The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-24


prcme Court may be a very wise and
wonderful assortment but it does not
seem to understand the dog question.
Any man who knows anything about
dogs knows that the question whether
dog is property does not depend at
all on the law and does depend en-
tirely Oh the individual dog, and the
ideas and purposes of his owner.
A dog which can do things and add
to the sum Of human happiness and
assist in making life worth living is
prof. crty, and mighty good property,
and his owner. if he be worthy Of such
possession. regards him az an avail
able asset, puts distinct commercial
valuation upon him and is ready to
fight for him, lie for him and in rare
cases, even to pay taxes on him. 1t
is not often that affection and faith
rush to this desperate extreme, but
there are such instances on record.
We once knew q big, red dog named
Bob. He was by profession possum
hunter and he devoted his time and
thought to that business with assidui-
ty which won success and honors for
him. He was serious dog and ap-
parently spent much Of his life in the
deep consideration of problems about
I, H. L.
thought. His work was to him JOY.
Like Jim Biudso. he never hunked
and he never licd-never came fur
lively crawling at the rear Of the pro-
cession, never sneakcd behind the
colored person with the bag OF lodged
out of the range Of the light of the
torches. In the woods where dark
ness was deepest or brambles were
thickest his faithful, tireless foot falls
rustled the dead leaves, his nose down
enuuiring Of each spot Of ground for
the scent Of the soft treading, prowl
ing, wandering game. Other and more
frivolous dogs might take back tracks
or even chase off after cats or rabbits
but not so Bob. The one weakness in
his character was a tendency to coons,
but when he struck a coon track he
said "coon' and if no encouraging
shouts and whoops responded to his
announcement he would quickly turn
from that dangerous and tortuous
career and resume his strict attention
to business.
1t was delight to see him work.
He had large and kindly tolerance
for inferior dogs and would investigate
with unwearied diligence the 'possum
reports they from time to time threw
out. He never hurried. Exploring
his own conscience he knew that he
had never in his life struck trail and
lost his bird. He attacked the opera
tion Of picking up the track with
gravity becoming its Importance and
the responsibility attaching to it. He
compared with his we'll balanced nose
the favor Of each foot fall, each place
where possum hide had touched, may
be hours before. When he found it
distinct and growing and judicially
determined in his own mind that he
was right-he opened up. Those who
knew him always waited to hear what
he had to say. However loud aud
general the baying and yelping Of the
balance Of the pack might be, the
white and colored persons off in the
woods waited still and silent to hear
from Bob. He began always with one
triumphant, booming canine shout in
one syllable, and then he took the lead
and made the woods ring with his
yells of cxultation and his threats and
denunciations to the doomed foe gal
lopiug anxiously on into the darkness
far ahead. Bob was property and real
property at at. He was respected
by biped ano quadruped. lie had
business and attended to it. He had
definite standing in the community
and purpose in life and responsible
ties which he understood and lived up
to. When he treed he was always
right and he judged from the lay of
the ground where the fall and catch
would be aud got there in time.
But there are other dogs. Also there
are other people. Some folks actually
attach value to pugs and poodles and
animals Of that kind are, we suppose,
property to those whc like them. The
big strong brindle cur with honest
brown eyes who supcrvises county
premises at night and comes to town
under the wagon and is melted to have
fights in wagon lots by town boys who
obligingly hunt up antagonists for
him, also has place and function and