Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-03
BEST FRIEND OF MAN.
MAJOR STILES WRITES ANOTHER
INTERESTING LETTER ON DOGS.
INSTANCE OF INTELLECTUAL HEREDITY
The Hatred of KepIer, the Mastin,
for . Butcher-Death of Prince,
Who Was Well known to the Rich
mond Lawyers.

mona Lawyers.
After this long interval. will you allo,
\ me to infiiet upon you one or two NOR
letters about my dear canine friends?
] In my last, / mentioned Mr.. Ad. VIII
iiams's trained collies. recall his tell
ing me he was convinced that they eithe
counted them, or else recognized an,
Identified each individual sheep o. IN,
hundreds on Whitby range; that. ~
bringing up the flock at night. the habi
OK the dogs was to keep behind then
until they neared the lane leading TO the
fold, when they would run ahead anc
lie down on opposite sides of the mouth
OF the lane. muzzles toward each ether
and the sheep, whom they watched In.
tently until they passed that point; and
If a single sheep was missing the dogs
would instantly riso and scour back over
tho wide expanse. until they found il
and drove 1t up.
Years afterward saw two dogs on
an English moor separate in a few mo-
ments two focks which had been
feeding intermingled; the shepherds
taking no part whatever in the matter
except 10 indicate to the dogs that the
hour for going home had arrived.
INSTANCE OF INTELLECTUAL He
REDITY.
/ also touched upon intellectual heredity
in animals, and gave a striking instance
OF II. Permit me briefly to give an
other, perhaps equally striking, though
In quite different line. A few years
since, in the parior OF a prominent
| scientific man OF London, / picked up
little booklet entitled 'Kepler," which.
| OF course, 1 supposed to be a memoir
of the great astronomer of that name.
1t proved, however, to be a sketch of a
line mastiff which had belonged to my
host, and among other noteworthy pas
sage5 was the statement that the man
whose duty 1t was to take the dog out
for exercise had reported that every
time he saw q butcher he was trans
ported with rage or overcome with fear.
The owner. thereupon, investigated the
matter and finding the fact to be as
represented. he wrote to the nobleman
who had presented the dog to him, in
outing whether he could explain the
idiosyncrasy. The Duke replied that he
he had the pedigree and history of the
dogs for centuries. and that this pecu-
iiarity had characterized the family as
far back as he could trace them.
Apropos of the collie teaching the ter
rier to herd, though not quite equal to it
in interest I was told by reputable gem
tleman of New Haven, Conn.,, whom L
knew well. that a few years before the
date OF our conversation he owned an
exceptionally beautiful and intelligent set
ter named Flora, who on one occasion
was the proud mother Of q very large lit
ter Of fine puppies. Her masters place OF |
business was about a mile from his resi-
dence, and 1t was FNora's habit, twice a |
day, night and morning to march the long |
column Of her children, single file. through |
the streets, back and forth between her |
masters heme and his factory, each pup
carrying a stick, she doing likewise and |
bringing UP the rear. At each terminus
of the route she required the sticks to be
deposited together in pile for use on
the return trip, and IL a puppy dropped
his stick in transtu she dropped hers ald
then went for the puppy.
/ was credltably Informed that this
unique exhibition was kept up twice a
day for many weeks and that vehicles
filed with amazed and delighted OBJ
frequently accompanied the pro-
cession.
1t occurs to mo just here to add. with
out any special connection, except In en-
phasis of the varied intellectual and gene
raj powers OF the dog that in one OF the
editions of Sir William Hamltons Meta
physics there is a note which states that
the philosopher, Leibnitz, walked a long
distance into a retired part Of Saxony to
see dog who could speak. think. forty
words; that he found the dog In charge
IF a rude shepherd lad. and that he saw
md heard him. rather unwilingiy, sit up
md go through his vocabulary.
TRUE. WREN. AND GOVERNOR.
And now again to our memoirs:
1t Is n sad commentary upon human
lature that both True and Wren, as well
8 Governor. were poisoned, not purpose ;
Y, ] presume, so far at least the in
vidual animals were concerned, but {
evertheless, with a reckless and wanton a
nd wicked disregard of the rights and {
of creatures as elevated and :
ensltive as these to say nothing OF the L
ights and wrongs and grlefs Of the mas g
FRS and friends who loved and mourned 2
hem. True died in Richmond several II
ears before Wren, but was brought to
on Air and buried in the yard OF the e
lecture cottage. Later, when this was o
DID to strangers, we had True's body II
iken up and reinterred i'm our own en- q
osure. where ere long, his little friend n
as laid by his side. / cannot go through q
10 narrowing recital Of this. TO me. Sc p
ere trial and bitter grief. Suffice 1t to u
" that Wren died while the family were
Richmond and during my absence at "
,urt in another part of the State. My -
lend. Mr.. Whitworth. did all that could VI
done which was very little. The dear o
tie fellow suffered and fingered for -
veral days. and when he found ne was &c
,out to die. tried hard and repeatedly to ~ ~
awl back to his own beloved home. In III
ed. once he dragged himself TO the 81