The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-30
OLD JACK is DEAD
He Was not a Dog Of High Degree but
Good Dog.


Alter a long. useful and exemplary
career, Old Jack, yielding to the in
frmities of old age, lay on bed of new
straw, spread beneath desk in the Of
hce Of his master and friend, W. w.
Warlng. awaiting, intuitively, the sum-
mon through which he would be trans
terred from this vale of tears" to +':e
realm where dogs may feast on bon, 5
thrown to them and where they may eat
their heat, rare Or done-up brown, with
out the fear or the apprehension; Of
stones or bricks being hurled b.!
naughty boys and meaner men. or IT,,
cans tied by the merciless who becom,
gleeful over the howls, the barks a"i
the strides of terrified ours. If dogs
could only talk what tale they
would unfold from the rattl!ng can
tackled to their tail OF woe But dogs
arc speechless, and it is pity that some
beings are not dogs in that respect! L
1t was on Saturday, April Is, 100,
when Jack was pulseless, ready to have
his toes turned up to the daisies. ,
Jack first saw the light of day" in the
year q. D. 1888. when the opera house
was being constructed, and during his
perambulations he never failed to at
tend the Baptist church choir, of which
his master and friend is member, and
it is to his record that he, in his dog
way, sympathized with the mourrers at
about one thousand funerals at which
his master ohiciated Although .Ja"k' S
genealogy could not be traced to the
days of Adam and Eve, Jack was no o.
dinary dog. There was nothing of the
cur about him. He was a gentleman 5
dog and through his manners indicat-
ing his training End good breeding he
commanded the respect and admiration
of good as we'll as mischievous boys.
He had his peculiarities, as have some
men, but it could not be said that he
was ''cranky,' or had ''wheels in his
head" He seemed gifted with an intel
lect discriminating in the intensity of
sensibility While he would never for
give an enemy-one who had been un
kind Or had treated him harshly-he
never forgot friend. on meeting whom
he would manifest his rejoicing with
gleeful bark and the wagging of his
tail, the wagging of which was in
creased with his barks when some adj
mirers, commercial traveller for in
stance, would pat him and pet him and
say ''neat. Jack, meat" and GO with
him to the butcher shop around the
corner. 1t may be said of Jack as an op-
posite trait, that when a naughty boy
would worry him beyond all bounds he
had way of retaliating by seizing the
boy by the sitting part of his breeches
and hanging thereto until there was
rip and tear and Jacks mouth was full
of pants from running. painting almost
pantsless boy.
Jack was conservative and disin-
clined to fight, and as some men, he
would if he could avoid unpleasant en-
but when the issue was
forced upon him he never hesitated by
seizing the opposition CT seek COM
promise, but was quick, fierce and decis-
i've in execution. In his dog way he had
realized the futi1ity Of temporizing with
an enemy with view Of placating him.
and maintained his dignity and self
respect as well as his successes and his
triumphs by adherirg strictly to the line
of duty. In his dog-way. principle was a
guide which fortified him against all
by the most tempting of
meatful bones As Jack was no ordinary
dog, he has seceived unusual attention,
a mark of distinction which falls to the
few, unless they be millionaires. Very
few indeed of the great number who
increasingly for existence in
this big, round world. Jack was EN-
balmed and laid out in a metallic casket
at the establishment of his master and
friend, where the faithful good, old
dog may be viewed in state, awaiting
the time, in the near future; when he
will be put away from mortal sight for
ever.
If all men were only as dogs in
their friendships and their loyalty! In
the old story OF Poor Dog Tray"
which may be applied to Jack, there is
much of the truthfully pathetic from
which a strong lesson may be drawn
~" carr1oniziuu