The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-24
WOMAN GR|EVES
LOSS OF HER DOG
st. Elmo" Was Famous in
MANY Ways
WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Animal Was Firm and Fast Friend of
All the Children and Stray
Dogs of the Neigh
borhood.
WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Chicago. April S.-(special)-Th Tri-
bune this morning says; In her grief
for the death of St Elmo, who WAS not
Just a dog" but an English greyhound
famous in many ways and the pet who
did his best to take the place of the
child who died, Mrs caro- Smith Senour
has given UP her handsome home at
Riverside and gone To live for time
at the Del Prado hotel. The home will
be closed. she says. until she can be rec
oneiled to the absence Of her constant.
almost humanity intelligent companion,
who was the pet of the children of Riv-
erside. and the canine friend Of all home
less, hungry or i'll treated dogs who APP
peared in the neighborhood.
The remains of st. Elmo were borne in
an undcrtaker's wagon to the chapel of
morgue and cremated, probably the
first instance in Chicago OF dogs ere
nation. The ashes now rest in beau
tifully engraved urn. awaiting the time
when they shall be taken with due cere-
mony To Galena. ILL.,. there to be inferred
in the family burial lot.
Went to st. Louis Fair.
Tile fame of St. Elmo reached the ears
of President Francis of the ST. Louis ex
position and he issued a special invita-
ton to him to attend the fair. which he
did, riding by special permission in the
railroad coach with his mistress and
sleeping in the bed he had slept in for
six years since his puppy days, which
was taken with him by an attendant for
his comfort. 1t was a bed built especially
for him and had been taken each sum
mer when he had gone 10 seaside or re-
sort.
Three physicians were called when he
became i'll. but death came quickly from
a ruptured artery and their efforts were
futile.
Dog of Rare intelligence.
An autobiography Master st. Elmo,
was written by his mistress and pub
lshed last Christmas for his juvenile adj
mirers and adult friends, from whom Mrs
Senour is daily receiving dozens of let
tiers of coincidence In this volume of loo
pages he is introduced thus: How do
you do, little people? l am st. Elmo,
English greyhound, and ! am
6 years old. ] have a wide, white collar
around my neck a white shirt front, and
white stockings to the knees. On my
four feet | have white oxford ties; my
face is the color of my body, with a
white part in the center of my 1orehead.
My eyes are a light brown, to match
my hair
Later he tells how he came to live In
Chicago: II was born way down in
Texas, and when young a man took me
away from my mother, brothers, and sis
tiers and brought me to a town in kan
sas called Topeka" Then he tells of the
first and only whipping he got, and how,
finally. after he had had various masters,
Mrs. Senour saw him and took him up
and squeezed me until felt my thin ribs
and next day she took MIN 10
Chicago
The lats illustration in the book. all of
Which are from paintings or photographs
by Mrs Senour, is at this time a tear
fully pathetic one-the toys of st. Elmo.
"Of course st. Elmo had to have play
things Dogs are not different from chill
dren In Their tastes, and likes. and dis
likes" Mrs. Senour said, facing the party
finished. full length, and life size portrait
she was painting in oil al the time of his
death "rhey ware little rag doll a
fluffy rabbit, a flag toy seal. and some
others and wera always carefully kept In
a chest. which St Elmo would open with
his nose when told to or when he wanted
to play. The last one ! gave him was a
little bell like the bell that wonderful
horse. Jim Key he visited at st. Louis
rang for him. 7 taught him to ring that
bcn at the second lesson one, two, three
four. or five times.
Charitable to the Homeless.
"When ST. Elmo was one year old he
had his first lesson" Mrs. Senour went
on "Hle came to my knees and looked
me sauarey in the eyes. st. Elmo
said, you are a dog, dog, and there
are three letters in dog. Three-bow,
WOW. WOW. Do you understand? Now,
how many letters are there in dogg st.
Elmo parked three times.
"When ST Elmo found any dos In the
street that was hungry he always
brought him home with him and gave him
part of his food. Tho peculiar part OF It
was that he gave the stray dog the best
or course. he brought us a great many
dogs. and we had quite a dog colony
around u.s. but I succeeded In finding
homes fer most of them
The autobiography Of St Elmo was
dedicated TO Jim Key, the remarkable
horse Of the ST. Louis exposition. and the
two were to have had 4 long visit. with
bell ringing and trick features. when the
horse came to Chicago this summer.
special invitation from the horse lies
among the treasures of the dead dog to-
eether with the one to which the seal of
The exposition was affixed by President
Francis. The book Is the relation of his
meetings with various animal acqualn
tances. including Hon in the Lincoln
park 700. billy goat and "the old ele-
lhant' that startled him and which turn
cd out to he mammoth bowlder the
color OF a pachyderm.