The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-02-18
Jack, The Tramp Dog.

| JACK, Inc tramp LOG.
At the Nicollet house Sunday, says
the St Paul Pioneer Press. a number
of railroad men switched away from
the subject of pools, rate cutting. and
the operation of trains and devoted
some time to the consideration of intel
ligence Of the animal kingdom. In
stances of remarkable instinct, if not of
actual reasoning power were related.
after which one of the party mentioned
a character" quite generally known
in Minneapolis few years ago. and
still afectionately remembered by
scores of citizens. The story is told as
nearly as possible in the speakers own
language, and ran something afaer this
| fashion:
Well. boys, you can all talk, but the
most knowing animal ever ran across
was "Jack. the tramp dog" You all
remember him, don't your His head
quarters was at the Milwaukee & St.
Paul ticket Office, when George Scott
dealt in the pasteboards. He was a
rather squatty white animal, with black
patches on his face and pair of eyes
which reflected JOY, displeasure or graf
itude as plainly as any human eye could
do. You would notice those eyes the
first thing if you meet them on the
street. But, / am sorry to say. there
was good deal of the old Adam or Or
iginal sin in Jack, probably owing to
his early education. No one ever knew
positively where he came from, but
other dogs fooling around SCOTS office
soon discovered that he was there.
No military hero of ancient or modern
times ever passed through rs many
battles, and Jack did not seem to care
continental whether they we've victor
les or defeats-it was all the same to
him. Another of his peculiarities was
his penchant for riding ON railway
trains and express wagons. Nearly
every day, when in town. he could be
seen riding up or down Washington
avenue on some wheeled veh Gle and
gazing complacently at people on the
sidewalk, but never saying a word.
The Milwaukee Est Paul was his fav-
orite rail route, and he would 60 off
quite regularly on excursions to St
Paul, and in some instances his trips
extended to Winona or La Crosse, but
he always came home without assist
ance. He seemed to know the differ
ence between a friend and an enemy
at glance, but he never had much
trouble on the trains, as the boys were
all friends of his and he never suffered
for transportation or fresh beef. On
the day of the Willard celebration, a
young man who was in the habit of
petting him a good deal, took him over
to the Pioneer Press Office. when it was
across the way, and tried to dress him
up in bunting. Before the job was half
completed Jack filed a remonstrance
in the shape of two rows of teeth. and
then left the Office in deep humiliation.
He was never known to enter the Office
afterward or recognize his former
friend.
His pectllarities would fill a volume.
but must cut off. The bane of his
life came in the shape of newsboys.
At first he responded to their aggra-
waiting familiarities by tearing out the
seats of their pants. but as time advan-
ced and the boys became more venture
some and irritating, Jack learned to
take firmer hold touching the juvenile
anatomy in scores of cases. The stu
alton at last became too serious. and
Mr.. Scott had to ship Jack to far mer
friend in Wisconsin in order to put an
end TO the decorations and mayhem. I |
tell you he was smart one, and if he
is living / want this story to serve as
tribute to his greatness, and If dead,
let it go as IN epitaph on his unknow
grave.