The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-23
THE WORKING DOGS.
Interesting Reports OF American
consuls On the Subject
THE MANY USES MADE OF THEM
ID Esisium andGsrmApy-A Fr0htsm tn
Brssds-ThsD ran Power ofths whiting
Puilsrs-Ths Question OF ForaEs-NIRht
- Well a. Day Duty-A Cruelty 10 AMI
mails Crusade.

- tANR1 0EAA9AAAka HOulA
not be a dog in Belgium" is a French
proyerb. In England the Harvesting Of
dogs has been forbidden by law for M
" years. In France and Italy the use
of dogs for draft purposes Is almost I'M
known. In Brussels and its suburbs
more than 10000 dogs are employed for
beasts of burden. ana In Belgium at
large the dog has taken the place of the
donkey eompletelg. In Germany the
use IS net SO general, but yet quite ex-
tensive.
Some time ago the state department
sent to consuis instructions to report
on dogs as draft animals. The result is
a collection OF much curious informa.
ton. The American consul at Antwerp
says:
II cannot better Illustrate the lack OF
attention TO breed than by narrating
an experience which I had a few days
ago while riding on my bicycle in the
country about ten miles from Antwerp.
Seeing upon the door of n modest one
story brick cottage of O peasant q pla-
card with the words "chien a vendre'
dogs to sell), 1 dismounted. knocked
at the door. and at once found myself
in the presence Of the proprietor of the
premises. After the greetings, and az
ter informing the gentleman of the
purpose ow my visit, he gave me the
following statement. assisted by period
ical questions thrown into the narration
by myself:
az have six fine dogs to sell. Three
OF them have short hair and three are
sheared, so as to please everybody.
These dogs are Just ready for use
strong. healthy and Just a little under
two years ago. l know these dogs well,
because I raised them myself. 1 want
one hundred and twenty-five francs,
tabout $3.50 apiece. but I will take less
for spot cash. The breed? Oh, non
Dieu. 1 can't tell you much about the
breed; the breed makes no difference.
What you want is a strong. well-traln-
ed dog. and that's what mine are, How
ever, l may tell you that my six dogs
are all from the same father and moth
er. The father Is. II l remember cor
recily. one-fourth Belgian, two-fourths
Danish and three-fourths Scotch. and
the mother is, 1 think. three-fourths
Belgian and one-fourth English
Assuring the gentleman OF my APP
probation OF his remarkable memory
and wonderful mathematical ability,
and thanking him, I departed. Seriously
speaking. the story OF this polite and
humble peasant shows very accurately
the attention Cor, rather. lack Of atten-
tIon). that Is given to the question OF
breed. The dog generally In use varies
In size and color, but in probably the
majority OF cases he is, when standing,
about two feet high; OF a dark.aray or
dark-brown color. has short hair n
the tail cut. In addition to his work as
a draft animal, he is a faithful guar
dian of his masters home
at is difficult to say" continues this
consul, "exactlF the weight OF the load
which can be drawn by one dog, for
the reason that he IS harnessed alone
much less frequently than In company
with one, two. three and sometimes four
Others. In the latter case, they are
harnessed abreast. In the cities and
towns. when employed by butchers,
bakers. '%laundries, etc, to draw their
delivery carts. n dog Is often used'and
IS harnessed under the cart. The cart
IS provided with two handles, IKE those
of a wheelbarrow. which are held by n
boy. the boz thus guiding Che caft
through the narrow streets, while the
dog pulls. In case Of need, the boy as
alsts by pushing the cart as he would a
w%heelbarrow. Sometimes two dogs are
placed under the cart. but not more.
'rThe highest utility Is attained where
two. three. four or five are harnessed
abreast and placed In front OF the cart.
which they draw Just as horses. II is
In his way that the peasants come to
town with their vegetables and flowers
in the morning. and IN this way they
return In the afternoon. seated in their
carts, hnppy and smiling when they
have been able TO sell their loads: and
IN this contentment the dogs seem 20
joln, as they move briskly along. with
their steady. easy trot, toward home.
A team OF three or four OF these doas
can draw Eve or six hundred pounds
for several hours"
The consul at Client rays the level
plains Of western Belgium ana Holland
are especially suitable for the employ
ment or dogs for hauling purposes.
While In mountainous regions they are
not practicable for heavy loads, stu
even in slightly rolling country they
arc able to out-dlstance horses for long
hauls. For example. the distance be-
tween Client and Brussels, is thirty
four miles: ordinary horses require four
hours to cover X. while n team OF DOES
will easily 70 over the ground IN three
hours without any apparent fatigue. 4
rood team Of two to four dogs Will haul
n peddler's load from . n. m. to 3 D. M
with only such short latcrvnls OF rest
ns they mag obtain during the sale OF
goods.
The Belgian dog may he put 90 work
when about q year old. and be em-
ployed daily durlnq eight or nine years.
He generally lives 10 be ten or eleven
wears Of nge. Food ana maintenance
sre trlnlng Items Of expense. one large
dor can subsiSt on the kitchen waste
Of a household OF I'VE or six persons.
properly speaking, daily meat Il indls-
pensabis, but very few OF these Belgian
animals act II. They should have dally
one pound OF meut-horBc tneat VIII an
aver; n they receive that much In q
week they are lucky. In the country
- n.--Ig II.