davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
CAN DOGS REASON !?
Some Experiments Which
Seem I1COnCIuSiUe.
Some

In consideration of the many mar
velous stories about intelligence in the
lower animals, and especially dogs and
horses, 1t is commonly taken for grant
ed that their reasoning power differs
from mans not in quality, but only
in degree. Attempts have been made
from time to time to establish this
seeming likeness experimentally, but
it must be confessed that the results
are still negative, says the New York
Evening Sun. Nor can an exception
be made in the case of Lord Avebury,
who in the London Magazine give the
results, such as they are, of an inter
esting series of experiments with
black poodle. 1t should not be said,
however, that he sought to establish"
any preconceived beliefs; for as a man
of science his object was to find out
the truth. Our ignorance of the physi-
cal nature of dogs is, according to
Lord Avebury, very largely due to this,
that the effort of their owners in the
past has been directed mainly to
teaching them instead of learn
ing from them. In order, there
fore, TO reverse the order, Lord Ave-
bury decided to employ a modification
of the system used by DR.. Howe in
teaching deaf-mutes. 81 took two
pieces of cardboard about ten inches
by three" he says, "and on one of
them printed in large letters the word
food, leaving the other blank. then
placed the two cards over two saucers,
and in the one under the. food card I
put little bread and milk which Van,
after having his attention called to
the card, was allowed to eat. This was
repeated over and over again until
he had had enough. In about ten days
he began to distinguish between the
two cards. 1 then put them on the
floor and bade him bring them to me,
which he did readily enough When he
brought the plain card / simply threw
1t back, while when he brought the
food card / gave him a piece of bread,
and In about month he had pretty
well learned to realize the difference"
Afterward he elaborated. employing
several cards marked "tea," out"
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

the throttle. and in a minute the train
gathered its momentus and shot on in
to the night. But before the train had
barely started, the old man and the
G. NJ. came hurrying over the coal OF
the tank into the cab. The G. M. let
out a string of bad language and
wanted to know by all the saints why
I had stopped the train. The G. NJ.
had run an engine once in his life,
and so I pointed out of the cab win
dow, where he could see the brilliant
glare of the moon lying on the hori-
zon, just above the railroad track
ut was a startling imitation of this
headlight of an oncoming train on the
same track, and would have reused ylle
instructive action OF the most ex-
perienced engineer.
when he saw 1t, the G. M. laughed,
reached out for my hand, and with
warm squeeze told me that 1t was all
right. Then and there in the cab he
explained matters to the old man and
told how he had once had a similar
fright. The old man smiled, too. So
a month later 1 had the courage to
show the G. M. the specifications for a
patent l had just been granted Our
road is using that patent now, as are
half the other roads in the country,
and I don't get scared stiff at tine
sight of the moon any more"
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

neither moon nor stars in sight, and
the only light was that thrown from
the hurrying train against the bare,
bleak sides of the hills. l crowded on
all steam, for the roadbed that ran
through the canon was as level and
straight as a ruler. At the end of the
canon, however, there comes a nasty
turn, and then the track breaks out
again on a piece of level prairie.
Suddenly. just as we swept around
the curve of the canon, going at some
thing like sixty-five miles an hour, I
saw a great, brilliant headlight show
ing up on our single-track road about
a mile in front of me. My heart jump
ed into my mouth, but / grappled des-
perately with the reserve throttle,
threw on the air brakes. and in a sec
ond the immense wheels of the Bald
win were crunching on the sand re-
leased from the sand box. The light
on the track seemed perfectly station
airy, and as my train slowly came to a
stop / realized that had been scared
half out of my wits and had delayed
the roads pet train by five minutes by
nothing more or less than the great
yellow disk of brilliant winter nights
moon, which, close to the horizon, had
suddenly come out from behind the
clouds.
II sprang back into the cab, grasped
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

and grandfather before him had done.
He had risen tc the grade of first lieu
tenant. and was one of the officers of
the little band of United States. ma
rines who formed the legation guard
in Pekin duling the terrible summer
of 1900. l well remember the fearful
anxiety and yet the superhuman res
olution with which Mrs. Allen con-
fronted those Jays of silence and sus-
pense.
Sadly enough, among the first mes
sages which got through from the be-
sleged ministers was one announcing
the death OF ner son. : was with her,
OF course. Immediately upon the re-
celpt of the news. Her grief was as
silent as it was terrible. She made no
complaint. The blow just struck her
down. Her heart was affected in some
way, and DR.. Taylor informed me, and
l, in turn, told her, that her days were
numbered. l felt that it was best that
she should know it. Now that her son
mad been taken, the desire to live left
her, and she was almost happy in the
thought that a short time-a month
or two at most, the doctor said-would
unite them again.
few days after the receipt of the
hrst bad news freedom of communica-
uon having been restored meanwhile,
the report of Georges death was con-
tradlcted. Some one had Numbered in
the first message, and things were in
such state we could never find out
VINO. He had been desperately wound
ed, they said, but would recover.
Ills mother frightened under this en-
couraglng news. There was a faint
Idlly and some Improvement in her
condition, but nothing of a permanent
character. She realized the situation
iully, but she summoned all her reso-
Iuuon and determination to her assist
ahce and told me that she could not
Iie until she had seen her son again.
Ut. Taylor thought that probably she
lllght survive under the inspiration of
llef devotion until the boy, about whom
we continued to receive favorable re-
PoIls' should come home again.
90 she fingered through the summer
struggling, anxious, hopeful, deter
tiihed. / happened to be with her on
s sne eVentful day when she received his
4 St letter. The joy with which she
took 1t from me and tore it open with
n,r white feeble, trembling hands was
TriLllost painful to witness-I felt as If
were intruding upon a meeting-but
,ler plank look of establishment, chang
,nG 70 regret, and then to bitter disap-
I'M oinShlent-eyen anguish--as she mas
ered Its contents, was surprising.
nave lost my boy she said with
tienollng lips after awhile, as she
handed me the letter.
Nhat!" cried.
-, no. he is getting better and is
inhs BACK. / did not mean that. but
:. out-he is going to be married. Read
II Yourself"
ny II was a letter TO make any
oniahs heart proud. thought, and
bsala 90 There were sober words OF
hsalAssiVing TO God that his life had
satlh spared; a modest expression OF
,,aattIsIaetion In the promotion TO q cap
10y which had come 10 him for his
s,piiendid courage during the siege no.
10y when he led the attack on the
,+,ppag fort on the wall. where he
~, wounded, and lots OF love for his
b.4 'i'f. That WIS not all. though lie
pefn "a femOnstratiye boy always.
a., sIppHse He had iayishod Affection
' 'Neearmepts upon her, and she had
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

over in the women's wrap-room. Some
one dared Miss Kerstris to don her
suit and ask Kinlamb In to inspect it.
when Kinlamb learned the nature of
the summons, he refused to CO.
Thereupon Miss Kerstris and her
friends repaired to the room where the
lover was. One glance was enough to
tell him that the skirt was too incon-
spicuous. He turned away blushing.
Everybody else in the room seemed to
be delighted with the garb.
How do you like 1t. Wesley?" asked
Miss Kerstris.
ITS awful" he replied ungallantly.
You can't wear that thing at Atlantic
City"
well, intend to wear It," said Miss
Kerstris, with an angry stamp of her
foot.
You are not going to Atlantic City
with me unless you have that skirt
made at least three inches longer"
Then ! won't go to Atlantic City
with you. won't speak to you"
Very well. Good night" and Kin
lamb left the house.
Some of Kinlamb's friends said he
was right, but most of the guests sided
with Miss Kerstris and the bathing
suit The party broke up and Miss
Kerstris went home in fearful mood.
declaring that she would never marry
him, neverl''
AS she stepped on to the trolley car
she carried the bathing suit done up
In a neat little package in her hand.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

speculations concerning him. She set
down the ambitions she cherished for
his work, the hopes born in her heart
for his future, her dreams of his
achievements that were to be; she
quoted bits from his letters when he
was away at school. She inserted
photographs of him IN all stages of
development. She wrote out the
prayers that she made for his well
fare.
The entries abounded with express
sions of her ever growing, absorbing
love for him. Yes. and when he had
his boyish f1irtations and had evil
IDENTIFY written to her about the charm
ing girls he had met. the jealousy of
mothers heart spoke in her COM
ments. 1t was quite evident to me as
l read on, absorbed in it all, that she
would never have been able to bear
the idea of any one coming between
her and that lad. How she rejoiced
in his successes and love for her!
There were troubles. too; messes,
scrapes, but her love never wavered,
and things always seemed to come
right in the end.
I could see that the keeping of that
diary had become a passion with her.
She confessed herself, as a devotee
poured out her heart on those pages
which no living eye but mine had ever
seen, l verify believe. She was abso-
lutely true, entirely frank. The book
was a self-revelation, all unconscious.
l could see the ennobling effect of that
great passion. She grew greater as 1
read on and on. A soul was laid bare
in the written pages. l seemed to be
treading on hailowed ground as / ten
derby turned the faded leaves. No one
could ever have spoken aloud as she
wrote. It's not in nature TO do so. 1t
was her secret heart, her most sacred
feelings, her Utmost soul. that lived
and vibrated in the silent letters. I
seemed to be looking at things not
meant for mortal eyes.
And through it all there was a note
of depreciation. Was she, could she,
be worthy of him! o, the sweetness of
the humility of a mother!
But l cannot linger to tell the story,
all read, all 1 OWNED. At last came
the entries of the present year. When
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

bone" water" and other words to
which the dog was expected to attach
no Specification. In a very short time
lord Avebury found that Van was
able to make distinctions; when he
wanted to go for a walk he would pick
up the "out" card and run to the door,
when thirsty he would pick UP the
water" card, and so on. Special pre-
cautions were taken to avoid discrim-
ination by the sense of SMELL 1t is
interesting to note that on one of the
few occasions when he was mistaken
he fetched a card marked door" in
stead of "food"-that is to say, a card
in which three of the four letters were
the same as in food"
So far it looks well for the reasoning
power of the dog. But some further ex-
periments We're rather disappointing.
Thus, when Lord Avebury took three
cards, yellow, blue and orange respec-
lively, and tried to teach Van to bring
one or another according to a dupli-
cate of similar color exhibited before
hand he found that the dog was quite
incapable of discrimination. The posi-
bilfty of color blindness occurred to
him and he substituted cards marked
respectively /, III and III, but after ex-
perimenting for ten weeks he found
that Van was still unable to under
stand what he wanted. This is curious,
fer it seems that while the dog was ca
pable of associating in some manner
the idea of a certain card with the idea
of food, it was unable to combine two
( ideas which seem at first glance almost
as simple. 1t still remains to be proved
that the dog is capable of reason in
the human sense. Van succeeded in
learning that by picking up a certain
object among Others he would be fed
or watered. but did he learn to read?
Did he recognize the idea of food in
the word food" or did he merely
know that he consequence of fetching
the card inscribed with 1t would be a
meal? 1t is a doubtful point. Certainly
he failed lamentably in the experiment
with the duplicate cards, and further
experiments rs-~ae With a view to as
certaining his powers of counting were
equally discouraging. AS Lord Avebury
himself observed on another occasion,
who, despite all the tales of canine in
telligence, will venture to say that any
dog has ever been able to realize that
two and two make four?
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

he had gone away she had sworn she
would be brave. He was a soldier, he
must do his duty, and uphold the hon.
ored name of his father, but, o, the
anxiety of it all! 1 could see that 1t
had almost killed her, yet she had kept
up under the dreadful strain until the
news of his death came.
am not ashamed to say that / put
the book down and cried like a baby
when l read what she had written.
Broken-he sentences, bits of pray
er, words of scripture, 20, Abshalom,
my son, my SOM" Tears on the pages.
The pages were alive with her words.
AS l said they spoke as no human
voice could have spoken. They told
tale which humanity could not have
revealed. And her heart was broken.
Then came the entry of the day when
l had told her she was doomed. The
subdued joy with which she heard the
news, with which she looked forwar
to the prospect of a speedy meeting,
was quite evident. One phase struck
me on that page.
THE work of years is over. I lay
down the pen"-she had written.
Sonny Boy''-she never failed to use
that title; she chung to it the more
aenaciously as he grew older. 1t SEEM
ed very sweet to me-"is gone, and I
am going, thank God. In death as in
life, we will be together The book
may close over and be opened no more.
He cannot return to me, but I shall
go to him. I shall write no more. 1
have left directions that this story of
a life-or two lives-his and mine
shall be burned when I am gone to
meet Sonny Boy"
But on the next page the entries be-
gan again. She had taken up her
wonted lifelong task once more when
oh +Iao% ha
ly enough, while there was Joy in the
pages now. I seemed to read in them
more of regret-in spite of herself The
doom written against her could not
be revoked. Yet the conditions were
changed. She had to look forward to
a long parting instead of an eternal
meeting. and it hurt her. Yet she must
live until he came back. l saw 1t was
her will power alone that kept her up.
She must see him again before she
went out into the dark, or the light
rather, to wait for him.
So, in hand that grew more feeble
from day to day, she jotted down her
hopes and longings for her son. How
much the trembling letters told of her
growing weakness, how different were
the characters from the bold flowing,
graceful writing of the beginning.
Finally came to the entry-the last
Oh the Jay she Hdu received the news
of his approaching marriage. o, the
anguish that ran through the written
words! They seemed to gasp out her
grief from the page, sometimes / could
scarcely decipher them. / turned back
to the entry following the report OF
his death and declare IL was no more
heartbroken.
Another woman had come between
them! With unconscious cruelty, In
t.aN ia
over and over again how he loved the
woman he was about 10 marry. She
could not get away from f.. Innocent
~ enough he had given her 20 UNDER
stand that he loved the girl more than
all the world, Thoughtlessly he plung-
ed this dagger into his gentle mothers
heart.
1 didn't blame him for his feelings.
he could not help them, aud - / said, J
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
"SONNY BOYS" DIARY
BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
Copyright 1902 by yrus Townsend Brady

Among the most devoted of my par
ishioners was a certain Mrs Allen
devoted to the church, of course, that
is. although if may judge from her
actions, / think she held me person.
allv in high esteem as well. When I
became acquainted with her she was
A widow with one son. Other chill
dren, girls, had been born to her. 1
learned afterward, but she had lost
them in their early childhood, and,
after the death of her husband, who
had been a major in the Marine Corps
of the United States Navy, her life
had been entirely devoted to this son.
in whom her heart was so wrapped UP
that she fairly worshiped him.
She was a gentle, quiet, retiring lit
tie woman, sad-faced and inclined to
melancholy when George, her son. was
not with her. He was a hearty.
healthy lad, Astounding in strength and
spirits, full of fun and mischief but
never vicious, and he certainly adored
her with genuine enthusiasm. His
mother seemed actually to bask in the
sunshine of his presence, and when
they were together she was a differ
ent woman.
When 1 first knew them the boy
had just been given an appointment
at Annapolis, and, though he gradu-
ated at the head of his class, and
should naturally have gone into the
line of the navy, he had followed the
family tradition by electing to serve
III the Marine Corps, as his father
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24
BIRDS WHICH HATCH
THEIR OWN FOOD.

it live oak acorn. Scientists have
watched these birds at their work
They hammer away at various holes
remaining only short time at each.
Then they fly away in search of acorns,
which they carry from considerable
distances in their claws, often dropping
the slippery nuts. With the beak the
nut is started into a hole just large
enough, and not hairs breadth too
large, to receive it. Again the ham
mering beak is used, and the nut is
driven tight and fast into it's place.
So tight are the fits often OF these
acorns that 1t is almost impossible to
get them out with ones fingers. The
writer has seen many unsuccessful at
tempts to pick out these stored-up
treasures.
But in this where is there anything
so wonderful? Do not many birds and
insects attempt to store food for dull
times? Wherein lies the forethought
of the woodpecker?
The truth of the matter is that when
the little thinker puts an acorn in its
proper, and to him expensive, hole IL
Is not at all because he has an acorn
tooth. He sees a step ahead, for he
knows that worms will form in each
acorn and these worms are the uiti-
mate object Of his tolls.
hoies III trees are LuH 10 Duild ana
Will keep acorns off the ground, out
of reach of pigs and other ma tural pro-
cesses of destruction. Sooner or later
worms viii form in acorns--and what
food can a woodpecker have better
than worms? Surely. the little fellow
has sound sense when he sets HIS Ia
BE often weeks ahead OF his feast OF
grubs. lie looks well ahead.
This explanation Of the fact that
woodpeckers actually do drill and an
thousands Of holes IN dead trees Is
very often doubted. Yet Il r. put for
ward as a fact by many careful OBJ
feryers, and Is really story that does
great credit 10 the woodpecker.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

boy had been everything to her. as l
said, and she to him. She had always
been first in his affection and he in
hers. Alone in the world the two had
grown up together. Now that his life
was spared, she confronted the fact
that she was called upon to share him
with another woman.
o, the bitterness of jealousy in old
age! 1t was there. o, the hopeless
feeling that comes over mother when
she realizes that, in a certain sense,
she is supplanted. 1t was there. L
saw it in the white face, the pressed
lips, the trembling hand of the stricken
woman leaning back in the chair be-
fore me. 1t matters not that it is the
usual course of life-that did not make
it easier for her. Other mothers had
to bear such things, we both knew, but
now it seemed different.
Well, I comforted her as best 1
could, said all things possible before
1 left her, but to little purpose, fear.
The next day she was dead! The sec
ond shock had been too much for her.
I was with her when she passed away.
When l. came into the room L noticed
that the table by her bed was covered
with a pile of common red-bacBed
blank books, which 1 had never seen
before.
"'Sonny Boy'r that's what she
called him; in spite of the fact that
he was great big fellow, and as man.
ly as a soldier should be; he was al
ways in her heart what he had been
as a child" Sonny Boys dairy" she
whispered to me. II want you to take
them-keep them until he comes
home, and then give them to him.
And l want you to read them, too,
so that you may know-and-and-
sympathize."
Sympathize with whom, I wonder
ed. With George, or with her? All.
I soon found out. I thought she had
gone after the prayers had been said,
she lay on the bed so still and quiet.
But she opened her eyes presently and
whispered brokenly in the silence:
TELL him-I love him better than
than-anyone in the whole world
will-ever-love him-'Sonny Boy"
After that her eyes remained open
until I closed them.
1 took the books home and the even
ing of the day of the funeral I sat
down to read them. 1t was late at
night-or rather early in the morning
when 1 finished them, and then / did
something for which my conscience
has troubled me ever since.
1 wish that I could tell you all that
was in those little worn blank booksi
Every word of them had been written
by ner own ndHu. one began Win HlS
birth, the first entry being made as
soon as she was able to hold the pen.
She chronicled religiously every event
that bore even the remotest relation
to the boy You could see how
he grew into her life, how
he became part Of II, and
finally as the years passed by,
all of II. There was nothing that he
did or said which was not noted. His
most trivial actions his most unim
portant words were all faithfully set
down and commented upon. In those
books was the history OF the develop
ment OF a great passion az wen.
As he grew older and his mother lost
successfully his father and the two
little girls, IL was easy 10 see how the
boy became more and more 20 her.
The entries were longer and more con-
nected-more coherent, ] should say
There were whole pages Aiied with
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-24

Real, genuine forethought is a thing
with which birds are but seldom
charged. Nature teachers her feath-
cred children to build their nests In
anticipation of the nesting time. But
that a bird should think out several
steps of a natural phenomenon and
deliberately plan several weeks ahead
for banquets of bird delicacies is all
most too much for the most ready be-
lever.
But the California woodpeceker, as
handsome bird as ever lived on the
side of a tree, must be given the credit
of being really a thinker and a plan
ner. He is college professor. nay, a
logician, among his kind, says the Los
Angeles Herald.
Have you ever seen acorns on syc-
amore trees?" is a question often put
to the tourist in California. No mat
ter what he answers he is driven into
the country and there actually shown
the sight; acorns on sycamores. For
in many parts of the South trees, both
sycamore and oak may be seen with
the DARK drilled run Oh Holss anu WIN
a live oak acorn in every hole.
These trees are thus decorated by
the woodpecker at infinite cost of labor
and truly with foresight.
Finding dead tree or one with bark
TO his taste, the woodpecker will COM
mence the drilling. OF small holes,
usually In rows. Each hole is made
OF the diameter OF ones second finger
and a depth OF about an inch. Trees
may be seen that are literally poek-
marked with these holes. the openings
being the work Of successive genera
lions 81 Industrious w0odpeckerf.
The holes drilled. by actual work OF