Smyrna times., 1935-08-29
SIDE LIGHTS OF
NEW YORK CITY
Told By L. L. Stevenson in
His Own Immical Way
Of DOings in City
INTERESTING SKETCHES


Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
That was just as good a name as
any since, even after a week, he
paid no attention to whatever he
was called. AS matter of fact, he
paid no attention to food, his sur
roundings, those who tried to be
friends with him or anything else.
Seemingly his whole world had
come to an end when he had been
placed in the society's ambulance.
Before that, he had been a different
dog, indeed. Then he had been
militant animal with hackles stand
ing, fire in his eyes and long white
fangs ready for use. Not that the
world was his enemy. But he was
guarding some one he loved deeply
and when big dog, mostly police,
is guarding some one he loves, even
policemen and firemen do not inter
fere. Instead, they summon an ex-
pert.
ihC IdI Gduue " Tic SONltly
hospital at about 4 a. N. William
Ryan, an ambulance driver for the
last % years, rubbed the sleep from
his eyes, hurried outside, started the
motor and sent the ambulance
speeding toward East Eleventh
street. The call had stated that a
woman was lying in the driveway
of an engine house in such a man.
ner that the apparatus could not
be moved without running over her
and she could not be removed be-
cause police dog refused to allow
anyone to come near her. Since
alarms are frequent down there,
Ryan stepped on the gas harder
than ever and within a few minutes,
was at his destination.
One look at the dog told the ex-
perienced Ryan that it would be
merely waste of time to attempt
to win its confidence or to catch it
off its guard. So he got out his loop
and soon had the dog in the am
bulance. Then the police and fire
men attempted to revive the wom-
an Their efforts were fruitless and
Ryan went back to the ambulance.
All the fight had gone out of the
dog that was to become Sonny. He
was whimpering in corner as If in
some way the fact had been COM
municated to him that the one he
had been guarding so valiantly was
dead.
So Sonny went to the shelter and
the one he loved went to the
morgue. Her purse and her cloth
ing yielding no clues, she was listed !
as unidentified" and a description
was sent out. Days passed and
none who went by the slabs recog-
nized her. Meanwhile, though |
given every attention, Sonny con-
tinued to droop. Then something |
happened Two young girls came
to the shelter. They had been
there before and were looked on
merely as visitors. But when Son
ny saw them, he went wild. His |
demonstrations attracted the atten-
ton of the girls and they broke into
tears.
Eyonfuol1v tha storm ,vaS raarroa
The older girl is hat check girl In
a Yonkers restaurant. Her duties
keep her out late at night so her
mother always met her at the sub
way station and took her home Ac-
companied by the dog, the mother
felt entirely safe. The daughter,
surprised at not finding her mother
in the usual place, went on home
without knowing that sudden death
had prevented the mother from
keeping the appointment.
When the mother did not appear,
the two girls appealed to the po-
lice. But there had been some slip
up since the description the police
had Of the woman In the morgue
did not check with that given by
the girls. So the girls called var
GUS hospitals Then, in last hope,
they went to the Society for the
Of Cruelty to animals.
Strange and shy, they asked no
questions with the result that they
did not see Sonny until their third
visit. So Sonny, not only stood
guard but solved a mystery.
After all these years, what q re-
porter I've turned out to bel Son.
ny's story SO interested me that /
failed to learn his real name.
With the routing out of conces-
donaries under 1t, now it seems
that there is an excellent prospect
of the disappearance Of what has
often been called "the ugliest struc-
ture In New York"-the Manhattan
extension Of the Brooklyn bridge.
to word from the depart
ment Of plants and structures, the
extension will be razec as soon as