The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-10-13
psp+oaseo OATS AND DOGS.
eismese Animals with etrsoge Peculisft
ties-Fcline Fight with q Boa.

sismess Animals with strsnse Pscuiiars-
ties-Fcline Fight with 3oa-
United States Minister Boyd was
recently home on leave OF absence
from I,anglsok. "The American lega-
ton ut Siam was composed OF very
curious members" said he TO San
Francisco Examiner man a. he stroked
the tawny coat Of his three hundred
dollar pair Siamese cats In the Occi-
dental basement "You see the gov
ernment makes me no allowance for
corps Of secretaries and under digni-
taries like the tony missions receive,
and I had to force little style with the
best native material on hand So
drafted into the service OF Uncle Sam
an assortment Of cheap but sagacious
assistants, who helped to furnish
dignity to the establishment without
any severe strain on It's exchequer. You
can do this sort OF thing readily in
Siam, where the freest sociabihty
prevails between the people and the
gifted menagerie that inhabits the
island For watchdog, In case
wanted to leave the house for awhile,
had an intellectual little,dog from the
kings kennel He comes Of family
trained for untold generations to play
this role, and when placed on sentinel
duty he could be fully trusted, night or
day, to cover his charge with entire
success. Nobody but myself or wife
could approach my desk or anything
that he was left to guard without hav-
ing severe attack of remorse. Then
came a marvellous pair Of cats. They,
too, came of lofty pedigree and are ex-
tremely rare, but their most practical
value In Siam comes from their
merciless warfare on snakes. Bangkok
Is a crowded capital, sort OF Venice,
largely built over the water.
'The entire country back Of 1t Is In
tested with enormous boas. from fifteen
to twenty-five feet In length. Whom
their country board gets unpalatable
these monsscrs stroll down into the
Bangkok in search Of supplies. Their
pet dainties are pigs, chickens, geese
and cats. No, their bite is not venom
Gus, but they do swift and deadly ex-
oution with their giant coils Instino-
lively, therefore, the cat recognizes his
arch enemy, but you don't know what
ferocious prize fight is until you can
seen one Of these small, tawny felines
make an unerring spring and fasten
himself TO the back OF the boa's neck.
To this vulnerable point he holds Nlss
grim death, scratching meanwhile with
the widest tiger-like fury, till the huge
monster throws up the sponge They
| are pentle and rood natured. the4e am
ber-eyed beauties, until Mr.. Boa comes
around. when they suddenly develor
the ferocity Of ten devils II wss Z
reptile seventeen feet long that one %
this fighting species laid out In my lego
tion yard one day. You mus under
stand that Siam is an outdoor and open
window CLINE, and this leads to socda
oility on o very democratac scale. Yo<
never can tell the mixed character o,
angels, four footed and otherwise, yos
are liable TO entertain at night Fo'
instance, we had pair Of baby sur
bears, gentle "a Kittens, on the legatio,
pay roll In some position OF honor
They passed the day In the banya1
trees and dropped down about mid
night to call on their friends w,
found them under dur bed one morning
and then Mrs Boyd thought the hou,
had arrived to draw the line on beasts
We had to dismiss our pelican, too, II
disgrace, In spite Of the dignity he main
tanned on the front porch. for the roya
dog made open war on his tail feather
until he resembled q slirtless bale
girl"