Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1874 — Another Dog Story. [ARTICLE]

Another Dog Story.

The New York Sun tries its hand at it, and produces the following remarkable dog story. Don’t believe it unless you want to: There are few travelers on the Harlem Railroad who have not heard of the educated dog at Scarsdale depot. His name is Knapp. He is the property of Mr. George Ullman, the station master. Knapp is a shepherd dog, about two feet high, and is covered with a dark-brown shaggy coat of fine hair. He was born in the Scotch Highlands nearly four years ago. In his infancy Knapp was imported at considerable trouble by a gentleman of Scarsdale, who, being suddenly called to Europe shortly afterward, gave him to Mr. Ullman. Noticing genius and intelligence in Knapp, Mr. Ullman began to train him. Now Knapp can perform many wonderful feats. He has been taught to assist his master in the performance of his duties around the depot. Knapp has learned to tell by the clock wlienjs trjjin js-due; and at night when the hands point to the proper hour Knapp takes a lantern in his mouth and stands on the platform with the light guiding the engineer to the stopping place. Knapp knows an express train from a mail train, and a mail train from a way train. In daytime when an express train approaches the station and the track is clear Knapp shows a white flag, which signifies all is well. Not many days ago Knapp appeared with the white flag as an express train hove in sight, but seeing two small children going down the wagon road ignorant of the approach of any train, he saw that the children would reach the crossing simultaneously with the train. Knapp dropped the white flag and, seizing the red flag in his mouth, he darted toward the crossing. The engineer saw the red flag and shut off steam before the animal reached the children. Arrived at the crossing he stood there and prevented the train from passing until the children were safely over the track, then he laid the flag down and the children went on. On another occasion Knapp snatched a child from in front of a way train just as it was stopping at the depot. The child’s clothing was torn by the wheels of the locomotive, so narrowly had it escaped death. Knapp consults the clock every day for the arrival of the mail trains. A few moments before the mail is due Knapp stations himself at the mail rack, and when the bag is thrown from the car he carries it to the Posloffice, and if it contains any letters for his master he takes them back ■tehiaaj- tt--'~r: When freight trains begin to switch cars at the depot Knapp always takes a red flag and trots up or down the track, as the case may be, and flags any train that heaves in sight. Knapp always keeps his position faithfully until called in by signals, just as any other flagman is. Engineers all know Knapp, and faithfully act upon his signals. After the departure of freight trains Knapp often walks down the track gpd carefully examines the switches to see that the brakemen have left them all right. Satisfied that no blunders have been made he walks hack to the depot, and if the clock shows him that he has a few leisure moments he signifies to his master a desire for a pipe. Mr. Ullman has taught him to smoke, and he always keeps Knapp’s pipe ready for lighting when he calls for it. The pipe being lighted, the animal sits on a chair ana smokes with as much apparent ease and comfort as his master. Mr. Ullman is a good musician. He has a piano in the ladies’ room of the depot, and often performs on it Knapp has been taught to sing or whine the tunes which Mr. Ullman plays. The dog often perches himself on a chair beside his master with his fore feet on the piano frame, and accurately turns the sheets of music with his tongue. Knapp can waltz, dance a schottische or a polka as well as any one can on jour legs. Of late some of the mischievous brakemen have thrown snow balk at Knapp just as the trains started, or have made ugly faces or stamped their feet at him. He seemingly took no notice of these insults, but on Monday one of the brakemen went into the depot to get a drink of water. When he started out Knapp stood in the dddr and would not allow him to move. He made a movement as though about to administer a kick, and Knapp opened his mouth and uttered a growl, which convinced the brakeman that such a proceeding would be dangerous. Knapp kept his prisoner in the room until the train had gone so far that the brakeman couldn’t catch it, and then, releasing him, Knapp walked away as unconcernedly as though nothing unusnai had occurred. Since that time the brakemen have been exceedingly civil to Knapp, but he treats them with lofty indifference.