Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-07-21

tect their saves as far as possible
from attacks by the animals. This
was generally easy. The runaway
slave invariably made for the swamp
at the back of the plantation. 1t
contained many streams and lagoons,
which aided him in throwing the
dogs off the scent If the worst came
to the worst he could always climb q
tree.
The bloodhound is now used only In
the pursuit of Grim; mails. Every
southern penitentiary has a brace or
/ more Of them. They are not infre-
Quently a part of the sheriff's outfit
The breed = not always pure, but the
dogs serve their purpose better than
fairly well. Their keenness of scent
is one of the most remarkable things
in nature, though it is Of value
chiefly in the more thinly settled
! region. 1t seems incredible that the
mere temporary pressure of a mans
! boot or shoe upon the ground should
/ leave a traceable scent for twenty
four hours, providing that there has
| been no rain, but there is no doubt
! that it does. Sometimes in the south
a murderer breaks jail. Until the
universal introduction of chilled steel
cages this was not difficult matter.
/ Dogs are telegraphed for at a dis
lance probably of $50 miles. They ar
rive day after the escape. They are
led in leach to the point where the
criminal is supposed to have made his
/ nN-I+ 1nA +ol-
| the scent instantly and follow it rap
idly. The man must have crossed
much water or confused his trail
with the hurrying footsteps of dozens
Of others to throw them OFF, Always
supposing that twenty-four hours is
the extreme limit of "law' allowed
the fugitive, the bloodhounds are the
best means of effecting his capture.
Having far to travel, they do not bay.
They have no breath to waste.
In the first canto of The Lady of
the Lake, Scott remarks that the
| deep-mouthed bloodhound's mellow
| bay resounded up the rocky way. That
was the English bloodhound The
English bloodhound. or the blood
hound of the continent for that mat
ter, not only bays, but has a remark
ably sonorous and beautiful voice.
He "opens" as it is technically
termed, upon a cold trail and keeps
it UP until the quarry is sighted OF
run down.
He is of great size, with deep chest,
powerful soulders, massive head,
| dropping jaws and long ears, a re-
markedly sagacious and affectionate
animal, courageous, though not es-
pecial1y savage, and one of the best
friends man ever had. This hound is
known in the old prints as the
'sleuth'' hound, or "slot'-otherwise
''trail'-of the deer. He is called the
bloodhound, not because he is partic-
ularly fond of blood as matter of
diet, but because, having once found
the bloOd-trail of a wounded animal,
he follows it with wonderful stanch-
| ness. He will, in fact, unless taken
off by force, follow it until he drops,
and rising will stagger along until he
falls again.
The English bloodhound is not used
in the south. That is where Mrs
Stoves error was made. The dog
there is the Cuban bloodhound. He
| differs materially from his English
cousin. He is larger, fercer and
| swifter, with more of a bulldog cut
about is head. He is probably a
| descendant Of a bull cross. He is
| invariably mute until his quarry is
sighted Almost any dog will give
! TO- bo
of the object Of his pursuit after a
| long chase. This dog is not a snap
per, as is the English. He is
pinning dog, which comes probably
! from his bull strain. Once his teeth
are locked, they can be disengaged
! only by the ingenious method of
! grasping his nostrils and shutting off
! his breath-R. S, Garfield in Chicago
! Times Herald.