The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-02-15
THEY ARE NOT LONG. BUT THEY ARE
OTHERWISE REMARKABLE,
And What Is Better Still They Are True
Some More Notable Instances of Won
derfu1 Canine Intelligence.


diately make out her purpose in distributing
her food about in such singular manner A
day or two ago, however, he chanced to be in
the yard in the rear of his house, having but a
few minutes before fed the setter AS custom
ary, the dog had broken part of her food in small
pieces, and Mr.. Petingale remarked that she
placed number of the PARTICLES within few
inches of small hole. Having completed the
distribution she retired behind a barrel, and
it was thus her object became known. After a
patient wait the setter was rewarded by the
sight of q rats head slyly peeping from the
hole, no doubt attracted by the scent of the
pieces OF food laid temptingly near his abode.
The rat after preliminary survey of the field
ventured out from his retreat and secured Bit
OF food. Then he flashed back and disappeared
Presently he returned and, emboldened by his
first success, made for a distant bit of food
But, alas his reckless spirit brought dire ca
lamity upon him.. The setter this time swooped
down on him and soon was fasting upon the
rodent. Mr.. Petingale says that on several oc-
casions he has seen her set this trap, and re-
marked that she Is generally successful in bring
ing her prey to grief
Mr.. Pinkney Smith, of the War Department,
reports some brilliant achievements of shep-
herd dog that formerly belonged to him. Mr.
Smith was at one time a reporter on a Chicago
paper, and used to send his "copy'' to the office
by messenger boy, who met him at a certain
place-a telegraph office-at stated hours of the
day. Mr.. Smiths dog Don was wonderfully
intelligent, and it occurred to him one day that
the dog might make good substitute for the
messenger boy. After carefully training Don
for several weeks Mr.. Smith pronounced him
capable OF earning salary for himself. The
scheme was this: Instead of the boy meeting
Mr.. Smith as usual at the telegraph Office
good, faithful m Don put In regular
appearance. The items were fastened in his
collar, and he was despatched to the news
paper office, whose locality he knew, and ar
rived there in much better time than the mes
senger boy had ever made. At the office the
matter attached to Don's collar was removed,
and Don was sent back again to await the next
mission. On his way to and fro he never al
lowed free fights, insinuating canine strangers,
or other distractions to interfere with business,
but was as steady Journalist as ever entered
the profession. He grew to know the city edi-
tor, and to him always turned in his ''copy,"
not permitting any one else to remove it from
his collar.
Col. Harrington, Chief of the Division of Ac
counts in the Treasury, has another remarkable
dog, large Newfoundland that answers to the
majestic name Of Leon. Col. Harrington resides
in the country, mile or two from the post
office. There is mailed to his wife weekly
paper which the dog is sent after on the day of
Its arrival at the post office. On one occasion
the paper failed to arrive on the customary day.
and the dog, who had come as usual to take it
home, refused to leave without it. He sat on
his launches in the office, growing and barking
at the amused postmaster, declining to stir until
his master, wondering why he did not return
came in search of him. 1t was only then that
he would consent to remove homeward. Leon,
too, gives striking proof of his sagacity by
remembering the day of the papers arrival,
and often, without previously being
made to understand by signs and
words what is demanded of him, sets off to
the office Once the postmaster, thinking to
fool him. offered Leon another paper In place of
the usual weekly, but with dignity the New
foundland declined it, Then another was prof
fered, but met with comtemptuous refusal. AL.
together there were perhaps dozen papers and
magazines offered him and declined at last
he grew angry, and demonstrated his displeas-
ure in sharp barks, keeping it up until the right
paper was handed to him, which he closed his
teeth upon and straightway made for home
AT another time number of papers were shown
him, among which was the one he came for
Roofing among them he soon discovered the
one he was in search of and drew it out. Be-
sides this Col Harrington relates many other
incidents favoring the dogs wonderful intell-
gence.
friend of Mrs Harrington, residing in the
country some miles away, was taken danger
ously i'll, and Mrs. Harrington went to nurse
her. For several days after her departure the
dog moped about the house evidently in grief
Finally he began to absent himself from home
for hours at time, always returning at night
with crestfallen air. Noting these frequent
absences, COL Harrington concluded that the
dog was searching about the neighborhood for
his mistress and watched him. One evening he
returned Ill apparent elation and frisked about
the house with delighted antics. The Colonel
shortly afterward discovered that Leon had
succeeded in finding his mistress. Every morn
ing after this he would set out in the direction
OF the sick womans house, a distance of four
miles, and remain an hour or so with Mrs. Har-
rington until she made him understand that
she wished him to return home. Then he would
quietly leave On the day the newspaper ar
rived he would first seek the post Office and
carry the paper over to his mistress, keeping up
these visits until the sick friend was so far re-
covered as to allow of Mrs. Harrington's re-
turn home.
Lieut.. Laird, of the Navy. relates story of a
wonderful little black-and-tan named Yelpsic
who used to do his own marketing The family
to which the dog belonged used to send him
early every morning to market with a small
basket attached to his neck and a five-cent
piece clutched firmly between his teeth Once
In the market he would hunt up the family
butcher, who would remove the coin and place
in Yelpsic's basket piece of meat, as carefully
wrapping it up as he would for his heaviest Gus,
toner. Then the dog would trot back home,
when the basket was taken from his neck and
the package handed over to him. This he would
carry TO some quiet retreat remove the wrap
per, and enjoy his feast. But the
butcher one day concluded to play a
trick upon Yelpsic, and SO lost a regu.
lar customer. Arriving one morning as
usual, ,unsuspecting Yelpsie, after having allowed
the butcher to take his money, was given
In place OF the meat small stone wrapped in
MANILA paper. He departed in anticipation:
but when he ropened the parcel and found the
stone It is very likely that his confidence In
humanity was forever shaken, as subseouent
events showed. The next morning he returned
with his money and basket as II nothino had