Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 128, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1904 — OWNEY, A FAMOUS DOG. [ARTICLE]

OWNEY, A FAMOUS DOG.

Owney- the celebrated mail route dog, was onoe well known in Rensselaer, having oome here several times as n special favor to hit friend, A. W. ('ole, tbe railway mail olerk. He alao consented to pose for bis picture here, and from which many copies were made, and alao a pbotographio button. The following sketch is from last Saturday’s Indianapolis News. Owney was the moat celebrated dog in America. He traveled with the mail bags from one end of the country to the other He even went 1 3 Alaska and aorots tbe Pacifio ocean. Owney first joined tbe Poatoffio* Department at Albany. He always locked upon that office as his bis headquarters, and tbe place where be must report after a long trip "Wben tlNvspirit moved Owney, and he wae ready ftr a trip, be would follow Abe mail •bag to the atation and j imp into the postal ear. Having chosen the particular mail bag which he wished to follow, Owney would stretoh himself ont open it for a long nap. There were no rude awakenings by oslls of “tickets” for Owney. He was left to dream of porterhouse steaks and bonbons (ia dogland pronounced bone-bones), knowing when tbe bag was taken he would go, too. Beanly was not Owney’s strong point, bnt he knew bow to make friends. He was welooroed wbereever be w«nt. and often oame baok to Albany covered with obeoks and medals to show how fa; hs had traveled, and in what esteem he was bq’d

His intelligence was wonderful. Many times a tired postal olerk. who had f-d Sen asleep, regardless of stations, was wakened by Owney’s barking. Tbe dog bad a fiaoedver collar, of which he was very prend One day a clerk s'ipped it eff to eximine the medals wkiob were bung on it, and in tbe harry of *xt?H work the colter was laid -iside. Owney brd D) iJ«-a of leaving his ocl'ar brLind him. No, indeed! He pot hie roe through it, end, robbing hie head against s poet, slipped it on bimeelf. After this he was oft*n msda to pot on his ooliir to amuse bis visitors. Ownry ditd a few few yeara ago, t» tbe of the largest oiroie of friends ■ dog ever had. In every large city of toe United States he was known and miseed and many years will p<t«s before Owney will be forg jtteo. ■ ' rr** received a oar load, loObbls a. TJ lsek*] " K? fjk “pplee, Baldwins *£*■ «•;“«»