Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-07
"SETTING" SPANIEL MOTHERS
BROOD OF ELEVEN RHODE
ISLAND RED CHICKS.
CANINE REPLACES RIDDY
ON NEST WHEN LATTER DIES
Warns Eggs After Hen Had Sue.
eumbcd to Old Aee-Lons a Friend
Of Chickens, Showing Fascin alton
For Young Fowls For Three Years
Camera Squad Photograph Brood.

Council Bluffs May Page NJ orri-
sons setting dog" came off the nest
at Council. Bluffs yesterday with a
brood of eleven chickens. the survival
Of the fittest of sixteen eggs from thor
oughbrcd Rhode Island Red hens.
Three of the chicks are black The
long silen hair that warns the body
of the dog is jet black. Scores of per-
sons nave visited the Morrison home,
629 Willow avenue, to see the strans
est sight their eyes had ever beheld--
a block cocker spaniel tendcrly nursing
a brood of downy little beauties and
ready TO take a leg off anybody or any
thing that manifested too much cur
iosity.
Part of the chicks came out Sunday
and the remainder. with the assistance
of Mr.. and Mrs. Morrison, ,~ere picked
out of the shells yesterday. The dog
has thus become the psychological
wonder of the town.
Long Loved Chickens.
The dog manifested three years ago
q strange fascination for little chick
ems. He became frantic in their pres
ence. At first it was thousht ne want
ed to give vent to the canine impulse
to kill and ne was cruelty punished
thruout one long summer. The next
wear Mr.. Morrison, who is good deal
of a thinker. conceived the idea that 1t
might not be hate but love that actu-
ated the dog. and the experiment OF
putting a downy little chick before him
trip
that it was affection that inspired him.
For the succeeding two years when
the venerable Rhode Island Red hen
was given her annual care OF set unS
of thoroughbred eggs. the dog never
left her side, day or night. When thc
chickens were Matched the dog devoted
his whole attention TO their care. tie
was on duty as their guardian al or
the time.
Replaces Hen on Nest.
This spring the hen succumbed 10
the infrlnities of age and died on the
nest one week before the chicks were
due to appear. The dog. who stayed
day and night by her side d1scovereo
the calamity at dawn one week ago
Sunday morning and arounsed MS
master by frantic cries. He was heart-
broken, and Mr.. Morrison says he Wept
real tears when the hen was lifted from
the nest and buried. 1t was expected
that the embryo chicks would perish III
the eggs, but an hour after the funeral
Of the hen Mrs. Morrison was aston
ished to find that the dog had crept
upon the nest and was warming the
eggs with his own body.
For the week that followed food ana
water had to be taken to him. Tor ne
would not leave his post. Since the
chicks have appeared he would suffer
death in any form rather than desert
them.
Cameras were pointed at the dog
yesterday and a number of photo
graphs We're made of the strange tam
lily. The chicks are half buried in tie
warm silky fur Of the dog and he never
moves lest he should disturb their COM
fort.
II offered to bet 500 to ST that The
dog would hatch some of the eggs,
and now I'll bet 5000 to anything that
he'll raise most Of the brood" said Mr..
Morrison last evening. THE dog $
name is Billy. l named him in honor
of Alderman Stone, SO Stone is god
father to the happiest and best pro-
tected family in Council Bluffs"