The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-12-15
DOGS FOR JISE i'm WAR
HOW THEY are TRAINED iN A LlTv
TIE TOWN M AusTRiA.

lksE tQWN llA AuS tiNs
The Intelligence They display Is simply
Marvellous How They Hunt out and Sue
cor the Wounded end Lost -sgensins Al
Enenas sshsa rive atiies AWAY,
Some 50 miles west Of Vienna the lit
tle market town Of Wells nestles In the
foothills of the Austrian Alps, which
here rise IN bold cliffs from tho banks of
the Tram.
The forests Of the Eeighhorhcod arc
too open To haFbor much game, but q
stranger stopping at the summer hotel
Of the little town might easily be led to
believe that the citizsns must be the
most lndefatigable hunters Of the Aus
tro- Hungarian empire, From morning
till night, and sometimes till long after
dark, he may hear the echo Of shots and
the barking and bowling Of dogs ap-
preaching the town or dying away IN
the distant hills. and occasionally an
swered from far and near, as II all the
sportsmen OF the northern Alps had met
IN convention,
For this ID one Of the stations where
Kgiegahunde war dogaare trained.
The plan Of training dogs foy military
purposes was first adopted by the E'renoh
gaTrisons IN Alglera, but has since been
tried with great success Ia Prussia, Italy
and especially Ia Austria, where four
footed messengers have for many yeara
been taught to carry letters To the snow
bound villages Of the Alpine highlands,
The shaggy oollies used for that purpose
make the best war dogs and can be
trained to rgle in bee line to the next
military posg and announce their arrival
by a peculiar bark that is at once recog-
nizea aud answered by tho shout Of q
sentry,
They will also range long chain of
hills ia quest Of wounded soldiers, and
either dash back to report their disoov
cries Or stand guard at the side Of the
cripple till an ambulance party comes
near enough to be signaled by q long
drawn howl
Trainers send out three OF four Of theiI
shaggy pupils at once and ascertain their
proficiency by all SORTS Of ingenious tests,
| Soldiers instructed to act the part Of
helpless cripples will hide in thiokets o.
cayerns and keep still till the dog tugi
at their sleeves, when they win sit al
and reward his sagacity with piece o
sausage,
They then try to rise, but pretend 70 b
too weak to walk or even to shoot, ant
ask thedog TO call for assistance, ifhell
Il near, Collie viii set up o loud howl, n
peatad at shorter and shorter interyala
till the signal Is answered from the val
Icy below, If his appeals should remain
unheaded, he will mount the next rocl
and look about as Il to impFess the lay b
the land on his mind, and then dash "a
10 summon help from headquarters.
Should two cripples intimate thei
need Of aid at the same time, Collie vii
guide the resouing party to the hidinl
place Of the one farthest away, and he'll
them to pick up or somehow assist tn
the other man ON their way home.
Messenger dogs carry letters In q smal
bag wrapped around their collar and vii
permit only the proper officials TO topci
that collar. Anoncommissionod Officer
displaying the insignia Of his rank, ma
venture to remove the bag, but tho DO
will follow him and 500 To " that he Got
him an answer,
Private soldiers are ''stood orr with
menacing growl Persons wearing th
uniform Of tho enemy canpot stop I'll
messenger With anything but an 81
tremely well aimed shot Doga racin
along the battle front win dodge bullei
hy running zigzag and develop MAJ
veleus talent for taking advantage {
every cover, running through the higi
! est grass or along the safe side Of roel
and fallen trees,
Picket post dogs are selected from
i different breed The half shepherd, ia
wolf dogs that carry letters and hunt !
i cripplea arc not entirely devoid of soel
and can find their way back home IN
manner not wholly explicahle on Il
theory of keen eyesight, But for ef
I cheney Ia tho role of sentries they vic
the palm 10 species of deerhounds th
40 their best work after dark
on picket duty q well trained sentin
, Of that breed will scent the approach
q troop Of cavalry before man, with !
ear on the ground, can hear the tFal
ping Of the horses. The dog sentry "
announce his discovery in more a
Greet way than the Scotch widow WI
screamed through the citadel Of Inc
s now when her timer eare heard the q
preaching hagpipe of the Medregoi
PhYlax on acenting danger will step
close To his uniformed companion, a.
askar ! y,a54ea az ailanpe and keen atke