The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-12
THE REAL BLOOD HOUND.
Not FerOciOus Beast, Wags Tail When
 1t Comes up with It's Quarry.

 1t Comes up with It's Quarry.
 Washington Letter in The Chicago Tribune.
 Now that the blood hound story has found its way into the press-notably through the medium of Fl Paso, San Francisco and Charlotte, N. C., news papers-I suppose I may, with proprie- | ty, make my little contribution to the history of the episode.
 A few weeks ago I was asked by a prominent army officer to put the war some reliable breeder and handler of high class blood hounds. He added that the dogs were needed for special ser vice in the Philippines and that the matter was to be regarded as private and confidential. Soon afterward the right man presented himself, the dogs were purchased. and two North Caro- 1 line experts set out for Manila in charge of the pack.
 My old Confederate comrade to whom I applied wrote back that he had spent four years trying to break up the best government the world ever saw and that now he was at its command on any order, limited or carte blanche. He recommended the experts-men who could be implicitly trusted in every way-and set in motion the machinery IT ment the finest pack of selected blood hounds ever gathered together any where.
 No dog under 1 year or over years of age was accepted nor was any con- sidered which fell below the most ex- acting standard as regarded health, in- telligence and training. The string transportation from this city to San Francisco cost $200 and trile over Two North Carolinians went to the Pa cifc with them, one returning to his home in Charlotte and the other going on to Manila.
 During their stay at San Francisco waiting for the ship that was to take them half way around the world the dogs gave some astonishing exhibitions of sagacity and so got themselves and their photographs into the local news papers. We may or may not hear of their exploits in the Philippines, but 1t Is quite safe to say that they will do whatever work may be assigned them, and do 1t with neatness and dispatch.
 As to the nature of that work I am left to conjecture. I asked no ques- tions and no information was volun- teered. It is entirely reasonable to assume, however, that the War De- partment has not sent those blood hounds so far away and at such ex- pense merely to amuse the Filipino popuIace with free trick performances, nor yet to trail chicken thieves or lost school teachers. As matter of fact, 1t is next to no secret at all that our government out there is greatly embar- .Fassed by a class of conspirators and indicators whose activities are indes- cribably mischievous and whose detec- tion by ordinary means Is virtually im- possible.
 It Is hardly necessary, suppose, to explain that the real blood hound is as different from the terrible and fero- cious beast one sees on the stage-in Uncle Toms Cabin," for Instance-as A lapdog is from a hyena. The real blood hound is a little fellow, thorough ly affectIonate and amiable, incapable of attacking much less rending and devouring any one. He goes about his work with enthusiasm. but always as though it were play. and when he finds the quarry he barks with ecstasy, wags his tail, and tries to lick the face or the hand of that unhappy individual. A year or two aga tns the. eiRhbopE