The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
atlanta.

shanties, etc One of Chips favorite
resorts is on the top of a box in the
yardmaster's office, in which the night
men keep their lanterns, and which is
placed by a window which commands the
whole north end of the yard. Here she
spends most of her leisure time keeping
watch of all that goes on within her
range, making frequent trips outside the
door to bark at colored men, 'Zulus,' or
men in charge of emigrant cars. and
children picking up coal.
'One of the private telephones is placed
on the wall at the end of this box, and
one day, by way of experiment, or for de-
vilment, it will probably never be known
exactly which, Denny, the telephone boy,
placed the hand telephone at her ear and
told the scale house to call her. Instantly
Chip jumped to her feet and for some
time showed plainly that she was mysti-
fled and did not understand the situation.
After a little time and frequent repeti-
tons was made to understand
that the call came from the scale house,
and that she was wanted down there; and
since that time she makes regular trips
upon being called, and carries all the bills
from the scale house to the yard office.
We are now training her to recognize three
short rings, that being the private call
agreed upon for her"
1t Is not only with the telephone that
Chip has demonstrated her desire TO be
inherent from Oll6T QOSS. OH6 Ol HtI Id
vorite tricks is to jump upon the foot
board of a moving switch engine and take
a ride over to some other yard. A switch
engines footboard is at the rear of the
tender, and the switchmen themselves be-
come very expert at stepping on or off
while the machine is moving. If the en-
CINE is moving slowly Chip will run along
beside it, and then with a quick jump land
herself in safety. An incident in Chips
footboard experience shows how kindly
the trainmen of the road regard her.
Not long ago she jumped upon the foot
board of moving switch engine that was
being transferred to FIT. Scott, KAN, the
thriving town from which the road takes
part of its name. When the engine had
reached Rosedale, little village that nes-
ties close to Kansas City's limits, the
fireman discovered that Chip was still a
passenger. The engineer, rather than
carry Chip away from home, stopped his
train, waited for an Inbound freight,
tagged one when it came along, trans
ferred Chip to the crew and she was car
ried home in safety, making her return
trip in the lookout of the caboose.
Chip is as well known through the yard
as the trainmaster, and everybody knows
her. She follows the switching crews all
about, and seems to have no fear, what
ever of being run over She will career
up and down the tracks, lodging moving
trains and escaping death countless times
a day by what seem almost miracles.
The men believe there is nothing she
cannot be trained to do, if some one will
only take the patience to teach her, and
whenever anyone tells a yardman of some
wonderful feat performed by another dog
Chips friends will always say in con-
temptuous way: That's nothing. Chip
could do that herself with2ut trying if
anybody would tell her about it,"
There has been but one dog for whom
Chip has entertained the slightest feeling
of friendship. He came from the South
west with a carload of cattle. The rail-
road men called him Texas" and he took
up his abode with Chip in the shanty. A
friendship was Immediately formed which
time seemd only to cement.
The two dogs braved danger together,
and for them a moving car had no terror.
One day, however, Texas was not quite
quick enough and got under the wheels
of a car. A few moments later the men at
the yard house were astonished to see
Chip dash in, yelping whining, crying in
a manner which showed something must
have gone wrong. So convinced were
those who heard her lamentations that
they followed her and she led them to the
place where the remains of Texas was
given a grave far down beneath the cindeI.
almost beside, the track where death had
claimed him The railroad men vouch for
the statement that for weeks after that
Chip whined to get out of the yard house
at night. One evening she was followed
by one OF the men. who declares that she
ran directly to Texas grave and conducted
herself in q manner that showed the sim
cerest mourning. To doubt this statement
is to forfeit the friendship of the entire
yard force of the Kansas City. Fort Scott
and Memphis.
There is nothing the railroad men are en-
titled to of which Chip is not held to be
part possessor. Some time ago she ster-
- L. L.. .
the result was that an artery was sever
ed. The injury was temporarily repaired,
but that would not do, and so the little
dog was placed on train and sent to the
hospital of Fort Scott, which belongs 10
the railroad. There she remained until
the wounded member was as good as new.
AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR.