The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-28
SOME FROG pHoNoGRApu
Strange Tale of a Domesticated California
Croaker.

Croaker
This is II wonderful tale abont , rcol
frog. Some peopie think that frous emit
think, but that is only because they
never knew Al Martins frog and never
saw it think. The frog is dead now. rest
his bones; but the story of his freaks of
intelligence and domesticity will live, long
after him. says the San Francisco Cali. :
During the week when passing Martini
private office, | discovered him m,sily on.
gagged in patching up the anatomy Of nm
imported Borneo frog toy, which had
suffered from Il severe fall.
II suppose you think it strange he
remarked, "that | should throw away
valuable moments in patching IL cheap
toy. But when you know of my expert.
ence with frogs you will readily under.
stand II certain tenderness of feeling I
have for the species.
ut is something like fourteen months
since | discovered on my doorstep one
morning an unusually large bulifrop.
which betrayed not the slightest fear Mt
my presence. At first was prompted to
drive it away, but on second thought lie.
cided to treat it more generously. So
called my little daughter, who took the
frog indoors, where it received n rreat
deal of considerable attention.
~ diminutive Skye terrier had served
as IL pet and watch dog for a long time,
and before very long it was noticed that
when stranger came up the steps and
the Skye commenced barking the frog
would croak ominously with a 'ya-kunk,
ya-kunk' sound away down in his throat,
which could easily lie distinguished Mt
the head of the stairs.
Zone unfortunate day the Skye went to
his doom under the wheels of n milk
wagon and has never been replaced
is, not by Il dog.
the frog sat by the hatrack ii. the
front hallway and whenever Il stranger
approached his peculiar cry echoed lu.,,
briously through the hall.
almost invariably when the frog
croaked he hoped along in front Of the
stairs, and | noticed ere long that II
strange growth evidently the result OF
friction against the carpet-was forming
under the frogs body, causing it to tilt
forward
AS this growth increased his voice be-
came noticcably louder and it seemed
that the wen-likc appendix was merely Il
hollow sounding board, with most re-
acoustic properties. In fact.
before left for Europe the frogs voice
could he heard in the most distant pnrt
of the.s.house
"A watch dog could not have been
more faithful.
Our family physician made quite n
thorough study of the case, and stated
that, while the growth appeared to he II
wen, it was really nothing more or less
than an abnormal development of one of
the air cells in the lung of the frog, and
1t was best to allow it to remain. If it
were to be punctured the frog would lose
It's strength, because the air, which in
its natural process would he expelled
from the mouth, would then be diverted
through the new passage.
"A puncture was made in the air sac
which instantly collapsed and four or
five days later after the puncture had
healed, the sac refilled.
81 had taken close observations of this
unique feature, and wilhelm Berlin CON
suited I'm old German professor regarding
N. On my return to San Francisco
brought miniature monograph and i'm
mediately set about fitting it into the
frog auditorium.
Before placing it there, however l
talked into the machine, uttering many
trite sayings, besides calling the names
of number of people, in fact, had his
frogship primed for an evenings enter
tainlncnt.
Then sent out a number OF invita-
tions to IL number of friends to come and
spend the evening. The frog acted adj
mirably, and when | assured my guests
that he could talk they intimated that I
was stretching the long bow.
However, it WAS not long before they
were convinced
Il placed Il saucer of water on the ia
blc and asked, Will You have Il drink
should croall, replied the frog
Then he blinkcd comically at the guests.
and looking to the left said, Alex Bad
lam by Jovcl' said Alex, the snakes
got brains.
"Well, we had great evening and
Annesley Davis offered me this diamond
ring for the frog. AT first objected and
then decided to accept the offer. He took
the frog away with him. 1t wasn't long
after that, one cold night, Anncsley
placed the frog in the warming oven so
he would have n comfortable bed. | sup
pand, because in il short time there was n
loud explosion, and they discovered the
frog had passed in his checks
"Anncslcy said that he never knew be-
fore that Il frog had brass insides. Well,
the next morning the cook put a couple
of fried frog s legs on the table and An
neslcy ate them but, say, don't you think
he pad Il trine high for. that delicacy. -
And Mr.. Martin twirled the costly did
mond ring so that it glittered in the rays
Of the electric lamp.