Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-01-09
When Donald
Turned
Cdnnibdl

7 Ohm BECKERMAN has been one
ii of those who go down to the sea
in ships since he was able to be
of assistance to his father, fisherman
near Arverne, L. l. He has been known
as truthful man since he reached his
majority, and at the age when boys
are excused for exaggerat ng trifiing
incidents into marvellous adventures
what he had to say was believed.
His character being voLched for and
his testimony being corroborated by
other fishermen and tradesmen who
spend their winters where the winds
wall mourning over the departed
summertime and the waves rage since
there are no fair bathers to buffet and
caress, the story of John Beckerman
is to be believed.
AT almost every seashore resort"
he began, "at the end of the summer
season the place swarms with dogs
that have been forgotten or purposely
deserted. There is custom in most
of these places where the people live
through the winter on the profits
gathered in the summertime, for the
aldermen, or whatever you choose to
call them, to select day when their
fellow-townsmen are warned to chain
their CANNES and to keep the younger
children within doors.
Poisoned meat is scattered at the
various corners, and the next day
there is fine crop of dead dogs.
Among the many dogs that were
left here at the end of this season was
splendid collie, a beautiful fellow,
but unfortunately decided enemy of
mine. He had no use for me, because
his little mistress, a golden-haired
little girl, had taken great fancy to
me. You see, wasn't fishing, there
being more money in teaching the
summer visitors how to swim. Among
my other pupils was the little mistress
of the collie. His jealousy was some
thing fearful. He would show his
teeth on my approach, and would have
let me feel them if Miss Margaret had
not watched him closely.
EARLY in September she went with
an uncle to visit her aunt at Long
Branch. The child begged to take her
dog with her, but was told that her
mother would look out for him, and,
as she was to be gone for only few
days, it seemed all right to the little
one. The next day her mother was
summoned by cablegram. She could
not lind Donald, and was in a great
hurry. She gave the head bellboy $50
to care for the dog until she could send
for him.
"The bellboy appropriated the
money for his own uses and the dog
ran wild. At first after the Summer
people had gone he ate out of the gar
bage barrels. L tried to make friends
with him and to feed him, but he
would show his teeth in a way l did
not like. He seemed to believe that 1
was responsible for the disappearance
of his little mistress, and would go
down to where the waves rolled at the
very spot where | used to take Mar
garet in bathing. There he would sit
and wall for the little girl. Then he
suddenly disappeared. l had other
things to bother me and / forgot the
dog.
1--WE were gathered in my shanty on
stormy nlSht telllng stories, when
Jim Decker, coast guard off duty,
told me that he had seen on the beach
a wild beast which he believed to be
wolf. He spoke of the popularity of
wild animal shows in New York, and
expressed the opinion that in some way
the beast had escaped and found lis
way to the sand dunes between Ar
verne and Edgemere. He had seen the
animal in that locality.
Before he went on duty he bor-
rowed my pistol. In the other DAYS
that followed other strange things
happened. The starving population of
forsaken dogs disappeared. They had
grown very bold, and would steal fish
that were temporarily unguarded
when we uploaded our catch. We've