Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-22
Wagon Dogs.
Chicago Tribune.

CnlcaRO lT1Dune.
 Fox terriers are favorites as wagon dogs. They are easily trained, cute, com panionable, affectionate and willing. Many butchers, bakers, grocers and laun- drymen have them, and find them useful, especially in guarding the wagons while drivers are delivering parcels They are of service, too, as watchdogs, for their ears are keen and their tongues sharp when strangers approach at night Ere quently they are made to work when they think they are playing, and not in frequently they prove of real value In preventing mischief. A laundryman on Wrightwood avenue has pair of the brightest of fox terriers and has taught them to haul small baskets of bundled clothing from the wrapping room into the office, where the packages are ar ranged alphabetically on the shelves fo' convenience of the delivery clerk. The same dogs run wid de. machine" ac-- company the wagon and once, when a sneak thief snatched a big bundle of linen from the open rear door of the wag- on they left their post, overlook the cul- prit and so impeded his progress that he was still in sight when the driver re- turned. The linen was recovered and the thief let off with beating, for which he will long remember that driver.
 
 bull terriers and what are generally known as Scotch" terriers The latter Is a variety that seems to include all dogs that are small, shaggy and yellow. Sometimes they prove possessed of real ly wonderful intelligence, as was the case of the wagon boss" owned by a butcher, whose place of business Is in West Madi- son street. The dog had ridden so long beside the driver of the two-wheeled cart that he knew where every customer lived and would show impatience of the liveliest kind if the driver for reasons he could not impart to his brute com rade, did not stop at each familiar gate Finally the driver, an ohserVant sort of genius, adopted the plan of making ex- plantations. For instance if Mrs. Smith had said yesterday that she would not be at home today and that the butcher need not call, the driver, reaching Mrs. Smiths gate, would turn to the dog and say aloud: She's not at home today" The dog got in the habit of looking for ex- plantations, and when they were forth coming would accept them as due and satisfactory.
 One day Laddie, left alone on the cart had a chance to distinguish himself and he proved equal to the occasion A passing fire engine scared the rather skittish pony hitched to the cart, and a sharp runaway was soon in progress "Laddie," so the driver tells the story "seized the reins and, bracing himself against the dashboard, pulled with all his might, but his teeth slipped on the greasy leather and he was accomplishing little when around the nearest corner the pony dashed, and over went the cart, Laddie with it. The dog was on his feet in an instant and in hot pursuit. The pony, greatly impeded by the cart dragging along on the side of one wheel, was not running very fast. and the dog managed to catch the reins, which were dangling by the side This time he got grin at the looped end of the reins, and he lay back on his launches and tugged from side to side, until the pony, worried by the see-sawing, turned into gutter and ran against a fence. where the butcher boy. found him. panting with excitement, but quiet under the steady pull main tained by the almost tuckered out little 1op