The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-07-20
DOG RETURNED THE DOLLAR.


"The collie dog who aroused the
occupants of a burning farmhouse by
ringing the dinner bell was going
some" said the talkative railroad op-
orator, s'but he wasn't I in it with Rail-
road Jack, a mongrel tramp dog
picked up when 1 worked nights at
Chester, Orange county.
"I was attracted to the dog while
standing on the station platform one
summer evening. A special train of
directors had just dashed by my sta
ton when the dog ran up to me, be-
gan pulling frantically at my trousers
leg and pointed his nose in the direc-
ton of the rapidly receding train.
There sir, the directors had no tail
lights to mark the end of the train at
all.
''You see, the directors had taken
the markers off as test to see how
many operators in the signal towers
would detect the lack of proper sig
nal and stopthe train. I would have
let them get by me without detection
and had black mark to my clear re-
cord had it not been for Railroad
Jack. AS it was just had time to
rush to my>signal bells and warn the
next tower to stop the train and noti-
fly them to put up their markers.
"The dog having done so much for
me it was natural that / should frame
up to the homeless cur. / guess he
decided to stay by me for the fall and
winter, seeing that used him pretty
well in the eat line.
"He got so he could tell the call for
Chester, .JP,' I think it was. 'JP'
is quite'a peculiar call anyway, so it
wasn't very hard for one of Jacks
intelligence to pick it up, as most of
the railroad operators made about
seventy-five dots in a letter p which
Morse originally intended to contain
but Eve dots. Whenever Jack heard
this call coming over the wire he.
would grasp my trousers leg in his
teeth, shaking me gently and pulling
toward the wire.
ST had had some trouble with
Tommy Duffy of the Westchester
tower and Jack got wise to the fact
everything was not rosy on the wire,
having set of Morse characters all
his own. Jack was soon able to pick
this out too, not that he could read
what was coming over the wire, but
he knew Dufy's sending and Jack
always showed his loyalty to me by
growing ominously when Duffy
worked the wire.
Tommy Duffy reported sick one
night and they had substitute on at
Westchester. Just about II o'clock
that night 1 was obliged to send Jack
over to Johnny DifHey's hotel for half
a pint of medicine, being careful to
enclose in the note silver dollar, the
last piece of money had to last me
"Well, when Jack had about time
to get half way over to Johnny's !
heard terrific barking, and looking
out the rear door / could see that the
dog was having a struggle with some
big hulk of a man. AS the man back
ed around so the lights of Difaey's
hotel shone on his face I recognized
the repulsive features of Tommy Duff
fly:
"Pretty soon Duffy hiked it around
Difaey's corner and Jack pity -pattied
back toward the station. AS soon as
he got in the waiting room, though
he was nearly out of breath, he tried
to stand on his forelegs, throwing his
hind legs in the air, as If trying to
spit out something. Idissappointedly
noted that he returned sans whiskey,
but that didn't matter so much, as my
anger over Dufy's conduct had driv-
en- away all my pain.
"What' the matter, Jack, old boy
did that fellow make You swallow the
money! / asked soothingly of the
dog.
"The dog seemed to understand
what said and ran to me, rubbing
his head on my knee. He looked so
pleadingly into my eyes that | couldn't
find it in my heart to scold him.
Never mind, old sport, said re-
assuringly, I know he made you do
it. The loss of that dollar, though,
is going to crimp you and me for food,
as that's the last bone I had to stand
between us and pay day. Icould en-
Joy good breakfast now.'
"I figured it ont that Tommy Duff
fy had happened along that way and
seen the dog depart for Difaey's.
Surmising the intent of the dogs er-
rand Tommy had tried to get the note
away from the dog. But Jack was
too wise a dog to let such incrimina-
ting document get into the hands Of
the enemy. Jack saved all trouble
by swallowing the note and money.
'Patting the dog on the back l
strolled out on the station platform
to see the midnight express roll by.
Jack pricked up his ears when he
heard the rumble of the express in
the distance. He seemed to be turn
ing something over in his dog mind.
''Well, sir, when the express hove
into sight, before 1 could grab that
dog he laid his body lengthways Of
the rail and as the express dashed
over him it split his body right in
half lengthwise and the silver dollar
wranned mn in the note rolled on the