Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-01
THE ST. BERNARD MYTH.
by W. l.. ALDEN
For The Sunday Gazettcl


copyrighted 1892 by w. l.. Alden)
Someone had told dog story, showing
the miraculous intelligence aud profound
piety of hranch poodle. The colonel
listened with an incrudulous smile on
bis face. When the story was ended.
and we had all expressed our surprise
and aduiration-ns Is the custom when
dog stories are told, md had carefully
suppressed our conviction that the man
who told the story was as impudent as
lac was meudacous--us Is also the Gus
tom on these occasions, / asked the colo
mel 10 favor MS with his views In regard
70 canine sagarity
There are dogs that show signs Of
good sense now and then, 'he replied.
Even human beings do that occasion
ally, But as TO these yarns about dogs
who calculate eclpscs, and ] have con-
sciculious objections TO chasing cats ON
Sunday. ! don't believe a word of them.
Talk about fish storcsl Why there isn't
q fish cuught or uncaught that can begin
TO stimulate the imagination TO the CN-
tent that a dog will STIMULATE IT, | have
known fishermen who could convert two
mimows into string of thirty trout,
averaging two pounds each. and ] have
seen those men stink away crestfnllcn
before u man who told stories of what
bis fox terrier had done the day before
What j don't understand Is why peo-
pie pretend 10 believe dog stories We
all know that the dog Is n well-moaniug.
stupid, pnrshyestry sort Of an animal,
but we listen 20 the thumpers that some
men tell about him without even cough
Looking &C the lies that have been told
for the last 100 years about the st. Ber-
hurd dogsl People really believe that
when n sncwstorm comes on the st. Der
aaHtNN IN
TASK of whisky, q spirit lamp, box of
matches, some mustard plasters and
foot hath strapped on his back. When
he meets frozen traveller we are told
he sits down and lights his spirit lamp.
mixes some hot whisky and pours il
down the travellers throat, gives him
hot foot bath, puts mustard plasters ON
the soles of his feet. rub3 him down and
wraps him mp In the blankets, and then
hoists him on his back and brings him
To the convent, whore The monks put
him 60 bed aud read prayers to him tin
he feels strong enough 10 put some
money IN the Contribution box and to con-
tinue bis journey Now I've been to
the 81. Bernard convent. / went there
Just 20 meet one Of these dogs aud see
for myself what he could do There was
pack of about forty Of them, but the
only thing they did was 70 st ND all
night and bark at the moon. while The
monks SHE'D prayer-hooks and wooden
sandals az them ont of the windows.
wanted 30 see a few travellers rescued
from the snow, but the monks said the
supply of travellers had been running
low Of lste years: still. they added. that
II l'd 30 and sleep Ia snow hank a mile
or two from the convent they would see
what could Ice done / wasn't going TO
risk the forfeiture of my life insurance
policy by any such foolishncss as That.
so ! came away without seeing any dog
performance. However | saw enough
ltue later on 10 convince me that the
81. Bernard dog II about the biggest kiud
OF canine fool that ever imposed on credu-
lous people.
The monks had whole pom full OF
II. Bernard puppies, and | bought one
i nu ashamed Go tell you how much /
nnil for IT, ! could hire an army mule
TO Kick inc every time / think of the
transaction ! took the puppy 60 the
states with mel was living az New
berllnoposville, IN the state Of Iowa. nj
the time. aud brought him IN rs cpr,l
luhy as n he had been my own son. He
grow TO he q big, rongh-hnirel dog-one
OF me biggest j ever saw. Aud / can't
say that the monks cheated me In re-.
spect 10 his breed. or course ID was an
matter Of luck that he didn't turn ont
70 be q poodle, or a black and tam tnr-
ner. The fact Is that no man nor monk
Knows what one OF thOse pure.bloodo1
81. Berurd puns that are sold M liz
convent VIII inrn ont 60 be whom bn
gets hls growth lie IS liable no he
anything In the lhle of dog from n yel.
low cur mp to Slhorian bloOdlnund
once Knew man who bought 81
heruatu pup from one Of the very hoH.