South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-10
BY JAMES j. MONTAGUE

The children wanted a dog. and
a friend Of ours recommended a bull
terrier. He said a bull terrier was
fine for children, because he was
fighting dog and never lost his tenn
per when he was hurt
"A quick tempered dog said the
friend, will snap when a child
pixies him ~ the eye A bull ter
rier knows instinctively that he must
keep his temper or lose his lighting
edge. So when he is hurt. instead
OF seeing red. he merely smiles good
naturedly and goes on fighting"
What do you mean-goes on
lighting" I said. Does he go on
fighting with the child %
Certainly not If il is a child
that hurts him he wags his tail IN
token OF forgiveness and thereafter
keeps out Of reach. If it is another
dog. ne closes in and finishes him. 3"
This sounded reasonable. so we
bought "A bull terrier. He was a very
small bull terrier when we bought
him lie didn't look as if he would
ever grow up into a fighting dog at
all
But very early in his career he
seemed TO become aware Of his mis-
sion in life All dogs chew things.
but this dog not only chewed them;
ne destroyed them. He rehearsed
future fights all over the house, and
always came out winner.
takes considerable dog 10 wreck
piano. but this one did il without
the least trouble When he had re-
duced the legs TO pulp he decided
that the first round was his. but re-
Numbering that his adversary might
still possess wallop. he climbed
TO the top Of the piano. by way Of a
chair. and pulled out most of the
wires.
That brought him solitary con-
hnement for a week. but nothing
could daunt his indomitable spirit.
RegaininE his liberty he removed
all the shoes from a shoe closet to
I his kennel in the rear of the house
where he reduced them 70 rags at
/ his convenience, while we reported
/ to the police that sneak thieves had
been in the place.
Z At the age of seven months there
was little left about the place that
was not composed Of metal, and he
/ would have been lighting the fur
/ mace shaker and the kitchen stove
! if we hadn't locked him up in the
( chicken yard. He had the fighting
I conscience. as the soldiers say. anc
was plainly very ambitious TO rise
/ in the profession he had inherited
He didn't care for the chicken
I yard, which, of course was empty
/ of chickens or we should never hav,
placed him there.
The first day he tore all the lath!
I from the gate and issued forth witt
a glad expression on his visage which
babe US to observe how clever h
/ was.
We built a gate Of heavy boards
i which gave him pause. but only fol
day or two. When he had finish
ed it we nailed it together again ant
lined it with chicken wire. But h,
bit through the chicken wire like
| pair Of pliers so we put him on
chain.
Thereafter member of the fam
lily was told TO stand watch anC
ward over him whenever he wen
abroad
In another two months he be
came more sedate. and we though
il might be safe TO give him his Ii
berty. He had ceased his wantol
destruction Of our personal property
He paid little attention TO cats. w
fancied he had completely reform
ed, but he was only in one of thos
transitory states through which al
fighters must pass
We discovered that in an unex
pected way The family was in
motorboat. with the dog along. II
had never been in a boat before an
had never seen water. Looking owe
the side. in the most casual way h
observed his own reflection in tn
sound. This he mistook for anothe
dog, and believing in action wer
after it instantly.
The low grOwl he gave forth a
he went 10 what he thought was bat
tie was swallowed up. So was I'll
dog. When he came TO the surfac
he was very much ashamed, bot
Of his foolish error and of his tot5
ignorance of the art of swimming
1t was a week after that before h
would look any OF US in the eye. an
he used TO sit for hours with
dropping head plainly thinking
Well of all the blame fools.
am tho biggest -
Up 20 this time he had never gi,
en- US what you might call real troI
: bic. 1t is true that We had learne