Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-03
An Intelligent Dog that Carries the
Mail to Some California Miners.

The Calico mining district boasts
the possession of the most remarkable
dog heard from up to date. He is
Scotch collie dog, known as Dorsey"
and he is employed as special mail
Carrier over the star route between the
town of Calico and the mines at Bis
narck. some three miles distant
Star Route Dorsey" as the boys call
the dog, is the property of the broth
ers Stacy, who own a store st the
mines and another at Calico. There
is no postofice at the mine and no
mail service, and were it not for the
intelligence of Dorsey the fifty odd
miners at Bismarck. would have to
wait for a week for news of the out
side world. But every day, as the
stage from Daggett drives upto Stacy's
store at Calico, Dorsey is on hand,
waiting for his nail pouch to be filed,
and as soon as it is strapped on his
back off he goes along the rocky trail
to Bismarck at a gait which brings the
mail there twenty minutes after the
stage stops at Calico. Dorsey, as soon
as he arrives at Bismarck, goes
straight to Stacy's store, and until the
pouca is taken off will allow no one
but his master to come near him.
When the mail is removed he goes off
to have time with the Bismarck dogs
and enjoys himself, only returning to
the store at meal time. He sleeps at
Bismarck, and after breakfast every
day he gets the mail for Calico from
Stacy, and takes it to Calico There
is nothing very remarkable about car
fying a mail pouch three miles and
back every day; but Dorsey is Won
derful dog, and the more he is watch
ed the more wonderful the things
found out about him. There are three
trails between the mine and Calico,
and Dorsey makes it a rule never TO
take the same one twice running,
though one is much better than the
others. The miners say that Dorsey
fears an ambuscade, but VIA ltever his
reason it is well-defned one, for
once, when he used trail he had
taken the day before, he was observ~
ed to hesitate, in doubt whether to
retraca his steps Or not, and final
ly to make a break across a fear
fully rough country to the other
trail. When Dorsey has the mail he
will allow no one to touch hun. and
will run from any dog in the camp;
but woe be to the dog that annoys
Dorsey on duty, for Dorsey, when res
lieved from his load, will surely get
even, and he is not afraid of any dog
in the district. The miners all say
that Dorsey can tell the time, for he
never has to be called, and just before
mail time will go up to Stacy and
bother him TIL he gets his letters. If
no letters are given to him at the
usual hour, he does not wait around,
but goes off to Calico, where he spends
the day. A couple of weeks ago Der
sey was paying some little attention
to female canine at Calico. He had
a rival, who took advantage of Dor
sey's absence to ingratiate himself
with Dorsey's flame. But it appears
that DORSEY had made calculations
for something of The kind, and when
the mail was removed at Bismarck,
he dashed back to Calico for the first
time since he had been on the route.
| His hated rival, secure in Dorsey S
supposed absence, was making the
most OF his time, when Dorsey APP
| pCared on the scene and literally tore
his ears off. The miners at Bismarck
have had Dorsey photographed, and
have presented him with soft leather
pouch, which goes over his back like
saddle, and is very convenient for
the dog to carry. Dorsey's weight in
gold would not buy hum from his
rough, kind friends.