The Idaho recorder., 1921-09-23
PASSING OF NOTED
BIRD HUNTING DOC

Old Tom is to be seen no more in
the streets of Salmon, for he sleeps
the long sleep in .owly but honored
grave.
Not all the grown-ups but certain
~ every mothers child knew Old
Tom. He was the friend of the lit
tie folks. In his declining years it
was his fixed habit to seek out chill
dren wherever he could find them. On
the days when the Home Economies
club would meet at the Farm Bureau,
Tom, who generally passed his time
in and about the office of The Re-
corder, next door, would be sure to
join the club members children out
in front at their play. If he happen
ed to be shut indoors when the chill
dren came and he heard them about
his own door he would ask just as
| plainly as any child could ask to be
let out amongst them.
| Tom was a trained hunting dog, an
English pointer, so it has been said,
Of exceptional breeding, which his
good points clearly Indicated, though
his pedigree was unknown. In his
prime he Possessed remarkable
nose for his favorite quarry. From
the infirmities of age, however.
the hunter of late years had lost his
| actiteness of smell along with i'm
paired eyesight and hearing, but
strange to say his wonderful nose re-
turned to him toward the last and ;,e
could catch and hold the scent of q
sagehen or grouse with precision
even though no longes able to follow
il faster than q slow trot. At such
times he would let himself out to the
full measure of his strength and with
head proudly aloft into the wind he
would follow II to magnificent
I"point," from which he was not to be
moved until his master came, mean
while looking back ever so often to
try to see or hear IL the man with
the gun were near.
Tom was alert always to do what
was expected of him. He would do
nothing elsa, no matter what should
come in his way. Doves or jack
rabbits or what-not might be run
over for all he cared when he was
hunting chickens or grouse.
A few years ago boy friend oi
Tom took him down to the Lemh
river, the boy having spear for TAX
ing salmon. Tom soon discoveret
, what the quest was and at the ap
pearance of great Ash Of the kline
j. off in the rifles Tom sprang aftel
the monster, which was longer thar
the dog, but into the tail Of the fsi
Tom fastened his teeth and backed Il
lshorc, making a pretty landing.
: Although a peaceable pointer An.
:. far removed from the fighting clas
Of CANNES Tom never forgave
wanton attack by any of the scrapp.
= breeds, as was shown one day no
long ago when a bull dog renewed
: former attack in which Tom ha.
been taken unawares and badly use,
/, up. This time Tom was prepare,
and awaited the oncoming brute, t,
catch him to disadvantage and /,
I pin him down In the street quite
and hold him there by greater weigh
!. and strength though he had no teetl
. to inflict the proper punishment upol
the brute.
More than once with his impairc.
senses old Tom had been struck Il
the streets by automobiles and /
was feared that he might becom,
!, crippled or mangled in some sucl
: way, hence il was deemed mercifu
act to call DR.. Lee, the veterinarian
to administer painless hypodermi
that permitted the poor beast to draw
even his last breath without strug
gle.
. His master and everybody els
|, privileged to know this wonderful dot
" loved him. When his white soul ha,
:. passed on from stricken tenement tn
remains. wrapped in clean linen, wer
+ deposited reverently in the ground a
= his home. Tom WAS upwards o
twenty years of age; certainly goo,
. deal older than the allotment of year
Il Ii l.