The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-10

saving n Canary From Cut-The
Friendship of the st. Bernard and
the Chameleon An AII-night
Watch Over His Masters Dropped
POcketbOok.
From the Chicago Record.
Duluth Mimi. April A-There has never
been dog in this section OF the country
that for intelligence and almost human
intuition could be compared with the big
St. Bernard. Pedro owned by u. J.
Thompson of this city. II all the stories
that have been told concerning this ami
mails sagacity are true. he could very
easily secure a diploma at a high school,
but even when the. false Is sifted from
the true. Pedro, who is nearly three feet
high and weighs l59 pounds, has performed
wonderful mental feats. whioa class him
as one of the most remarkable dogs Of
recent times. The dogs tastes are as pc
culiar as his mental development Is won
derful. lie has never been like other
dogs. Almost from the time he was a
pup-he is now s years old-Mr Thomp-
son says, he has been Of a melancholy
temperament given TO long and lonely
musings and solitary rambles, For the
companionship Of his fellows he never had
any prediction, and has only suffered the
presence of other dogs with Intelligent
resignation.
Pedro was the only one Of q fine litter
of puppies saved" said Mr. Thompson
His mother died two days after he was
born and he was placed under the care
OF a collie, which, from the first showed
such dislike for him that we had to
raise him by hand. In his infancy he
therefore, never came In contact with 9TH
er dogs, and this may account for his
strange dislike toward others Of his kind
lie was hardly let out of the house until
after he was year old. liz was lhtt.
a big puppy ana did no know his own
strength. He got out lhe yard and
! ran INTO the street one day. \ shaggy eur
following farmers wagon snapped AZ
nm ana bit Oft a piece Ot his ear. Pedro
stood as if struck with amaze II was
practically the FIRST dog nc had ever came
m contact with. and ne had never received
anything but the kindest treatment. Even
with his house training he has always
! been pensive and peculiar, due probably 10
his bringing up. But since the time that
mongrel ran at and bit him ne has never
had any use for dogs. AS he grew older
and stronger he once or twice attacked
passing dogs, but we cured him of that
Few dogs would care to attack him now
ana he never makes any advances TO bring
about such an attack He is allowed to
go about the streets as he pleases, but his
journeys are always solitary. When a visi-
! tor comes to the house and brings a dog
PEDRO simply treats the stranger o. though
made of statuary. If the strange dor
| makes any advances there is a warning
showing of teeth and a low growl and
after that he is usually left alone
Pedro early showed his peculiar tenn
permanent: Dignified even as a puppy he
allowed the house cat and her i.3ttens to
play with him, but his part was ALWAYS
passive. His disposition was of the kind-
est, and house pets We're never molested
Toward his master he showed an early
attachment, but II was never manifesto 81
py parks ana romps and waggings of the
tail. y mute uplifting of the eyes deep
and expressive, and a blind obedience OF
orders when they were learned, served to
illustrate the depth of his affection, which
strengthened as he grew older.
The dogs intelligence was first mani
Tested when he was about IA months old
an age when st. BeInards are usually
big homely masses of bones, and have
room for but little other than mischief in
their heads. The Thompsons always kept
a canary bird in a cage in their sitting
room, in which Pedro would lie for hours
on mat. One day the door Of the cage
was left open, and the canary escaping
flew about the room. In the course Of
his hutterings the bird several times flew
within "A few inches of the dog, but Pedro
only winbed lazily
Not so a handsome Maltese cat that had
just creDt into the room. At the first sight
of the bird all the cats savage instinct
was aroused. The canary also appeared
to have an inborn fear of the intruder
which 1t had not felt toward the dog
1t flew frantically about the room and be-
came bewildered. The cat followed it's
movements with careful eyes and as the
canary grew more frantic in its struggles
to escape it made several springs which
almost secured the coveted prey.
Pedro at first paid little attention to the
movements Of cat and bird. but as several
times the latter dashed in agonizing fren
zy near him, he rose and looked on with |
more interest. The bird at last few di- |
rectly against the mantel-piece, and, par |
TALLY stunned by the shock, fell to the !
floor. The cat was on II with a jump, /
but not quicker than Pedro who sprang
between the bird and cat just i'm time to |
save the formers life. At the same time |
he gave a loud yelp, which was heard all |
over the house, and the family rushed into |
the room just In time TO see the cat re- |
treat to escape a vicious snap from Pc /
dro's Jaws. The canary was but little in /
iured and as it was restored to its cage |
Pedro looked on, wagging his tail and |
expressing every sign Of appreciation of /
his act Yet, in few days he and the |
cat were again on the best OF terms.
The big st. Bernard developed many pc
culiar habits as he grew older, but none
more striking than was SHOWN In an at
tachment conceived last summer. Early
in May a friend of the Ihompsons sent
them chameleon from Florida. II was
q beautiful little animal, about seven
inches long exclusive of its tail, which
was as much longer II was OF blush
ash color, and at once began 70 thrive in
this northern climate, the weather being
of a genial warmth almost equal to that
of Its native cline
The chameleon would SIT Tor hours on
the window sill, apparently dead as the
sill IL was sitting on, except for the &C.
casional lightning-like flashes Of it's long
tongue to absorb some insect that had
APPROACHED too close for ITS own safety
Pedro appeared to take a great deal of
interest in the stranger. He would stand
by the window, where the chameleon lay
and watch II for an hour at time Once
or twice he put his cold nose against its
body only to jump back as the chameleon
would make hasty furry TO escape. But
Pedro's Intentions were of the best and
az the summer grew on, the chameleon
appeared to understand that what Il had
taken for voraciousness was only curl
osity, and II manifested its friendliness in