Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-12
The Remarkable Performances of Some
Very Intelligent Animals.

A gentleman in Alton, ILL.,, tells of the
performance of a pet dog showing almost
human intelligence. 1t was early last
spring when little pool not far from the
house had frozen over during the night.
In the morning it so happened that the
dogs water dish was empty, and after
snuffing around awhile the dog went to
the pool to drink. Here the ice proved an
obstruction, but after selecting a SPOT
where it afterward appeared that the ice
was thin he jumped upon it as hard as
possible until it cracked and then broke,
giving him the drink he had squarely
earned.
and beagle hound, who are fast friends,
says the Green Bay, Wis, Gazette. The
eagle is weeks old, and seems to thor
oughly enjoy the companionship of his
four-footed playmate. The hound will
take the eagle tail-feathers In his mouth,
being careful in each instance not to harm
it. Then it will frisk about and try to in
duce the bird to engage in frolic. All
this time the eagle seems to enjoy the fun
exceedingly. But once let a little black
and-tan, also owned by the doctor, come
within sight of the bird of freedom and
its soul is at once up in arms. He assumes
John l.. Sullivan attitude, and would I'M
questionably make short work of the little
canine if it came within reach of its
powerful talons.
County Clerk Wolff owns little black
and-tan dog that has the habit of visiting
his master daily at 4 o'clock p. M, says
the Fernandina, Fla, Mirror. One day
during the recent rains a hard shower set
In just about 4 clock and the clerk and
his deputy were specializing as to whether
the dog would make his regular visit, when
he was heard rushing up stairs. He
reached the Office dripping wet, two
minutes late, which fact he seemed to feel.
After the adjournment of the county COM
missioners last Wednesday and before the
board left the room the clerk was busy
| writing up the minutes of the meeting
when he heard the well-known footsteps of
his visitor. Without raising his eyes
from the minute-book George remarked
that it was 4 o'clock. There being no
clock In the room and the clerk not having
referred to his watch those present asked
what made him think so, when he replied
| that his dog was coming. Watches were
drawn, and although some of them varied
a minute or two that of the clerk pointed
| to precisely o'clock. Another popularity
of the dog, and one which his master
greatly appreciates, is that he is never at
home at meal times, preferrlng to take the
same with neighbors.
Some twenty years back we had poodle
white, with one black ear, says the London
| Spectator After the manner of his race
he was never quite happy unless he carried
something In his mouth. He was intel
ligent and teachable to the last degree.
| The great defect in his character was the
impossibility of distinguishing meum
from teum. Anything he could get hold
| of he seemed to think, according to his
logged ethics, to be fairly his own. On
one occasion he entered the room of one
of the maid servants and stole her loaf of
bread, carefully shutting the door after
him with his feet, the latter part being a
feat I had taught him. The woman was
scared and thought that the dog was the
devil incarnate. The necessity of discip-
line on the one hand and of occupation on
the other induced me one day to enter a
saddler's shop situated In d straight street
about half mile from our house and buy
a whip. Shortly after my return home he
committed some act of petty larceny, so /
gave him beating with the whip he had
carried home Going for walk the next
day the dog as usual accompanied me and
was intrusted with the whip to carry.
! Directly we got outside the door he started
off at his best pace straight down the
street, paying no attention to my repeated
calls. He entered the saddler's shop and
deposited the whip on the floor When ]
arrived the saddler showed me the whip
lying exactly where the dog had deposited