The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-22
HIS PLEA FOR THE DOG.
Assistant Attorney General Erwin
BeGs President Egan to Keep Him
Farm

/ An interview that appeared not long
! ago in the Morning News with Presi-
/ dent John NJ. Egan of the Central
Railroad, in which he drew a picture
of a model farm and its antithesis,
the ill-kept place that is not infre-
quently met with in Georgia and
throughout the South, was widely read
and reproduced. Among it's most in
terested readers was Assistant Attor-
ney General Marion Erwin, who has
written letter to Mr.. Egan, pleading
for the dogs. the Centrals president
having declared against dogs being
tolerated on the farm. The following
is Mr. Erwin's reminiscent, eloquent
and serio-comic appeal:
New York, Jan. is, 1902.
Hon. John NJ. Egan, Farmer and
incidentally President of the Central
of Georgia Railway Company. Savan~
nah, Ga.-My Dear Mr.. Egan: [ pc
rused with much interest your very
readable interview in the Savannah
Morning News on the subject OF
Farming" Your suggestions are
practical, timely and pointed. l agreed
with them all except one point, viz:
the Punishment of our faithful friend
the dog from the ideal farm.
1
my spirits rise in ecstacy as ] followed
your charming description of the model
farm-the good barn, almost bursting
with its load of golden grain, the wide
fields inclosed by the well-ordered
fences. which divided the ranges OF
the fine Durhams, the Jerseys and the
Herefords. and which marked the linn
its of the 'wallows' of the Poland
China, the Berkshire and the Essex
~,
through the well-kept poultry yards,
where the mother hen from Plymouth
Rock, with faithful cakle complies with
the daily egg actions of the farmer,
and where the bold chanticleer sends
forth across the hills his boasts Of SUI
perior lineage. / even consented to
accept the well without any mem
ton on your part of the old oaken
bucket, that was wont to hang there
in. l began to weaken little
when you omitted this, but
being a natural-born reformer
myself, and remembering the great
things you have accomplished for the
Central Railroad | was prepared to ac-
cept your silence on the bucket ques-
ton. interpreting ii as a reserved sug-
gestion in the direction of windmill
Water-lift, or an artesian ram attach
ment-and so / went with you this far.
farm is to have no dogs, my heart al
most stopped beating, and / felt that /
had been sighted by my best friend.
You know the old saying Love me,
love my dog l will not say Wood
man spare that tree. | concede the
proposition that the tree should be cut
down. and the stump extracted by a
patent stump-puller. in order that the
sulky- plough may pursue the even ten
or of it's way, but l draw the line just
this side of the Punishment of the
faithful dog.
aside from his many virtues as a
loving companion and faithful protec-
tor of the home, consider. my dear sir.
what a sportsman's paradise this
model farm would be. With its we'll
protected fields of golden grain where
Bob White can pay court to his lady
love, while coming through the rye
there would certainly be brood of fes-
tive quail in every hedge And when
the leaves begin to turn. across the
fields would come the modest call:
Bob-White!"
Are peas quiet ripe!'
| While from beyond the stubble the am
swer in sharper accent comes:
They surely are
They surely are
And surely my dear sir, you would
! not have this model farm without a
model boy on it? After riding all day
on the suky-plough you mention, the
old man may be a little too stiff to
! care about walking around much. But
I would speak a word for Jack and
| his setter Snyder An work and no
! play it has been truly said. makes
Jack dull boy He never gets tired.
| however when sport is in order. When
! an off day comes we will watch him
shoulder his gun and start for the
! fields while Snyder whisks about him.
and in highe st glee dashes off in search
| of the enticing odors of the gamey
| quail. At Jacks beck and call, Sny-
\ Ger beats the field in widening circles.
as with sweeping strides he glides over
the meadow grasses, the pod-laden
| peavines and hedges of broom sage.
with head uplifted he shifts the faint
| ed breeze and suddenly pausing i'm his
| rapid flight, he assumes the crouching
| movements of a cat: he creeps down
| the scented trail, and stops as if turn
| ed to stone, with tail outstretched,
head half turned aside, and paw in
rigid poise, he staunchly awaits the
coming of his master. AS Jack adj
Vances upon the covey in front, there
| is heard the quick, voo-voo-voo of
many wings. Then rapid settling to
| the steady sail of continued flight;
| the sharp report--bang-ban the cry
of dead bird and Snyder, nosing in
the grasses. soon lays the trophy at his
| masters feet
Surely it is in the manly sports of