets interested in
this pup, he's going to get well, I
have had quite a number Of customers
among people in poor health. They
were mostly ladies. Some women take
to pets BECAUSE they think no n else
will care for them, or because they
have been disappointed in love and
want to care for something that will
show affection.
..There is one curious difference be-
tween men and women about pets. A
man will sometimes sell one when it
gets sick; but q woman Withhold on to it
until it gets well or dies. Women that
have the gentine love for animals seem
to care all the more for pets that aresick.
l have often sold them sick pets that
they would not have fancied had the
animal been well. 4 woman came here
for a pug last winter; when / had adj
vettised some very fine ones, but she
concluded to take q spaniel that looked
as though he wouldn't live a week.
The dog got we'll and became the most
atfectionate animal 1 e saw
81 anu coldly distant to anything in
the nature of a Watchdog: l couldn't
sell a watchdog if l allowed him too
much familiarity on short acquaintance.
Dogs intended to sell for pets must be
kept just on the ragged edge Of atfec-
ton, as it were. If they show too
much love for the dealer some ladies
won't want them. l have had a ten
%der-hearted lady remark that she
wouldn't take ii dog of mine because
1t wohld' BE cruel to part us. OF
course; q circumstance of that kind in.
jures a dealers business:
ARTISTS prefet cats to other pet
animals, and they are first rate Judges.
A large, tinely-marked tortoise shell
suits them we'll. ! took in S2b from an
artist one day for a superbly-markcd
notified gray. 1t had what we call the
night aud day stain: Artists go strong
on having q. graceful cat. Now, ali
cats are graceful, but some have more
OF an easy movement than Others, and
some have more style. There. are lots
of people Who think it makes things
look comfortable to have a large cat
around. Some of my biggest Tables
have, been sold to people who cared
more about getting a cheerful effect in
their rooms than they did for cats.
"Dogs do not seem to be in fator
with musicians. "A violinist once told
me he couldn't keep them because
their, barking grated or his ear: But
musicians don't seem-to care for sing
ing-birds any more than for dogs, and
there is a belief in the trade that the
only pet that goes we'll with musicians
is Il monkey. Monkeys and parrots
are not genuine pets; they are curiosi-
ties. l have known monkeys to show
great fondness for each other. But
they do not care Tor human beings. A
lady customer Of mine has three OF
them. She says that none Of them has
shown any affection for her. She likes
them partly because they amuse her
and partly for "a queer, idea she has,
She says she couldn't love a pet thai
returned her affection. -.
People learn TO dislike pets for
queer causes: A woman came here t
swap off a pet terrier because,ho harked
q day when she took off her wig.
Another woman, gave me back a mon.
key at half price because, she said, lie
made faces behind her back-she saw
him in the glass. ,Itoldh her that monkeys
had a habit of making faces, aud thai
it was necessary to their nature, Anc
SO it is. I've seen, them 90 into a cor.
ner and make the: most outrageou:
faces. without any apparent cause.
But the old lady declared twas, disre.
spectful. l had a parrot that had beer
educated by a sailor. When / told bel
about it she at once took. a. strong
fancy to the bird because, she said, she
thought she could reform it. - Il
I'll know AMMAN. that spent a year ii
teaching a monkey how to use eye
glasses. He assures. me that every
time the monkey hops up on his libra,
ry table with a newspaper OF stretches
out in a chair with the glasses on he
excites irresistible laughter. l didn,,
understand how the fun could be sc
lasting, until one. day, when I went uF
to doctor the monkey. One look al
him was sufficient. When, you con.
slider what awful faces a monkey car