New-York tribune., 1908-01-26
A WONDERFUL DOG.

Of him the letters OF his name mixed in with
others which he was not TO use. I did not teach
him the names of the letters, but simply said:
Let me see you spell your name. Where is the
first letter? The second letter." and so
on until he had spelled the word. l spent five
or six lessons teaching him. but he learned verge
readily. / thought, however. that when taught
him another word and asked for the letters in
order he would not know which first letter.
10 choose. For this reason 1 drilled him very
carefully in his name, and did not teach him
anything new for several. months Then l
taught him TO spell his last name. He seemed
10 learn il 1ast 1 told him the letters,
and did not confuse the two words in the least
More surprised than ever, I taught him still
another word with the result
Next 1 decided 10 try arithmetic. l taught
him 10 add every combination of far
twelve For instance, I would say, Show me
six and two at the same time putting his
foot on eight. He seemed never TO forget after
! had told him Later taught him add
the ''threes." Suddenly day 1 noticed that
when said for the first time. Where is seven
and three?'' he put his foot on the correct
answer before ! showed II to him. l thought
II was only accident, but l said, Show
three and eight He put his foot at once on
eleven. / gave him problems in multiplication
and division. He got them all right The prob
lens were entirely new TO him, and in no case
did I indicate the result TO him beforehand
Not knowing what to think, l took the
letters and said. Spell dog This was word
which he had never spelled before. and gave
him no clew whatever, yet he spelled II
recty and without hesitation said, Trans
late il into German, Roger and he spelled
'hunC.' Then said, spell II IN French, and
he spelled 'chien." 1 merely placed the letters
Of the words before him, mixed in with others,
and he put his foot on the correct letters in
turn. I showed him playing cards which he
had never seen, and he picked them out cor
rectly. Not once did l previously indicate the
proper cards. He seemed 10 know them with
out even being told. resolved TO experiment
q little so I took the figures again and said.
Show me two times three al the same time
fixing my attention on the elght tie put ms
loot firmly on eight. Here was the clew. All
this time when he seemed TO be learning so
rapidly he had been simply getting the cards OF
which I thought
No further education was necessary. He
could spell anything which l could spell without
being taught. l asked for Cons tantinople,"
'plhisc." pneumonia" and for problems like
2X3-4+2-l. He never made q mistake. Frac-
tions presented difficulties TO him. He select
ed colors correctly the first time he saw them,
and made change as quickly any cashier
also found that he would DO his other tricks for
without beng asked II 1 merely thought
OF him he looked when he dead dog
he slraiStltaWay became q dead dog At first
he would not perform at all for any one else,
Uut sometimes when another person was work
ing with him and several other people were
present he got the cards l thought Of when
was out OF sight in the farther corner Of the
room Now. however, he will perform for sew
e-al OF my friends. when I present, Sc
lectlns the caros OF which they think OF
course, he does not do quite so Well Tor them
as he does FOR me, and i I am present he gets
The card l think OF regardless OF any one else
3. B Z, IN The Century.
CHINA's ENGLISH SERVANT
Sir Robert Hart, for many years head Of the
Chinese customs service and postoffice, is alb
steniOus and uethodicaI to a degree. His day
is carefully arranged for the performance Of his
many duties, but ne has always found time 10
be yoluuinous letter writer. Much OF his
administrative work has been done by private
note, and his correspondents are legion. a
lover OF music, he has for years maintained a
band composed Of Chinese who have been
trained 10 play strlnged as well as wind lnstru-
ments, and his Wednesday afternoon garden
parties during the spring, summer and early
autumn, with their march past" following an
q
Peking, while his dinner table is neutral ground
for the jealous factions which Of late years
have made up the diplomatic circle.
His peculiar position has brought him into
intimate relations with the representatives Of
al the treaty powers, and besides receiving a
baronetcy and the Grand Cross Of St. Michael
E1G George from the British government
he has probably been the recipient OF more
decorations than almost any other living man,
excepting only the members OF the Teigniug
families Of Europe. ~he Chinese in recognition
OF his services haE s1Ven him the honorary
title OF Junior Guardian Of the Heir Apparent.
red button and peacOck's feather, and have
ealolled his ancestors for three generations.
Ambitious, with a love Of power: warm
hearted but singuIaTly cool in his judgment,
with q tenacious memory and remarkable
capacity for constant application, grasp OF
Ctt1-- aIlC tle aDl4lly 10 conceive coInpreheIl-
slEe plan Of action, patient and energetic, sym
pathetic ana Yet reserved, sir Robert mas erect
&c ms own monument, the Iea iy efficient
branch O. the Chinese administrator. his life
all0rcs 4 rare example OF devotion and udeIIty.
AlC Els aDllJy 70 serve foreign prince ms own
sovereign, WII4e others nave often Deeu tempted
10 make patriotism excuse Tor uIsiOyalJy, Is
Z q14--ly OF WIlicn ADgIO-aaXOn manhood L-,ly
De justly I-OuQ--AiIlar1 Straight, IL Putnam :.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN DAMASCUS.
The first city to be HodernzeJ by the intro
oll-4o- q eIectrIclly Has tne one with the
Oldest existence known 10 human history; the
city which il has been through ages
damascus, the Kaleidoscope OF the near ORIENT,
with Arab and Greek, Jew and Christian, Mos
len Iu1iCel hurd and CircassIau, Turk and
Tartar, JostIIns elbows.
bee III panorama Of Oriental life as il flashes
py. There goes huge naI-nosed negro from
Mecca. wrapped in an ample cloak tunic and
o4oUse &c keep warm for the breeze from the
towering white apex Of Mount aermOn or from
ne gray anti-Lebanon range is not always as
TIE not Caress from the sun-beaten sands Of the
Arabian desert: his broad. good-natLred face
rsolates childish delight, and Il must be has
nrst visit 70 Damascus
here Wanders zone stranger from Bagd&d,
tai and slim, with a small, wei formed head
snd meditative, intellectual features, wearing d
SIX tunic black undervest or jacket, his tur-.
ban loticeable by its fine flet OF golden threads
he Etrolls with curious yet condescenoInS su-
periority.
Yonder pass wild looking Kurds. who do not
belle their looks. driving the sheep That they
nave brought from Mesopotanla tolioWiiB
them stray CircassianS, with their astriii-ll3h
caps, their loose sIeepskin cloaks girdled TO the
BODY their belts studded with kaives and less
warlike irnplements-tall. .ungainIy ana uIl-
bearded, they the real rustics Of the orient
Here, in the coffee houses and kha;ls or way
Side inns. sitting cross-legged, esTnoklhg @ LlSIl
nargllehs. Fedouins from the loUf cofiIcIS
OF the desert, differing markedly IN appearance
There pass group Of heavy bearded Druze-' D.'
powerful frames, strong physognomleS- , lIeli
shek is in richly t5rocaded scarf and blouse
ruric with the grace OF "a tS1tliAil 9slIei'--
trsd more than the dignity or an fnslisI ciioI @
sssy 5adge. turban Of embroidered sllh ,r Su
rounting massive head set on square SIi9u'- @
ksFs, heavy nose and the taTv OF Z nlaslllI--
Oaiar'es Il Pepper, IN ScrlDners-