Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-02
&eadiug.
HONESTY IN ANIMALS.
ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATING THE REMARK
ABLE FIDELITY OF DOGS.

1t IS to be hoped thaC tne anllllal scale VI
morality is not so low that when brute
act honestly it does so only because honesty
is the best policy. There are many in.
stances known to animals acting honestly
when the slightest promptings of INSTINCT
would have shown that is was more polite
to act otherwise. Self-denial and self-sacrl-
flee have been frequently needed OF AMI
mails, and in the hour of temptation they
have not succumbed Neither fear, nor
pain, nor the cravings OF hunger nave
sufficed to deter many noble animals OF the
brute world from their sense of duty. Quite
recently the Canadian papers reported an
anecdote of canine fidelity which, had II
been told of Roman soldier or Hlndu
nurse, would have been bruited throughout
the civilized world as an instance of human
ity's supremest devotion to duty. Inc
story as told to US is that, when nearing
Montreal. the engine-driver of Il train saw
a great dog standing on the track and bark
ing furiously. The driver blew his whistle,
vet the hound did not bulge, but crouching
low, was struck by the locomotive and kill
ed. Some pieces of white muslin on the en-
gine attracted the drivers notice; he stop
bed the train and went back. Besides the
dead dog was dead child which it is sup
posed, had wandered on to the track and
had gone to sleep. The poor watchtul guar
dian had given its signal for the train to
stop, but unheeded, had died at its post, a
victim to duty.
Prof. Bell also tells of Newfoundland
dog kept at an inn in Dorset, which was ac-
customed, every morning as the clock struck
EIGHT. to take in his mouth basket placed
for the purpose and containing some pence,
and 20 with it to the bakers. The man
took out the money, replacing it by certain
number of rolls, which Neptune returned
home with. He never touched the eatables;
but on one occasion, when another dog at
tempted to despoil the basket master Nep
put down his burden and gave the intruder
thrashing; that accomplished he regalned
his charge and carried it home in triumph.
In his interesting "African Travels" LIE
Valiant details how he missed his favorlte
setter. After fruitless search, and the re-
peated firing of his gun to guide the animal,
he sent an attendant back by the way they
had travelled, to try and discover the lost IA
vorite. About two leagues back on the route
the dog was found keeping guard over a
chair and basket which had been dropped
unperceived from the wagon. But for this
fortunate discovery of the honest dog 1t
must speedily have perished by hunger or
from the beasts of prey.
In Taylor's General Character of the
Dog" is given an account OF one OF these
faithful animals, which daily carried to la
borer, in Portsmouth dockyard, his dinner.
Trusty, as the dog was rightly named, had
to take the basket containing his masters
midday meal, upward of a mile, SO that he
had frequently to rest on the journey. he
was very careful as to where he deposited
his load, and would not allow any one to
come near it. When he reached the dock
gates he often had to wait until they were
opened for the admission or egress of any
one; but the instant he could effect an en-
trance he ran in with his charge and carried
it to his master, who, after he had partaken
of his dinner, redelivered the empty basket
to his faithful servitor to carry home again.
This is no solitary specimen of canine
integrity. The author Of ''Salad for the So
cial" tells of dog whose master deposited
a bag in one of the narrow streets of South
hampton, and left his dog to guard it with
strict Injunction not to leave it. The faith
full creature was so stanch in the fultillment
of duty that rather than forsake its trust,
it actually allowed heavy cart TO drive
over it and crush it to death.
1t is not merely momentary impulse, nor
ignorance of the effects of this steadfastness,
as some may imagine, that prompts animals
to act thus faithfully. There are numerous
cases on record that they will sustain hun
ger, endure pain and fatigue, and with
Stand temptation at the dictates of duty as
gallantly as any human being. Youatt is
the authority for the following remarkable
instance of canine integrity:
An officer, returning from days shoot
ing deposited his spoil in certain room, in
the custody of his dogs. Mechanically he
locked the door and put the key in his pock-
Ell and departed. Soon afterward, ne was
called away on urgent business, and during
his absence of several days, forgot all about
his game and his dogs. When he returned
home he hastened to his room and there
found both dogs dead of hunger. Not only
had they refrained from touching the game,
but they had kept quiet, having neither
barked nor cried, evidently fearing to be-
tray the trust they deemed their master had
confided to them.
It is related of Prof. Bell that when a
friend of his was travelling abroad he one
morning took out his purse to see if it con-
tained sufficient change for days jaunt he
proposed making. He departed from his
lodgings, leaving trusted dog behind.
When he dined he took out his purse to pay,
and found that he had lost a gold coin from
it. On returning home in the evening
his servant informed him that the dog
seemed to be very i'll, and they could not in
duce him to eat anything. He went at
once to look at his fOvorite, and as soon as
he entered the room the faithful creature
ran to him, deposited the missing gold coin
at his feet and then devoured the food plac-
ed for it with great eagerness. The truth
was that this gentleman had dropped the
coin in the morning the dog had picked it
up and kept it in his mouth, fearing even
to eat lest he should lose his masters prop
erty before an opportunity offered to re-
store it.
In his Essay on Instinct" Hancock tells
of dog belonging to Glasgow tapr0om-
keeper that was accustomed to carry its
masters breakfast to him in a tin can be-
tween his teeth. When the family remov-
ed the dog changed his route, and never
went wrong. 1t could not be induced to
accept favor when on it's masters errandS,
and carefully avoided any of its own spe-
cies. This incorruptible servant, which, by
the way, understood Gaelic as we'll as Eng
lish, often carried home meat to the weight
of halfa stone but never attempted to touch
it. Dogs, indeed, rarely attempted to touch
food belonging to their owners. One very
remarkable instance is recorded by Jesse OF
dog that accompanied its mistress when
returning from market with basket OF
provisions. They were overwhelmed by Il
snow-storm, and not discovered for three
days the woman was found to be dead, but
the dog, which was lying by her side, was
alive. The honest creature, however, had
not touched the eatables in his mistress
basket, but, as neighboring villagers re-
membered when too late, had been endeav-
oring, on the evening of the storm, by whin-
ings, and signs they could not comprehend,
to induce them to follow it to where its mis-
tresS was.
In his "Anecdotes of Dogs" Captain
Brown speaks of mastitf that was locked
up by mistake an entire day in a pantry
where milk, butter and meat were within
l. Il