Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1919 — FAMOUS DOGS LONG KNOWN [ARTICLE]

FAMOUS DOGS LONG KNOWN

Breed of St. Bernard Have Been Renowned for Centuries for Their Special Work.

The St. Bernard pass is of historical renown. It connects the valleys of the Rhone and the Dora Baltea. It was traversed by Roman legions thousands of years ago. In medieval times the pass served the armies of conquerors and the bands of mercenaries. Napoleon crossed the Alps at this point in 1800. The great monastery was built in the middle of the sixteenth century. It was maintained for the relief of travelers who were surprised by snowstorms while crossing the pass. The St. Bernard dogs were used to find the frozen victims of the storms in the snowdrifts. They were specially trained for this work of relief ahd carried the first aid to the injured in a little basket attached to their collars. These dogs rescued thousands of human beings, many of whom were of historic prominence. And for the first time in the history of this famous monastery the dogs, during the war, had to be slaughtered for want of food.