The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-18
MISTAKES ABOUT DOGS
An Old Sportsman Defends Them Agains
Newspaper Charge.

An Old Sportsman Defends Them Against
Newspaper Charge.
Call dogs detest work" This is a
poor text from which to preach a SER
mon against laziness. The civilized
dog of the nineteenth century is very
different animal from the dog on the
day when it was written in opprobri-
UNI: els thy servant dogP" Among
all animals there is none more affec-
tionate than the dog, nor one which
shows such earnest desire to be of
service to his master, and is so untir.
ing in his devotion. A man may loose
his human friends and be ostracised by
society; he may lose his money and be
clothed in rags, but his dog will re-
main faithful and will guard and pro-
tect him with as much faithfulness as
if he were millionaire.
The text that ''all dogs detest labor"
is wholly fallacious. The well-trained
dog delights in work. Who has not
seen the sparkling eye and joyous ex-
preston of the dog when the prepara-
ton for the chase is begunP Who that
has heard his watchful bar6 in the
midnight as he guards the home will
doubt this? Tender in his loving care
of children, instead of being spoken of
with contempt for his laziness the dog
should be associated with faithfulness
and activity in dog duties. The bee
doesn't make soap, nor does the dog
pillow.
Thirty-five years ago the writer
with his associates went upon a wild
rambie upon the plains reaching the
great forests upon the Pacific. For
two years the faithful "Old Rover
was one of the most useful members
of the expedition. All night after a
long days march he slept, so to speak.
with one eye open. and we retired to
rest with confidence that neither In
dian nor prowling beast would steal
times were we wakened by the low
growl of the faithful sentinel, and as
soon as we were aroused and had our
arms in readiness Rover would disap-
pear in the darkness in the direction
of any threatened danger, and he
would soon know its nature. If he
found nothing after making a circuit
of the camp he would return and lay
himself down at our feet, and we could
dropto sleep feeling greater security
than if guarded by half dozen men.
He would stay in camp all day long
an. guard it from all intrusion while
every member of it was miles away.
Upon one occasion when he was left
to guard the camp crock of butter
was set at the foot of great pine
tree. A paper was tied over the but
ter, but the wind blew it off. Upon
the return at night, where the crock
stood was only great pile of leaves.
Upon removing them we found the
crock of butter safe. Rover knew that
it should not be exposed to the sun
and air, and not being able to tie on
the paper had done the best he could
by covering it with all the leaves
within rod about it. The old dogs
bones rest upon one of the mountain
sides of the Coast Range, and when he
died there were tears of as honest sor-
row as were ever shed. 1t is safe to
say if the savage who killed him for
the sake Of pillage had been caught,
there would have been a second
funeral. Such facts speak eloquently
in defense of the dog from all the
scribblers who preach from such texts:
'.All dogs detest work. Chicago
Inter-Ocean.
"A Chinaman was recently dis
charged from the Los Angeles Nation
al Bank and another installed in his
place. The former employee laid for
his successor in front of the bank with
q horsewhip. John No. 2 was fore
warned and brought a whip with him,
and duel resulted. the like of which
has never before been seen.
JONES Go barber) ssW,ly dom you