Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1901 — ONE DOG’S DEVOTION. [ARTICLE]

ONE DOG’S DEVOTION.

\ Mongrel Prove 1 Faithful to the Memory of u Head Companion, As Illustrating the friendship that may exist between anima's is this incident which happened the other day at Lenox avenue and 114th street, say» the New York Times. A dog was accidentally killed by a rock thrown up by an explosion in the tunnel. While the body remained in the street awaltlng removal in a garlwige cart or dead wagon a dog companion stood guard over him and allowed no person to come near the dead body. Plainly the two dogs were mongrels. They had been familiar sights playing together In Ixmox avenue for some time. They seemed inseparable. When the accident happened that caused the death of one of the pair his companion at once set up a piteous howl which called attentlcn to his dead comrade. The body was them lying at the edge of the temporary crosswalk, and several people attempted to move it to one side. This the dog absolutely refused to permit. His vicious growls and the forbidding way he had of showing his teeth plainly told passersby that he intended to take care of that body himself. So he was allowed to have his own way, and mounted guard over the dead body. For a time he would sit perfectly motionless with eyes on the body of his dead “chum.” Then he would make an effort to get the dead dog to arise. Tempting bits of food were offered the watcher by people who had been attracted by his actions. One of these pieces he took and placed in front of the dead dog. When it showed no signs of caring to touch the food, he also declined to eat. He had not solved the mystery of death. It was in the early morning that the mongrel was killed, but from that time until long after dark his companion stood guard over the body. Late at night a wagon from the health department came to remove the body, lids was not accomplished without vigorous protests from the dog, who had stood guard all day. He even attempted to get into the wagon himself, and when be found he could not do so trotted on behind It as if determined never to part from his playmate.