The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
THEY SERVED In CUBA.
st. Bernard Dogs That Were Used as
Pack Animals.

Apropos the Cuban question, Prof. H. b.
Gentry is the proud possessor of a pair Of
large st. Bernard dogs that once did good
service on the island of Cuba. They were
presented to him by Charles Marshall Ev-
ans, the war correspondent for one of the
large London daily papers, at Tampa, Fla,
late last autumn. Mr.. Evans brought
them from Europe with him and used them
for pack animals over the mountain fast
nesses and rough roads of Cuba during his
s~ojouTn in that country. In man. places it
is impossible for horse, burro or donkey to
traverse the impenetrable underbrush, and
dogs of large size are common carriers and
are used mainly as packers. In order TO
do this two long sticks of wood are placed
on either side of the dog by an arrange
ment something after the manner OF a belt
harness about the dogs breast, allowing
the sticks to trail behind. The packs are
placed on the sticks and the journey COM
mences. But the st. Demands did not
thrive in the climate and the work
was too arduous for them, and conse-
quently Mr.. Evans, after seeing Mr.. Cen
try's show at Tampa and becoming ac.
quainted with the professor, presented the
valuable animals to him. AT that time they
were sorry looking specimens indeed. They
Locke o3k niue Re,n in ID sho,, VERY yool Htti Tbe IKE co afs
of fur were short and matted. and it TOOK
a couple of months to bring them back into
5000 condition., ana tnen the pEOIeSSOr
started training them to do a few simple
things for his entertainment. Their names
are Judge and Leo, and during the course
of the performance they play leap frog IN
a heavy, cumbersome way, draw the Sny-
der family phaeton and appear in the fre
scene, hauling with great CELEBRITY the old
fashioned hand pump fire engine. They are
handsome looking dogs now, and are proud
of their new position. They are lnteHlgent
fellows, too, and if the professor could MY
teach them to speak as Well as he mas
taught them to act, they would undoubtedly
tell WondTouS stories of strange adventures
during their thirty days sojourn In Cuba.
Wan excitement does not appear TO nave
affected the professors attendance. AT eV-
the large tents at Illinois and Pratt streets
nave been crowded to their utmost capacity
and on one occasion standing room was at
a premium. One of the most. interesting
parts of the exhibit is the first or menag-
erie tent, which is really quite a curiosity
of the kind. Before the performance COM
mences all of the dogs, ponies and onk9y
are to be seen there, and it is really worth
going early to see. The ponies, over forty
in number, are to be seen hitched in two
long rows. The dogs, of which there are
seventy odd, are to be found in a large wire
crate. Here one can find nearly every
specimen of anime beauty known, from the
tiny black and tan to the monster St. Ber-
nards, Judge and Leo. The monkeys lnhaoit
a cage and generally keep the children mer-
ry by their cute and comical actions. The
professor. with his large company of edu-
Gated animals, will remain here all OF the
present week, giving performances nightly,
with matineeS daily, except Monday, at ESQ
p. m, and if there is any one in the city
ing new under the sum- a visit TO Gentry
dom will convince him that there is.