The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-17
OWNEY, THE MAIL DOG.
Report That the Well Known Canine
is Dead

New York March lit is reported
that the men employed in the Albany
post office have received evidence that
Owney, the United States mail dog, was
killed near Syracuse, a few days ago,
while changing cars. Many times in the
past few years this dog has been believed
to be dead. but he invariably came TO
life again and 1t would be found that he
had been off some long trip inspecting
the mail service.
Owneys history is worth telling. It has
been writing in several of the maya
zines and illustrated papers. but often
with too much of the romantic and unreal
about it. He was a plain homely-lool1ing
cur, a cross between an Irish and Scotch
terrier, 10 years old. and weighing about
30 pounds Tom Drummond, distribu-
ting clerk in the Albany post office, in
troduced Owney to the office and named
him The postal clerks running in there
made friends with the dog and finally the
pup began to take interest in the ar
rival and departure of the pouches Then
he began jumping into the mail wagons
and riding to the depot. One day clerk
in mail car found the dog sleeping on
some OF the sacks. after the train had
left Albany. When he reached Utica he
decided to send the dog back as he be-
lieved some one in the postofffce must
the dog he had disappeared. Two days
after he roamed nonchalantly into the
on a pile of empty sacks to sleep ''it off,
That was his first excursion, and after
that he took regularly voluntary trips
all through the state.
In December, 1892. he took his first long
trip, going to Washington D. G. In 1894
he went south and travelled from Florida
to San Francisco and back to Albany by
the Canadian trunk lines, having touched
Alaska on his way. thence on through
Canada The post office authorities all
over the United States united in paying
honor to the dog a friend of the post
man, decorated him with tags of all sorts
and where there was a kennel association
in the neighborhood of any city he reach
ed they saw that he was recognized as an
extraordinary visitor, with the result that
seven medals have been presented by
these kennel clubs.
The last one he got was on the 18th of
December last, when the Butterfly Beach
club of Grand Rapids, Mich. at it's show
awarded him a big silver medal weighing
six ounces with an appropriate inscrip-
ton stating that it was presented to
Owney, the globe-trotting dog, by the
club
In 1895 Owney one day found himself
of mail bags for Asiatic ports being car
ried aboard the steamer Victoria he
thought he would find out where those
mail bags went to. He went aboard and
when next heard of was having a good
time with the Mikado of Japan, who en-
tertained him to the fullest extent OF
led into China. visited Hong Kong, Foo
Chow and other cities. and went part of
the route to Pekin, but thought better OF
it, and retraced his steps after about 40
battles with dogs in the streets of Hong
Kong and other cities, in which the
American tourist invariably came out
ahead of the Monaghan brutes-
He next visited Toxic, Japan and from
there took in Algiers, where an attempt
was MADE 70 assassnate nm because ne
killed a small dog belonging to an OFFICER
of the French garrison. which barked at
him while he was strolling around the city
one day.
He then took in Malta, Gibralter, and
all the cities worth seeing the Medi-
terranean, and continuing on his way
round the world. reached Tacoma. Wash.
again in November. 1895 having circled
the globe in a 132 days.