The Greenville times., 1894-09-15
BILL AND THE DOGS
Arp Says That He Is Determined to
Kill Some of Them
which Are Bothering Him 1t SIght-rhe
CANNES Are Holding = Convention
on Ifis PiAzIA. and For = Feast
Have Eaten His Pet Rabbits.

times IN the nlgnt 10 snOOt q popgun
pistol at the dogs. never saw such
crop as there is this year; never knew
them so impudent Every night they
congregate all round my house and on
the front portico and the back piazza.
They play while and fight . while.
BY the time get the pistol and open
the door they scatter and l can't get
aim in the dark on any one-never could
shoot much on the wing nohow. But
give me double-barrel shotgun and
fence to rest it on and dead still game
within easy reach and can shoot as
good as anybody. I'm waiting ter moon
light nights now, and then woe be unto
dogs. There are dozen or more here
every night They are holding . pro-
tracted meeting or dogmatic convention
and | think that our Scotch dog laddie
presides. think he invites them. for
he won't fight them. Our grove is such
beautiful playground and the piazzas
are so long and broad and the tennis
court Is near by. But 1t Is late thing
this dog campmeeting at my house and
we don't understand 1t. The other night
] got up and slipped around in my celes-
tial garments until caught cold. /
shot three times, but the dogs never
even yelped nor run away. Next morn
Ing my wife gave her consent for me to
use strychnine. So | visited the drug
store and called for the deadly poison.
The young man looked at me with
suspicious tone OF voice and asked me
II had been reading Bob Ingersoll on
suicide, but he finally put up the strych-
nine and made me sign receipt on the
pisen book. That night just before we
went 70 church l locked up our dog and
put out two pieces OF beef at the back
door and two at the front door. When
we came back the beef was gone, but
not the dogs. 1t looked to me like they
were more thicker, more denser, as Cabe
saya put out four more pieces and
got up about midnight and prowled
around with lantern. | found q big
spotted hound staggering and reeling at
the back door. lie fell over the old
mares water bucket and seemed to me
to be enjoying his agonies. waited on
him while and concluded TO hurry
him up little; so went back and got
the little pistol and put 1t in about a
foot OF his head and fred. lie kicked
the bucket awhile and departed this
life intestate.
But as yet we have no relief don't
know how many have wandered off to
die, but last night the convention was
bigger than ever and more tumultuous
and see no relief but moonlight nights
and half dozen shotguns Some of
the town boys are going to come over
and have a picnic.
Dogs are curious creatures. There Is
no animal OF better qualities or worse
ones; no race OF animals of such endless
variety. There is none 80 loyal to his
master and disloyal to other people, and
hence nobody cares for any dog except
his own. The good st. Bernards maxim,
Love me, love my dog" is good theory
but poor practice. A good, faithful dog
commands more affection than the
favorite horse that is far more stately
and valuable. A man will defend his
dog from abuse almost as vigorously as
he will his child and tho maxim might
well be modified to ''if you love me, you
must respect my dog"
But the best dogs in the world have a
streak OF wolf nature in them. The
most faithful watch dog will slip of be-
tween midnight and day to join in a
raid upon a neighboring flock Of sheep.
have known them to go two miles to
engage in this business and nothing be-
trayed them but the wool that was
found between their teeth. The dis
covery was astounding to their owners.
Somehow or other dogs have been
under the ban in all ages and countries.
At least other peoples dogs have.
Goliath said to David: "Am I dog?"
etc. David said: II am compassed
about with dogs" st John ruled them
out OF heaven, for he said without
are dogs and sorceress and murderers
and idolators," etc. He saw horses in
heaven, but no dogs. The ancient
astronomers declared the dog star to
have an evil, malignant influence, and
hence the weather was hot and fiery
during the thirty of forty days that it
rose and set with the sun in July and
August.
Even the small boy takes his first
lesson in swearing by saying dog gone
it," or "I'll be logged" This may be
called cussory expression, but some
times 1t leads to cur-sing.
The dog star is bright star In the
tail of the dog-major canis-and sailors
guided their vessels by 1t before the
discovery Of the magnet. They called
1t Cynoscuros, which in Greek, means
dogs tail. The pretty word "cynosure"
comes from this. So when it is said Of
q beautiful woman In an assembly that
she was the cynosure Of all eyes 1t
means that she was the dogs tail Of the
whole concern. The word ''cynic" Is an
unkind reflection upon the dog, for It
means dog in the shape OF snappish,
snarling, ill-natured man. To say Of a
bad man that he is as mean as dog is
another unjust reflection. Better say