The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
MoRAI PURPOSE OF OLD BONES.
A Dog That Saved the Lives of More Than
500 Lambs and Ono Millionaire.

A Dog That Saved the Livos of Moro Than
500 Lambs and One Millionaire.
CAPT RozIER. Me-. Oct 7.-Old Bones died
lately at the home Of Silas Leach. He was the
most disreputable-looking dog that ever fright
ened children from apple orchards in Maine.
Though he was fully fifteen years old at tho
time Of his death. he was not called Old
Bones on account Of his age. Both names
came to him in early puppyhood and chung to
him through life. In the back yard Of the
Leach homestead was q CARLOAD OF coffeepots.
dinner pals. tomato cans. and other battered
tinware which Old Bones had unwilingly
brought home dangling from the end of his
bushy tail. When q Cape Rozier mother had
exhausted all other efforts to restrain her I'M
ruly son, she told him Old Bones would catch
him II he didn't behave. and II this failed the
lad was at once sent to the Reform School.
Though Old Bones was hated and stoned and
scolded by everybody who knew him. it was
this very perversity Of luck that made him USE
full in the neighborhood. and thereby prolonged
his life far beyond the span which is usually
allotted to dogs. Nearly all the farmers that
live on the shores OF Eastern Bay are more or
less interested in sheep raising. They keep
their focks on the shoals Of islands which be-
gin to dot the waters close In shore and stretch
away for q days sail into the Atlantic Ocean.
Some farmers count their islands by scores and
others by hundreds. and the man who doesn't
own at least o dozen cannot get credit at. the
country stores. The sheep which inhabit these
islands live outdoors the year round. fattening
on the sweet grasses Of the islands in summer
and, starving upon .seaweed and ocean drift
during the long winter, In May. when the
young lambs are born. the owners visit the
islands for a week to care for the offspring and
shear the sheep.
Reared under such conditions. the wild and
nal instinct, spurninR the lambs OF their own
blood and allowing them to perish from hunger:
A dozen years ago Mr.. Leach took Old Bones on
to the sheep-shearinR and lamb-saving. exer-
clses. On reaching the flock he found that Of
eleven newborn lam BIS four were already dead
care for them. Though Old Bones was consid-
cred Of no use even at that early age. Mr.. Leach
sheep. AS the ungainly and tattered dog
dashed in among the dock the unnatural
instead q. running away. turned head to and
butted Old, Bones all over the island. When
Mr.. Leach had carried the dog on board the
boat to save his life, he went back and found
every sheep providing her offspring with what
were in demand from Eastport to Castine. SO
great was his success IN awakening the ma
out eerH for i9 81 an hour 10 r% ali t thro 9h' i h1abh iet ti nl%
For a dozen years the dog was butted by rams
and stamped upon by angry ewes while follow
the repeated gatherings made his body look
like q colored map of the world after the last
months in the year he. occupied . sunny spot
on a headland overlooking the bay and put In
hi. time lodging brick bats. During the re-
manning month he fulfilled his moral purpose.
mark of recognition for services performed.
Eight years ago this summer a young wife
came here from a Massachusetts town sick
she gave birth to a male child. which she would
not recognize as her own. though the old wives
exerted all their skill to make her do So, One
bright afternoon. two days before her death.
the bedroom door being, open to admit fresh
air. Old Bones strolled in past the sleeping
nurse and put his ugly face upon the bed. The
bewildered mother clasped tho child in her
arms, and from that time on would not allow 1t
to quit her side. Two years ago. when the in
cident had been entirely forgotten, Mr.. Leach
received a gold -mounted dog collar by express.
On it was this inscription: