Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-22
In Defense Of Bulldogs

| IN Dete1lSe OF bulldogs
TT MAY be that we are deliberately pick
ing a quarrel; first, with the bulldogs host
| of admirers, who Will doubtless assert that
| he can stand his own ground and needs no
defender; and second. with ALL the rest OF
the world which has cast its, lot. or rather
| their lots, with the various and numerous
breeds from the Russian wolfhound all the
way down to within a few inches of the
ground, so to speak. or in other words, down
| to the popular pomeranian
| But be that II may. as one of our great
| thinkers has so aptly said, and "love-me-love-
| my dog TO the contrary notwithstanding we
| make bold to indite our long-deferred defense
OF the bow-legged. undershot ''savage-look-
| ing bulldog and his clean-limbed, almond>
] eyed "ferocious looking brother, the white
bul' terrier. both one-time emigrants from the
Merrie England of old. but long since adopted
| into our own family, and now American
citizens of the very best standing.
| ALL of which is written the result Of
| a casual stroll through Washington
| Square the other noontme. We had been
watching with considerable amusement the
determined efforts of young bulldog toSpull
| his owner across the sidewalk in the direction
| of dignifed and elderly member Of the
canine family who had come out from his
nearby Walnut street residence for his GUS
| tomary MONDAY constitutional.
| NNOME along ere, you rascal" said the
| ~ little short man at the controlling end
| OF the lead. as he gave the leather a jerk and
| hauled the bull pup toward him. although 1t
| should be said in fairness to the pup that he
came along with his gaze still fixed in the
| direction of the older dog in fact. with his
whole body headed in Numerically oppo
| site direction to that which his master was
| walking. But the little short man wasn't
| angry. for, as was very evident. he loved dogs
and he knew full well the erring ways of
| pups. And when the snorting. putting
young animal reached his side the man
reached down and patted the pup and the
pup in turn licked his hand.
| TT WAS an obviously unnecessary ques-
L ton, but we were amused at the antics
| Of the pup and we liked the friendly and
| kindly manner of the man. and SO we sought
| an opportunity of making their acquaintance
| by saying. as we leaned over to pat the hefty
| young animal
Hes nice-looking dog, friend. Won't
| bite. guess?"
Bless me, no, said the little man. as he
pulled the pup over to within pattng distance.
only young dog, isn't he?" we added.
| Nine months. e is. and as fine a bulldog
you'll find in the city. Gentle as kitten"
And there was no denying the mans testi-
| mony as to the dogs friendliness and
affability; he was a veritable bundle of
squirming, wriggiing puppy affection
HNJow isn't it funny how frightened so
~ many people are OF bulldogs, We re-
| marked, quite as much to oursef as to the
outside world But the little short man
| caught us up in an instant.
It's the newspaper reporters that's to
| blame" he said.
How so?" we asked.
| ''WhV. don't know" hp answered
whenever child is bitten or there's a mad
dog scare it's always bulldog! OF course.
1t amt so, you know, but those reporters
| always write it up bulldog. Now I've
'andled dogs for good many years and
raised many a bull, and I know that they're
no worse than any other dog fact is, they're
| bettern any other dog that's bred. Why,
friend bulldogs the friendliest and most
affectionate dog there is
But they do look vicious, now don't they"
| ventured.
"of course they do but it amt the looks,
| it's the things those reporters write in the
| papers; that's what's give the bulldog a bad
name And it don't seem square to me-"
AND then recalling another equally guilty
n maligner OF the bulldog we remarked,
"And how about the comic artist?'
| '''Yes"' said the little man. evidently not
| quite certain of the point We were leading
up to- .-
why, the familiar old picture of the tramp
trying to make . quick getaway with the
favorite bulldog hanging to the seat of his
trousers" explained. Most people, you
know, think that's good joke but it's libel
just the same because they always make it a
bulldog. And they've kept on drawing pic
lures of bulldogs doing that same old trick
until half the world has come to the con-
cluson that ninety mine out of every hundred
bulldogs spend virtually all their waking
hours tearing the seats out of poor unfor-
tunate tramps' trousers -
| That's right: that's right" commented our
friend with the pup. And then he added, as
a sort of farewell for the pup, become
thoroughly impatient at the delay. was tug.
g'ng as hard ever at the lead: ITS the
newspaper reports that's done it. The bull
! dogs all right. but he gets so many write
ups in the papers for things he don't do tina
| people are afraid of him. But he's all right
and it don't matter what the papers say
| about him.
AND with this parting shot the man ant
"A his bull pup moved on across the
square and we stood and watched then
for a moment we wished that the Glenmere
White Monarch" and ''the Bar Sinister and
all their much-maligned brothers and sisters
and ancestors and descendants might have
been there with us and heard that stancr
defense of their tribe-for It was good tc
hear and 1t was long overdue. E.A NJ
| that