The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-14
HONESTY AND BRAINS.
THE RBMAR ABLsR INTELLIGRNCE
AND FIDELITY OF DOGS.

the dog, the most faithful and lnDelllgent OF
the dumb creation, and stories about him
are always interesting to the youths of the
country. Happy when his master is
pleased, and full Of sympathy when he !:
dull with care. the devotion of the dog Is
found none too often among the human
crowd.
No other animal has figured so much in
history, and in numberless instances of pa
thetic devotion, even to cruel masters, but
during the past quarter of a century much
has been done for the welfare Of the canine
race. Societies have been formed TO improve
each different breed Of higher rank, and
even TO look after the interests of the home
less ours that roam the streets.
How many boys know that only recently
dog was put on trial for his life right here
in our own country 1t wasn't out in Col
orrdo or down in Texas where the trial was
held, but in the cultured city Of Boston.
1t was sight impossible outside the Juris-
diction of Massachusetts, curious laws.
The defendant Towser, handsome SET
ter, belonging to one Nathan Summons,
a South End saloon keeper. was
charged with having a vicious and
savage disposition, dangerous 10 the peace
and bodily veal Of tie good citizens OF the
commonwealth" To prove this, one Hill
moth Hess swore that the dog bad bitten
him without provocation, aud he wanted
the handsome animal killed. Towsers
owner demurred, and the court summoned
Towser to prove bis, good character, and he
was forthwith brought into court and in
stalled in the pen.
ToWser's master retained able counsel for
him, and amid the utter of the audience
and the smiles Of Judge Curtis, the trial be-
ron Tho roiaintiH told how a bitten
but acknowledged that he had provoked
Towser by teasing him. Others came for
ward, and after expatiating on Towser's
good qualities, the prisoner himself
was brought forward in his own
behalf. At various commands
he PLAYED dead, walked ON his
hind legs about the room, stood on his head,
shouldered arms, whined dismally in imita
ton of song, and wound up by marching
up the steps to the judges desk on his hind
legs and shaking paws with his honor. The
latter was greatly amused, and without
hesitating said amid cheers:
"Towser, you are peaceable and or
derby canine. l give judgment in your be-
half and dismiss you, the plaintiff paying
the costs"
1t is fact that some dogs in some way
know when you are talking about them.
This is especially true after they have COM
mitted any serious offense. friend of
mine, living on the banks of a mill stream
in New Brunswick, Canada, had a large dog,
a cross between a st. Bernard and
mastiff. He was never known TO be vicious
or to "hunth anything. Large fiocks of
sheep were raised about the place, but
when the lambs began to get plump
there was scarcely a morning but some
farmer lamented the loss of some pets Of his
flock. The people turned out with guns and
looked for bear At last it was discovered
that it was the mastiff that had been doing
the damage The dog heard threat to
kill him and disappeared. No one saw him
for several days On the third day one of
the farm hands found him covering in the
furthest corner of the hay-mow in the barn.
He whined piteously as the man drew near,
and the poor brute was 30 weak from
hunger and fear that he could hardly walk
He had understood the threat.
well authenticated story, which seems
almost too good to be true, is that OF q
gentleman, a finished musician, who resided
some years ago in Darmstadt He kept a
dog which was the terror of all the singers
and instrumentahsts in the place, for it had
the fatal habit of raising its face to heaven
and bowling whenever false note
was emitted. Ii never made a
mistake, and well-known singers were said
TO tremble when thew saw their unwelcome
Judge seated by his masters side at concerts
or at the opera, for Max was regular first
nighter and a great friend of theater
director; he was never know to miss q new
opera
Max was no respector of persons, and
when the singing was but a shade out he
would attract the attention of the whole
audience to it with a terrific howl. One
tenor went SO far as TO refuse to sing unless
the dog was removed, but Max was so
great a favorite with the Darmstadt public
and such well known frequenter that
the eincar might we'll hava raouaoAad
to have the director himself removed
from the stalls, and he was obliged to give
in with as coed grace as possible. The
dogs master stated that he had trained him
when he was quite puppy by striking him
hard when any one sang or played false
note; later on he tapped him gently, then
he only had to look at him, and by the time
Max was years old the dog was as good q
judge as his master of a false note.
Bloodhounds, as a rule, become very de-
voted to their owners, and as the following
story, which know to be true as the event
occurred in North Sewickly, small town.
ship near Beaver Falls Pa, only last Janu-
airy, denotes: The little 7-year-old daughter
of Christopher Hozen had been in the habit
OF feeding several large dogs, including a
huge bloodhound and q mastif, and one
morning carried some raw meat to
them. The mastiff was kept chained
and the bloodhound allowed to run at
large ne Cnllu leu Lne latbor QrSU IhlS
made the mastiff angry, and, snap
ping his chain he sprang at the
little one, threw her down, and was
tearing her to pieces when the hound
sprang to her rescue. He caught the mastiff
by the nose, pulled him off the PROSTATE
child, and the two animals engaged in a
fierce combat. The child was then picked
up and carried into the house, bleeding
profusely from several ugly wounds She
was badly bitten about the arms and shout.
ders, but recov cred.
At Parkersburg, w Va, the other day. a
fast passenger train from Cincinnati to New
York, on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwest
western railroad, was saved from certain
destruction by the intelligence of a dog.
A mule had strayed on a high trestle work
and had become entangled among the tim
bers. A farmers dog in the vicinity. at
tracted by the braying of the mule.
went to the trestle, saw the predica-
ment the mule was in and ran back TO
his masters house, where he set I'D an un-
earthly howl The bowling awoke the
farmer, and he followed the dog to the
trestle Just in time to flag the passenger
train, which would have surely been de-
rallied and thrown into the gap below had
1t not been for the dog. A silver collar.
PAID for by a purse raised by the passengers
on board the train. now ornaments the
neck OF that particular dog.
Mrs. Amelia E. Barr. the well-knoyvn nm
EhOFcCG haC