The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1899-07-01
DOG WITH A HISTORY
Saw Active Service in Ii. Ba.tl. .
San Juan Hill
The Hanaaom~ Newfoundland Pet OF
Gen. Lfnares now Comfortably
Installed In n New Home
In Norwich. Conn.

"He is living souvenir of the bat
tie OF San Juan hill. said Thomas Bis
ket, druggist Of Norwich. Conn.,, a.
he pointed 10 a large Newfoundland
dog, which stood beside him and affec
tionately licked his hand.
He belonged to Gen. Linares, who
was in command OF the Spanish forces
al Santiago at the outbreak of the wa.
with this country. Few dogs have hat
such experience as this fine fellow an,
viii tell You his story"
Anyone would have been attracted b,
the appearance Of the handsome New
foundIand. but nobody would have sus
pected that the dog had seen aetiv,
service on field of battle.
Mr., Bisket continued:
"Iie IL called Leon. Leon was born IL
barcelona, Spain, from which place Gen
Linares brought him TO Cuba as pup
The general had a warm place in hi
heart for q good dog, and when he wa
ordered TO the Antilles he determined t.
obtain faithful canine companion.
Gen. Linares placed high value OF
the little Newfoundland pup, and glad
iy took him along on the ship which
carried him and his men to Cuba. Leor
became great pet. with the Spanish
soldiers, because he was a genuine
Spaniard himself and therefore tool
precedence Of all Cuban-bred dogs
Wherever Gen. Linares went Leon wen
too. and In time he came to be looked
upon as anindispensable adjunct to the
army, and during the eight years he
was In Cuba the dog saw any amoun'
OF actual fighting between the CubaI
and Spanish troops.
"At last came the Spanish-Americar
war. when Gen. Linares was In com
mand of the troops In the province
Of Santiago. The dog, then grown Il
be a large and handsome fellow, war
with his master at the front, and, likt
the seasoned veteran that he was, HI
stood on San Juan hill while bullets
whistled and shells burst around him
The remarkable part of il is that the
dog seemed to bear a charmed life, for
while Gen. Linares was severely wound.
ed Leon escaped without a scratch.
when the Spanish commander wat
borne of the field on litter the faith.
full dog trotted alongside, whining pite.
ously, now and then casting wistfu
glances at his suffering master and once
or twice tenderly licking his out
stretched hand. While the general was
in the field hospital Leon never tired
OF watching him. II was impossible for
anyone to approach the wounded man
without being challenged by the dog,
who seemed clearly 20 understs nd what
had happened and TO be eagerly await
ing his masters recovery.
"When In August last Gen. Linares
was ordered TO return to Spain an In.
valid on board the ship Leo XIII. he
presented the dog TO Arutro Gomez,
who is a nephew Of the famous Cuban
leader, with request that the animal
be treated we'll and not allowed to fall
into bad hands. Gomez wanted TO pay
a compliment TO Capt. Fadgo, Of the
Second United States volunteers, and
In order 20 do so gave him the dog.
my cousin, X. f. Bisket. was chief
engineer Of the ReinA de los Angeles, a
supply boat under the stars and stripes
In Cuban waters, and he in turn re-
ceived the dog as a gift from Capt,
Fadgo. Engineer Bisket brought the
dog TO Norwich and gave him TO me
He has had many masters, but he seems
TO like the American one as well as any,
He also takes kindly TO our northern
climate, for, strangely enough. al
though he had lived for eight years in
Cuba and the temperature there was
io4 degrees in the shade when he left
for the United States, he has not shown
any sign Of suffering during the coolest
days we had in Norwich this winter.
"You should have seen him. however
when the first snow fell. He did not
know what TO make of 1t. He squattetl
on the ground 10 his launches. drew the
snow up 20 him between his big paws
and rubbed II as u he would thorough
ly sample II and find out what this
strange substance was. Snow was a
deep mystery TO the dog that had
passed all its life In the tropics. And
the serious, puzzled expression In his
intelligent eyes while he investigated
was something more droil than can
describe. Y. Herald.
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vantty and Genius.
When Mirabpau WAS dVinU ha aafsf