Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-03-14
ADog that Knew the Hours.

A Dog that Knew the Hours.
Stories about dogs that know the days
of the week are not at all uncommon.
Here is one of them: On u farm in the
Catskills dog was employed to run the
machine which propelled the churn.
The work was not to his liking and he
was inclined to shrk it whenever he
could. Wednesday was the regular
'churning day." and one Wednesday
morning few weeks after Jack had
been broken into business he could not
be found. His disappearance was
thought to he accidental, and as the
charming could not be postponed with
out deranging the plans of the house,
hold it was performed without him. He
did not come home until nightfall and
had evidently passed the day in the
woods.
On the following Wednesday he was
again missing, and again the work was
performed without his aid. Nobody
suspected him of playing truant TO es-
cape work, but when the third Wednes.
day came with Jack again invisible his
owners Caught on" The churning
was postponed until the following day;
while Jack was ut his breakfast Thurs
day the churn was put in readiness.
When he was called and led in its direc-
ton, his tail fell, and his countenance
indicated his disgust. After that the
churnlng was performed at irregular
intervals, and the dogs absence on We'd
nesday, which was kept up for several
weeks, did not avail to excuse him.
Another story of this kind concerns
two dogs that went to meat market
on Saturday night, when a kind -hearted
butcher used to feed them upon meat
that he could not keep over Sunday.
Recently the writer heard OF a dog in
town in Vermont that knew the hours
and seemed to he able to tell them by
the striking of the clock. The story
was told by gentleman living in q
western city, and | will endeavor to
give it in his own words
when | was little fellow my sister
and | went to school together, and were
always accompanied by Nero, q large
dog of the Newfoundland breed, and as
black as a coal. Nero considered him
self responsible for us. He used to
stick close to our sides, and if the meek
est COW in the town happened to be pass
ing along the road, he would growl and
set up great show of Importance. He
went to school with us in the morning
and came for us in the afternoon. The
distance was about three-fourths of o
mile by road. and about half as much
across the fields. We went by the road
on account of Il swamp shat interviewed
ON the short route, but when Nero was
along he took the most direct track,
without regard to the swamp.
school was dismissed at 4 o'clock in
tne afternoon, and as we came out of
the scool-house we always saw Nero
bounding across the fields and swamp, if
he was not already at the door waiting
Tor us. Mother said he used to lie
around the house or stand uneasiy
about until the clock-an old fashioned
affair with a very loud gong chimed
the hour of 4. At the last stroke of that
hour he was off like the wind.
SISTER and | used to go to the house
OF the nelghbors occasionally in the eve-
ming to meet other children of our own
ages, and it was an inilexible rule that
we must come home at . clock. Some
Tunes Nero came for us at that hour
and sometimes accompanied us; in the
former case he did not leave home until
the clock struck 3, and q minute or two
afterwards he would he barking at the
door of the house where we were. If
he went with us when we started he re-
NAMED perfectly quiet until 8 O'Clock
and then indicated by his uneasiness and
by gently tugglng at our garments that
Vt was time to go home. 1t is proper
to say that when the hour arrived we
were already well under way with prep
aratlons for starting.
ION one occasion q lob was put up'
on Nero with the connivance of the
parents OF all the children concerned.
we were visiting one of the neighbors,
ana 1t was arranged that when Q o'clock
came we should continue romping and
playing at lively rate and make no
preparations for going home. The
scheme was carried out and Nero was
lying quietly in front of the fire when
the clock struck the hour. He reused
himself as the gong rung out the num-
Der of strokes; then he stood up and
looked at us, lay down for perhaps half
minute, rose again and came over to
where was. paid no attention to him,
and he walked away after standing I'M
decided Tor perhaps a-quarter of min
ute. Then he came back again, and
taking my sleeve gently between his
teeth intimated as plainly as possible
that 1t was time TO go home. Whether
he could count or not we were never
able to determine. Ny theory of his
actions is that he had good knowledge
OF the progress of time, rs many ami
mails have, and the sound of the clock
was signal for him. just as the CON
ductor's bell is a signal to the horse
that draws the street car"