Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — The Intelligent Coal Dog. [ARTICLE]

The Intelligent Coal Dog.

A late illustrated weekly has a picture of a big fat coal-dealer and a lean individual, who asks the former for a place as a coal-cart driver. The dealer says: “ You can’t get it; coal has fallen in price, and we have to employ the heaviest men we can find as drivers.” Of course the driver had to sit on the cart while the cheap coal was being weighed, and a few hundred pounds of flesh did not materially injure the coal dealer. A well-known Memphis coal-dealer not long since had a big dog of wonderful sagacity. He (the dog) stayed around the coal-yard, and whenever a coal-cart was hauled on the scales the dog always took a stand under the wagon like a coach-dog. He weighed nearly 100 pounds, and was weighed as coal thousands of times, and nearly every coal consumer 'in the citv purchased that dog at so much per pound, consequently he was owned by everybody. The matter went on for months, and was only discovered by a funny incident. A negro wanted a barrel of coal, and wheeled a hand-cart with coal on the weighing scales. The clerk in the office worked at the scales and hallooed through the window: “ Take out a lot of that coal.” The negro did so, and kept on until al! the coal was out of the cart. The clerk tried the scales again, but the pea indicated too much. “Take out more coal,” shouted the clerk; “curse it, you have a boat load of coal on that cart!” “Look ye beah, boss,” replied the negro, “the coal is all out, and I’ll have to take the wheels off the cart if you want to lighten it.” The negro looked under the cart, and seeing the big fat dog at his post, exclaimed: “ Good heavens, massa, you’s selling me that dog for coal.” The dog was missed in a few days, and was found dead on the scales, the animal having taken some poison accidentally, but he came back to die at his post. It was a fine example of “ faithful unto death.” — Memphis Ledger.