Evening star., 1941-07-13
NEWS FROM DOGDOM
Comments on Variety of Subjects of Interest
To Washington Pet Owners
By X. X. Taynf0n.

At the entrance to the Laura
Speed Elliott High School in Boon
vile, Mo. stands a striking monu-
ment to two kinds CT human emo
ton. Rather, it is pair Of monu-
ments which catches the eye Of the
passing motoriSt as he speeds
through the town. and no matter
how rushed he may be for time, or
how preoccupied. he is interested
enough generally to stop and make
inquiries.
The monuments are two large iron
dogs. cast in 1865 by John w. Fiske
of New York. Although these dogs
were cast in the period when iron
dogs and deer were the standard
equipment of every gentleman's
estate, and when the iron fauna
bore no particular resemblance to
their flesh and blood prototypes,
these dogs are remarkable for their
suggestion of strength and grace.
Apparently, great Danes of the very
best type stood as models for the
unknown sculptor who caught the
nobility and air of fidelity Of these
grand dogs.
Originally the dogs were presented
to Joe l.. Stevens. a director of the
Boonville Bank. by Jay Gould, who
was president of the Missouri Pacific
Railroad. among other things. II
seems that when the Missouri Pacific
contemplated putting its tracks
through the territory adjacent to
Boonville, it found difficulty in buy
ing right of ways at reasonable fig
ures. Joe Stevens. interested i'll the
growth of his community, knew that
railroad would be fine for the
town and surrounding country. He
took it upon himself to acquire rights
of way and presented them to the
railroad az no charge. The country
prospered. as did the railroad, and
the dogs were presented TO Stevens
by the president of the road as a
token of friendship. Stevens had
them placed outside his bank as q
reminder 10 his neigh5ors.
There they stood until 1886. Mr.
Stevens was gone; the bank failed
to recover from the depression, and
the whole business. bank, bank
buildings, dogs and all went first into
the hands of receivers and then were
sold at auction 1t was at this point
that the community remembered
the significance of its iron dogs and
decided that Boonville without It's
iron dogs would not be Boonville at
all. Led by the Boonville Daily
News, and abetted by 48 civic or
ganizations, fund of $3.50 was raised
by popular subscription. The dogs
seemed saved for the town. How
ever, one citizen had other ideas,
He was Irving KurtZ, for many years
janitor at the high school. For him,
for personal reasons, the dogs had
special significance He begged per-
mission to pay for the dogs from his
own savings and to set them up at
the entrance to the new high school
as monument to his parents, and In
1887, this was done.
Washington dogs are going farther
and farther afield TO seek show
laurels. Harry Lustine sent his
parti- color cocker spaniel, Sir Bono
seen II to the Syracuse. Elmira and
Ithaca, N. Y, dog shows recently
and brought him home with one
winners dog rosette and two reserve
winners ribbons.
Carl v. Krombein's cocker. Can.
Oh. Cloudy Weather of Forest Law,
was best parti-color cocker at Syra-
cuse. and his Curtwin's Dordie was
reserve winner at Elmira and Syra-
cuse. Lonarch TUCSON. Robert Lyons S
bulldog. was winners dog at Staten
Island for two points, which brings