Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-15
THE STORY OF A DOG
Sandy Strader, a Scotch Collie,
at Bellingham
ENJOYS PUBLIC ESTEEM
SOME EVIDENCES OF HIS GREAT
SAGACITY.
Some of the Larger Organs of the
World-Millions Given to Educa-
tional Institutions.
Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Up at Bellingham, Wash, last summer
made the acquaintance of most estimable
dog. His name is Sandy Strader; he belongs
to the wife of bank cashier in that city,
and Is Scotch collie, with red Irish set
ter for a grandfather. He knows as much
and is as highly respected as any citizen in
that section of the universe. and If he could
talk would occupy an eminent position in
the community. AS it is. everybody has con-
fidence in him, and 1 doubt If any member
of the popula ton, man, woman or child, en-
joys public confidence to a greater degree.
Sandy's wife, Lassie by name, is a vain
frivolous, jealous creature, and when you
attempt to pet Sandy she always crowds in
and tries to shove him away. She has
other traits that are quite unlovey. She
leases him. nags him, snaps al him, bites his
ears and his heels, and is a general nui-
sance.. But Sandy never complains and sets
an example for other husbands who have
similar troubles.
Sandy spends good deal of time at
a little cabin in the woods nine miles from
the city, and acts as sort of a general SUI
perintendent over the place, looking after
the cattle, the horses and the chickens and
driving away intruders. His sense of hear
| ing is so acute or his instinct is so keen
driving toward the farm before they come
within a mile of 1t. He will be snooZing on
the veranda or on the grass under one of
the trees, when he will raise his head sud-
denly, look around in an inquiring sort of
way, his ears will Stiffen up his ewes will
CLEAN. and then he will plunge into the for
est that surrounds the place with a joyful
bark and Lassie will go tearing after him.
Somehow or another he knows that the car
riage is coming. and he dashes down the
road as fast as he can run, until he meets
1t with joyful welcome.
Sandy's Life-Saving Service.
Last summer Sandy's particular duty was
to look after the little chicks that were
being Matched by the dozen and seemed
strangely incapable of caring for them
selves. Notwithstanding the anxiety and
admonitions of their mothers, these little
strangers would persist in running into the
high grass, and that was almost sure de-
struction. because very few of them could
find their way out again. The mother hens
would cacklc and sputter and make terri
bic ado about the recklessness of their chill
dren, but 1t didn't do the slightest bit of
good. 1t seemed to make the chicks more
silly and daring. Sandy took the matter
into his charge, and with patience gentle
ness and remarkable skill. organized a life
saving service that was eminently success
full. No matter how he was otherwise en-
gagged or what diversions were offered him,
he never failed to make a thorough eXami-
| nation of the high grass several times a
day. and seldom came out of it without
bringing in his mouth a little chicken.
Which he would drop gently before the old
hen it belonged to, and then go back into
the wilderness for another. Sometimes he
would bring out five or six in succession.
Scarcely a day passed that his life-saving
service didn't rescue a large per cent of the
| broods that would otherwise have persisted
He never wounded or bruised them, but car
| ried them in his mouth as tenderly as
mother would take baby in her arms.
And il seemed to me that the little chicks
understood that Sandy sure to rescue
them and were all the more reckless on
| that account.
An Unselfish Friend.
Sandy is phlanthropist; unselfish
and untiring friend of his race, and many
| ;r time has he given up his breakfast or
| his dinner to other dogs that he thought
needed 1t more than he. There was al
| ways colony of dogs and cats about the
camp. and when supper time came they
acted just like guests at a ball or a swell
reception when the refreshment room is
| opened But Sandy always held back until
| the rest were satisfied, when, in most
dignified manner, lie took what was left.
| one day he brought to the house a dis
| reputable looking cur which belonged some
| where down in the slums and was called
Admiral Dewey. He was NANCY skeleton,
covered with wounds, and in most p1t1able
state of misery. Sandy coaxed him up to
| the house. gave him his bed and food and
| licked his sores. Under this good Samari-
| tan arrangement Admiral Dewey rapidly
| recovered health and strength, but nothing
| could make him look respectable. He was
| such a dog would always be ugly and
| untidy. There wasn't point of beauty
| nor a spark of intelligence about him, so
far as anyone could see; but he afterward
| proved the truth of the old proverb that
| appearances are deceitful.
Sandy's people didn't like Admiral Dewey
| and wouldn't have him around They tried
all sorts of ways to drive him off, but
| sandy stood by him and took care of him
| and saw that he had d good bed and plenty
| of food When 1t came time to go out to
| the cabin In the woods it was decided to
separate Sandy and the Admiral. The one
/ was taken and the other one left. But no
| sooner did Sandy realize the fact than he
/ showed his diSapproval. He supposed the
| Admiral was in a box in the wagon, and
/ when everything was unloaded and the Adj
| miral didn't appear he looked disappointed
and soon after disappeared. Nor was he
/ seen again until breakfast time the next
/ morning, when the Admiral was at his
| heels.
| town. hunted up his protege, and had
| brought him out to the cabin, supposing
| that he had been forgotten. He made
| three trips of nine miles that day, and
| Won will agree with me that 1t was good
| deal for one dog to do for another; par
| ticularly for such a disreputa.ble little runt
| as Admiral Dewey.
The admiral was a great deal more Of a
nuisance at the cabin than he was in
| town, because he was always in evidence.
There was no other place for him to go.