Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-07-14
Tale of a Stray Dog
Miners Claim He Brings IhemLuck

It is an absorbing story In it's every
| detail and withal a true one
Bob, the STIR y dog" they call him.
and it needs a Jack London in his
happiest moments OF description to
truly depict the human interest side
of this little animals history. So
many tales have been woven around
him and SO many incidents have been
given out with his actions as the CEN
ter Of the story, that it Is at times
hard to separate the truth from the
fiction.
But the fact remains that on nine
tenths of the rich discoveries that
have been made In the Manhattan dis
trict, the Stray Dog" has appeared at
some time during the day previous
and taken up his abode with the for
tnnate miners. Nothing can prevail
upon him to remain with any one
miner or group of miners for more
than three days, and when once he
has left the camp where he has been
an ephemeral sajourner, he never
again greets his host in a friendly
spirit
SO strong has the belisf in the
| great luck that follows a visit of his
TO any district become implanted in
the minds of the miners that they will
| go to any length to obtain this small
dogs favor.
Bob" was with Davis when the
great discovery on the April Fool was
made. He was with Harry Dudson
when that cratic miner struck rich
| ore on the STRAY Dog claim. When
the first shaft on the Annie Laurie
pierced what seemed to be a barren
rock and found specimen ore that re-
sembled the show cases of a jewelry
store, the Stray Dog had already been
a visitor for a day. When the great
streak of white quartz on the Broncho
was first brought to light, with it's
beautiful seams of yellow metal, the
Stray Dog was barking with delight in
and~out among the excited miners. He
vas on the Nellie Gray claim, of the
Gold Wedge property, when the con-
tinuation of the famous Briggs lease
was found, completely hidden, as 1t
was, by masses Of country rock. He
was On the Iron King and Iron Queen
when the first rocker of placer dirt
hook down its coarse granules of gold.
So many times has he been present, to
remain but a few hours and then to
disappear, that no new discovery is
made but hat the question is asked at
once by some one, WAS the dog
around?"
Thirty miles from Manhattan a dis
covery was made in Miller county, and
when the excited %prospectors became
somewhat settled down again they dis
covered that the Stray Dog had been
before them Just one week. When
Mershon located the Yellow Horse,
Bob" was there; when the rich leases
on Litigation Hin we're found Bob"
was distributing his favors equally
among the miners.
At the time the Homestake claim
that rich discovery that startled old
time miners-frst showed its true
value, ii was learned that the Stray
Dog had chased a chipmunk under the
tree where the richest gold was
brought to light. ~Aas
The strife for the Stray Dogs favor
amongst the rough men of the hills
becomes at times almost a pitched bat
tie, They cut the heart out of the ten
derloins for the purpose of tempting
him. They feed him boxed candy, and
prepare beds of cotton batting for him.
He stays three or four days with one
miner and all of a sudden he disap-
pears. He Is a fine watch dog. When
he is around no strangers or intruders
are allowed near the tents. The miners
have taken his appearances so much to
heart that they have become firm be-
levers in him as a sure f%orerunner OF
! good luck. '."
When any man strikes 1t rich, the
dog has invariably been upon the
ground. One man, who had lost a for
tune in eastern investments and was
roughing il in the foothills around
Manhattan, thinking to %recuperate
J spent a week in feeding Bob" dainties
and ~endeavoring TO coax the dog to &C
out prospecting with him. But there
was nothing doing.
Bob" the stray dog, Is close to me-
dunn size, his ears are sharp pointed
and continually moving. He is a mix.
ture Of collie and cur. The story /.
told of him that he belonged to an In.
dian who was laid apart from his tribe
10 die. Bob stayed with his master un.
I'll his fate finally overcame him, botl
man and dog silent, both seeming {
understand the necessary end. WheI
the Indian vas finally found by a par
ty Of white and buried out of sight thu
stray dog took mp his eccentric life
For three weeks Bob has disappears
from Manhattan. and in that thre'
weeks no very remarkable d%iscoverie
Of rich ore have been made. But IL j
reported thar he was seen 40 mile
away gradually working his way bacl
20 the camp OF his friends.
Sinful Doings in Boston.
There must be some wicked peopl
IN poetcu who 'are given IN reVel an