Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-19
EIGHTEEN TO TWO.
A Chioagoan Successfully vanquishes
Howling Superstition.
chicago Herald

"A Chioagoan Successfully vanquishes
Howling Superstition.
tChicago Herald.l -.
There is a well-known resident OF the
West side who has hobby for combating.
popular superstitions and demolishing them
with the logic of cold, stern facts. The
other night he was visiting a friend on
Adams street, near jefferson park, when
the conversation turned on the notion
which is entertained by a great many peo-
DIE that the bowling or moaning of a dog
located in or near house whore there is a
serious case of sickness means death to the
sufferer The gentleman contended that
the idea was sheer nonsense, and proceeded
to tell why:
'sSome years ago." he said, ''ny father
was taken dangerously i'll, and for several
days his life was despaired Of Finally DR..
- manning prominent physician told
US one morning that the crisis would come
at a certain hour the next night, and that
immediate death OF slow recovery would
ensue. In the yard Of the house adjoining
there was Newfoundland dog of a very
quiet and peaceable disposition, so quiet,
in fact that we seldom heard him. l was
detained down town rather late on the
night in question, and when | reached
home it was very near the hour that the
physician had named. AS l turned the
corner l heard succession of most I'M
earthly bowls, and when got inside the
house l found oil the women members of
the family in spasms The bowls pro-
ceeded from the dog next door, and noth-
ing could convince them but that the ami
NAL was a foreteller of death. Well, the
critical moment came and passed. An
hour later the doctor announced that
father would live. About the same time
the dog ceased its howlings, and all was
quiet for the rest of the night Since then
l have made this superstition study and
kept tab of my experiences and those of
my friends in this connection. This is the
result to date:
''When the bowling of dogs was followed
by recovery of patient, II cases.
when bowling was followed by death,
2"
1t so happened that in the next house to
the one in which this conversation took
place little baby was lying seriously i'll,
and only two hours before the doctor
had given it up. In the yard Of the
house first referred to was an
English setter, one of the good-tem-
pered kind that are strangers TO whine.
Just as the visitor had given the result of
his Investigation the animal suddenly broke
the silence with the most pitiful bowls. Its
owner and his wife, both adherents to the
superstition, glanced simultaneously at the
clock. 1t marked the hour of g.
The baby's dead" they calculated in
one breath.
The visitor looked across the room, in
quiringly, and explanations were in order.
All efforts TO quiet the animal were fruit
less, and the bowling continued for some
time. Then they as suddenly ceased. The
visitor was positive that the baby was now
/ on the road to recovery, while his host and
the good wife were equally certain that it
had passed the boundaries Of better
world. All were anxious, but delicacy for
babe their tresspassing at that hour on
what at loast two were certain was be-
reaved family. Early next morning both
families were astir, and hearing his neigh
Dor moving in the garden the gentleman
threw up the window and called out:
Glow is the babym
"Dead," was the reply he expected. In
stead of that the father looked up smiling
ly and shouted:
Ever so much better Decided change
for the best set In last night"
"What timer"
''About nine O'Clock. just when your
dog was making such frightful noise"
Another stroke has been added on a Ger
tain page in the diary of the tab-keeper on
the dog superstition, and at the bottom of
the leaf is the legend; Eighteen to two
The baby is now out of danger"