Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-03-10
DOCS GREAT Love
Death Could Not Separate Rags
I From His Master.
with the Man He Worshiped Gone,
Life Had No Charms for His
Dumb Companion, and He
Quickly Followed.


A professional man in New Jersey
town was the owner of a Skye terrier
named Rags. which was regarded as an
unusually intelligent dog. the New
York Times states. His master COM
muted regularly to the city. Rags, no
matter how bad the. weather might be,
always accompanied him to the sta
ton, saw him safely aboard the train.
and waited until It was out Of sight
before he could be persuaded to re-
turn home. Rags was then quite dis
consulate for the test of the day, but
late in the afternoon when his mas
terIs homebound train was due his
spirits revived and he was sure to
be at the station to meet him.
When the train numbered into the
town and came to stop, Rags would
run along the platform from car to
car, scanning the passengers eagerly
MS they alighted. At sight of his mas
ter he would bark delightedly, wag his
tail and jump about with Joy. His
pleasure was sometimes dimmed by
his master missing the train. When
this happened the little dog remained
at the station long enough to convince
himself that his owner was not there,
and then, tucking his tail between his
legs, he repaired to a nearby cafe,
which his master customarily visited
before returning home. If necessary.
Rags would remain In the bar room
for an hour or more. knowing well
that in the natural course of events his
master would call for him. On such
occasions he rebuked his master by
exhibiting toward him a certain shy
canine indifference, which he main
tanned until he was RECALLED with dain-
ties from the free-lunch counter.
For years the dog accompanied his
master to and from the station, and
other was the talk of the town. Then
one day the master was taken iii and
died, and was duly laid to rest in
the towns quiet and peaceful little
cemetery. Rags never recovered from
the shock of his death. Although
neighbors did their best to make life
pleasant for him, he refused to be COM
forted. He began to visit the ceme-
terry and haunt the plot where his
master was buried. There have been
stories of dogs dying from grief, and
some such stories have been doubted
and exploded by certain naturalists, but
be that as, 1t may. dne day the sexton
and caretaker of the cemetery, IN maxi
ing his morning rounds. discovered
Rags cold and iifeless beside hts mas
ter's grave. This sexton. an unroman-
tic sold fellow. said he guessed the
dog just died naturally from old age,
hut Rags friends, and they were many,
were sure It was from loneliness and
grief.
In this same town there was an
other dog which delighted, to frolic
about the station with Rags. He was
owned by local hackman who pi-
loted town folk TO and from the sta
ti0n and their homes. This dog, as
though he were an integral part of
II, followed the hack wherever 1t went.
INeSLh ndHtfyneb uh tue teihsyiNdnid
express Nellie Bly," which made a
brief stop daily, took fancy to the
dog, and used to throw him bones
from the window of the dining car.
II mattered not where the hackman
might be when driving fare home.
his dog knew by instinct the hour at
which the express was due, and. rath-
or than be late. he would desert his
master and run to the station for dear
life. If his master left the station a
short time bef6re the express was due.
his pet refused to accompany him.
fearing evidently he might miss the
train with its treat from the pantry
men.