The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-16

From the Chicago News

From the Chlcago news
Those who have had for pets the brisk
little prairie dogs of our Western pTairies
know how cunning the little animals are.
A girl who owned an especially bright one
tells many funny stories of his doings.
Perhaps the oldest exploit was his discov-
cry that the broad hem of a gady's dress
had become unsewn at the joining. This
struck him as an interesting thing to eX
plore so he crept into the hem and lay
there quietly as long as she sat on her
chair When she rose she felt some hing
heavy in the hem of her dress. This was
the prairie dog. II was rather a tight fit,
and he could not turn around, but we
carefully drove him ali around the dress
by pinching him through the stuff until he
came to the hole at which he had got in.
He scrambled out, ran on to the hearth-rug
and barlSed as usual, quite unconcerned.
All heavy bits of furniture, like big sofas
or bureaus, tend to accumulate fluff I'M
der them, or occasionally bits of paper,
even in the best-regulated houses The
prairie puppy highly disapproved Of this
He looked on these places as eligible sleep
ing quarters and the little BITS of paper, or
fluff as old bedding which it was his
duty to take out and throw away. About
D. M he would, If in the dinng-room
run under large bureau. In a few sec
onds he would come out thoughtfully wirn
a little ron of fluff in his mouth, take
it to a distance of quite yard from the
bureau and drop il on the carpet. Then
subsid!ng onto all tours he would gallon
under the bureau again; next he would
bring out a piece of paper and drop that;
then a Bit Of 'nun"; then perhaps a penc.G
which had fallen behind the bureau. IIav-
ing taken out and removed to a distance
everything portable. he would come out
sit UP on end and bark and take a little
afternoon tea before going back TO make
a bed.
He was so tame he would scramble on
TO the lap of any lady or visitor. and al
low his head to be stroked while he ate
biscuit, held between his paws, or cram
med little bits OF lettuce into his mouth
like a conjurer swallowing tape. Then
he would gallop around the room to the
waste pape. basket and earnestly endeav-
or to drag out bits Of paper 10 take into
the dining room to make new bed for
the night Bafned in this purpose for
he was always caught and put 20 bed in
a cage in the conservatory, he prospectei
the drawing room furniture for a perma-
nent home. and was 50 fortunate as to find
one. Like al pets, he was constantly be-
ing lost, and was always found 'in bed"
in some place which took his fancy. on
this occasion he had disappeared about 5
o'clock and did not answer with his usual
cheerful bark when whistled for We con-
Guided that he must be either unusually
sound asleep or have gone out OF doors,
IN which case he would certainly be caught
and eaten by a cat. Then some one sal
down on large deep-sprlng sofa. when
the prairie dog Instantly barked from its
Interior On turning over the sofa, we
found that piece of the covering under
meath had been torn. This offered too
good chance for exploring 10 be missec
and the prairie dog had climbed In and
found a delightful cavern among all the
spiral springs. We did not have the tear
rncnded for some weeks, as we felt Il
rather a social distinction to have sofa
stuffed with prairie dog which barked
when sat npon.