The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-08-02

l
| die instantly whilst on duty frum this
cause, his body must be taken back
to headquarters at once aad examined
by the veterinary chief During the
winter, and in seasons of rain, snow
or hail, the dog-policeman must al
ways wear their cloakS."
Now let us consider how the dogs
are bought, lodged, fed, equipped, and
| trained. 1t is the head vet. of the city
who buys the dogs, and after many
trials choice has definitely lighted
upon the big French and Belgian
shepherd dogs, which possess in
wonderful degree the qualities of en-
durance, courage, boldness, fidelity,
and that subtle sense expressed by the
untranslatable French word flair"
Talking of the effect of their fangs
upon a possible evi1doer, NJ Var
Wesemael remarked to me placidly:
'lS ont une macholre qui inspire le
respect"
Personally, inspected the "che
nils" and found the four-leggeS police
men very comfortably installed in
huts or kennels of wood and brick,
out in the pretty garden of the central
servants appointed to their needs in
the person of the concierge and his
wife. They are bought by the vet
when six months old, the age when
they possess every aptitude necessary
for complete police education.
The dogs are kept in these kennels
all day, and never go out save for a
little exercise in the garden of the
bureau. The great thing is to keep
them unfamiliar with the ordinary I'M
uniformed public.
night, and come home at six in the
morning. Thus they put ia eight
hours of service without reGt They
receive two meals day, the arst at
seven o'clock in the morning, and the
sc cond at seven o'clock at night. The
menu presented to the dog-police
would surely make q hobo's mouth
water There is soup and meat, rice,
! bread and other minor courses. This
allowance is found abundant, and the
maintenance of each dog costs about
six cents day. M. Van Wesemael
estimates that these 80 dogs he en-
ploys In the central part of the city
cost annually 1926 francs. He points
that if the force had been augmented
by only II additional night guardians
and such addition became absolute
ly necessary-the police budget would
| have been increased by 10000 francs
| year, and yet the service secured
| would not have been anything like
! so complete as that rendered by the
| dogs
Each recruit receives brass collar
| bearing a zinc police-medal, on which
| is inscribed his name and the date of
his birth. He also receives cot OF
| cloak, and muzzle so constructed
that it can be instantly removed,
thanks to an elastic arrangement COZ.
nected with the leash.
During the first fortnight recruits
are kept closely within the kennels,
and forced to obey orders Next a
| policeman will take them out for
| few days so as to make them familiar
WIKI IuO NdllOuo UCdlo,
and other signals. Every one of the
| night police, when there is new re-
cruit to be trained, receives scrap
| of liver, which he gives to the new.
conner, so that every man in uniform
appears to the dog as a true friend
For one month this apprenticeship
stage lasts from two to four hours
| every night, and at last the recruit
is able to put in his eight hours with
the rest. and act as scout, and obey
all commands to attack, pursue, leap
swim, walk behind, ahead, or at thu
side, etc.
The whole education ts directed by
| "brigadier-controleur." who, how
ever, is invariably in plain clothes.
| and 1t is he who Stimulates attacks
upon The officers, still further to
heighten their antipathy to non-uni-
| formed persons.
w q FITZGERATn