The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-02-17
REASON IN ANIMALS.
\ THEORY THAT IT COULD BE sue.
CEsSFULLY CULTIVATED.


Instead Of trying to learn the speech Of
animals " said a gentleman interested IN
science recently, "there may como a time
whom what we now consider dumb brutes
may be endowed through the efforts Of
man with an intelligence approzimating
the human intellect, In other words, the
higher order of animals may be taught TO
reason and demonstrate their power Of
thought in a way that would indeed be
marvellous considered in the light of the
laws Of nature as we now have them re.
vealed to us. But we are forced to believe
from the worlds experience In the past
that all things are possible and that we
have not by any means attained the climax
of tho knowledge which we arc to obtain
in this life In regard to the education Of
animals / am not speaking from theory,
for have but recently had examples Of
the great development of animal intelli'
ponoe which, as a starter in a new line OF
scientific teaching, is extraordinary. But
recently there was exhibited at one Of the
thoaters Of the city dog whose exhibi
tion was so remarkable that every person
attributed it to a trick. A wink Of the eye
OF some movement of the band by the
owner signihed TO the dog when. he came
opposite the correct caro-. Now, this dog
tho owner told me, really did not reason
His power was developed by the kinder
uartcn system of instruction and was dis
covered by a small child, who for amuse
ment was accustomed to have her constant
playfellow pick out numbers and cards
while she was at her kindergarten lesson
Tho dog was with the child continually
and soon showed signs of reasoning and
evidenced an intelligence which would
seem unusual in q brute. The dog had
had the advantage of all the kindergarten
instruction given the small child and
strangely had made use of it,
1T had learned by observation just MS
child does in the kindergarten. Itis moth
ing surprising either when you observe
how rapidly the mind of a child develops
under such teaching. Why, there are
many instances Of child being deaf and
dumb or not knowing the English Ian.
guage, yet making almost as fast progress
in the kindergarten as the child more for.
tunate. To a person not knowing that
children have reasoning powers an untu
tored deaf and dumb child woul1 scarcely
show moro intelligence THAI a dog So
why should we assert that dog has nc
intelligence that can be developed simply
because we do not know anything about
it2 Who knows what results could be OBJ
tained in the education of dogs If the sys.
tomato teaching that is bestowed upon
children was given to the caninesi Whoth
er the dog which was exhibited here was
really educated as the man claimed or not
4 is immaterial But that such possibility
exists was proved to me by personal ex
| perienoe had with dog in the east re
D L.. T..
| and in walking down the street one day
| saw an elderly man carrying a small
| black and tan dog wrapped in a sort of a
blanket which had been made especial!
for it, 1 approached the man and ven
tured that ho must think a great deal ct
the dog from the care he took of 1t. A
great deal, said the old fellow. Why, if he
was my son I could not think moro OF
him. He has actually a human intelli-
gcnce 1 told him had heard of such
cases before, but had always attributed
the show of intelligence to q well devised
trick We'll, continued the old man, my
friend, l can prove to you that this dog
. really does reason. He will do anything
you tell him to, discriminate between oh
jects and men, and, in fact, show an in
telligence which will surprise you. By
this time three or four men passing by
hearing the conversation, became interest
ed and stopped The owner of the dog
then took a little square piece Of black
flannel from his pocket and spread it upon
the pavement He then placed the dog
upon it and asked me to tell him TO pick out
any one in the crowd by the description
should give of him. I then spoke to the
dog Pick out the man who has the rec
mustache and red necktie and woaTANl 81
light checked trousers
II referred to a man in the rear of thu
crowd The little dog sat up, and raising
his ears looked all about the crowd, Then
as soon as he spied the man. he ran to hin
and jumped up, putting his fore paws OF
the mans legs. / tried this several time
on different people, and never once did tn
dog make n mistake. Then the dog wa
asked his age, and by a number of bark
told It. He then did some addition ant
subtraction / then told the man that
thought there was some trick aba-'t it, S
he said he would convince ME fully tina
, she dog really reasoned. Now, said he
tell him to go to any object you may SC
within two blocks of here and toll him
point it out by placing his feet upon
when he finds it. l will go into this store
out of his sight, so that there will be n
chance Of my giving a signal After tn
man had retired l noticed bicycle lean
ing against post about a block and
half up the road. / turned to the dog AM
said slowly, Go find bicycle up the road
and when you come to it put your him
feet on the back wheel The dog starte
on a lazy walk, locking all about him
! the direction of tho bicycle, and when h
saw it he broke into little trot He the
set his foot on the hind wheel and stoo
IN this position looking toward us until
shout of appreciation told him he was col
rect, whom he got down and ran towar
- us as fast as he could. When he reache
us, he jumped up and down, seemin
7 pleased with his accomplishments,
P course there was no room left for me
s doubt / had TO believe that If ever WI
i to believe anything, After this the dc
% pointed out an open carriage from nun
B, Der of vehicles also a drug store and
It grocery from a block of miscellaneot
stores. His scope of tricks, if they couI
It be so called, seemed unlimited. He W.
" able to do anything that was told hin
Il The man told me his education had bee
l. like a child's. At first he could tell bl
one object, and by degrees he was taugl
to know more until out of 30 various a
ticles placed I'm a room he could pick OF
., any one that would be mentioned, -
r Pitushurg Dispatch.
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