Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, September 17, 1898
The Strange Story Told in Scotland of the Remarkable Conduct of a Sea Animal.
A gentleman residing in Broughty Ferry, who owns a yacht, took a run down the river the other day, accompanied by some friends, for the purpose of having a seal hunt, says the Edinburgh Dispatch. On the banks at the mouth of the estuary they saw large numbers of seals, old and young. Believing that these creatures are attracted by whistling, they tried the experiment, and were surprised to observe a young seal following in the wake of the yacht. Continuing to whistle, the creature followed up the river, disappearing for a time, and then reappearing with its head above the surface of the water. It was not far off when the yacht reached its anchorage in the West Ferry bay, and after the yachtsmen went ashore they were more than astonished to see the young seal flopping up the beach behind them. So tame was the creature that they had no difficulty in capturing it. It was well fed and cared for. Not having a proper place for keeping such a pet, it was resolved to restore it to its natural element, and the yachtsmen proceeded down the river to the neighborhood of Broughty castle, where it was placed in the water. So attached, however, had the seal become to its captors that it refused to leave and again followed them home to West Ferry.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, June 18, 1898
Three Thousand Horses and Mules Create Havoc Among the Soldiers at Tampa, Fla.
Washington, June 17.-A special to the post from Tampa, Fla., says: At ten o’clock Thursday night 3,000 horses and mules broke from the corrals and stampeded through the camps of Gen. Carpenter’s brigade. It was so dark and the excitement was so great in the District of Columbia camp it was impossible to learn if any men were hurt. The panic among the men was terrible. Officers tried to get their companies into line, but the army of wild horses made that impossible. Many men began shooting at the excited animals, but this only excited them more. It seemed impossible to stop the stampede. The horses seemed to be attracted by the tents and they rushed through the brigade of three regiments and then back again, taking a different course each time. They have destroyed many tents, kitchen and camping paraphernalia.
It is not known what started the animals on their wild rush. Taps had just sounded in all the camps and the bands had played their good nights. The men were hardly asleep when a loud cracking like the firing of Gatling guns startled them. It was the breaking down of the corral fence, a high wooden affair. In the next moment the infuriated and panting horses rushed into the New York camp, which was nearest the break in the fence. The rush sounded like a thunderstorm. The guard hurried out but it was useless, as the animals were then rushing over everything in their path. In half an hour the camps had been stampeded three times and there seemed to be no hope of driving the beasts away from the breach. Forty men were mounted by 11 o’clock and they were able to check the rush some little or at least to steer the horses from the camp.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, April 23, 1898
St. Louis, April 19.-A telegram from Washington states that the war department has just ordered the purchase of 1,800 mules in addition to the 1,000 ordered last week. The mules are to be used as pack animals for carrying supplies over roads in Cuba where the army wagons cannot be drawn. All the mules purchased for the army are to be delivered in this city.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Tuesday, December 14, 1897
A Market for the Dog Pounds of Large Cities Will be Utilized by the Alaskan Miner-Chicago’s Contribution.
[Copyright, 1837.]
L. H. Lewis, a lawyer of Seattle, has recently formed what he calls the Seattle Yukon Dog company, whose agents will travel through the states, purchasing by wholesale the lost, strayed or stolen animals that are languishing in the dog pounds. Lawyer Lewis thinks he sees a fortune in the sale of these dogs, good, bad and indifferent, to the miners of the Klondike, to be trained for use in drawing sledges.
The first carload of 200 dogs was forwarded by one of these agents from Chicago to Seattle on the 30th of October last. They were shipped in a three- decker car with an experienced keeper in charge, and arrived in fairly good condition.
The dogs shipped were of various breeds, the majority of them crossbred. The prevailing strain in this carload was setter, shepherd and collie, with a sprinklings of some dogs having some Newfoundland blood. The dogs were selected with reference to their fitness for service in the Yukon regions, the majority having long, warm hair, and no dog being accepted that was not toughfooted, a good traveler, and of an intelligent breed. Their weights ran from 50 to 80 pounds, and they were all of stocky build, it being the intention to avoid both exclusively light and heavy animals.
The agent who selected this livestock made the dog pound his headquarters for three weeks; and the fact that he was paying prices somewhat higher than those usually quoted to dog pound keepers may account for the remarkably large number of dogs which disappeared from Chicago homes during that period, and failed to return in spite of offers of reward. Certain it is that this dog pound realized an unexpectedly large number of high-class animals.
Last year, when no one had realized what treasure was going to waste in the dog pound, the only animals for sale were the Eskimo dogs, and the dealers would not sell the poorest specimens for less than ten dollars each. Now Eskimo dogs are valued very little above the shaggy-haired pets whose loss is being mourned by so many families throughout the states. The dog pounds of the country will furnish an inexhaustible supply of these. It is probable that they will be shipped by the thousand, and from Maine to California the drag nets of the dog catchers will be actively engaged in swelling the company’s stock in trade. The demand is expected to be enormous. Agents will be stationed in Alaska and will ship dogs by the hundred for sale direct to the miners there.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, February 4, 1899
Police Dog Saved the Life of a Drunkard.
Anybody who threw a cane at a policeman would naturally expect to be reprimanded. Likewise “Peck, officer, No. 8” will stand no fooling from offenders. If in his judgement you are not doing as you ought to do, look out for “Peck”, the police dog, who is, not withstanding all attacks upon him, a most serviceable animal, and a life saver.
As one evidence of his value, Waukegan people would have read accounts of a man frozen to death on one of the cold nights this past week, had it not been for the same observant Peck.
It was on the severest night of the week as Officer Vogel was passing the City Hotel on County street, that he heard Peck making an unusual noise, as though sounding a warning. The commotion came from the rear of the hostelry and Officer Vogel proceeded to investigate the cause immediately. On reaching the alley he found Peck dancing over the form of a man outstretched on the cold earth. The man was intoxicated and nearly frozen to death. He was well taken care of by the rescuers and revived. Had it not been for the timely discovery by his dogship, Mr. Man overcome by intoxicants, would never have seen the light of this world again, for he would have frozen to death before morning.
It is for work of this kind that the dog is especially valuable to the officers. They would not part with him, for he explores with care and patience every nook, corner and dry goods box in alleys and dark places. If Peck could write he would furnish sensational reading about his career on the night police force in Waukegan.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, January 29, 1898
About three O’clock Sunday afternoon people passing down Genesee street near Wheeler’s book store were terrified to see a little fellow knocked down by a horse and trampled on, the horse steeping on his head and arm. Passersby were even more surprised to see him get up and run away as if unhurt after he had crawled from beneath the horse’s feet. The boy was Charles Walker.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, April 15, 1899
Woman Who Can Subdue the King of Beasts, Is Divorced from a Browbeating Husband.
Kansas City, Mo., April 15.-Charlotte Wilhelmina Gertrude Bishop, otherwise known as Mme. Piancka, the lion tamer, appeared in the divorce court here Friday and was legally separated from her husband, H. H. Bishop, a resident of New York. Mme. Piancka, who has appeared in cages of lions in the principal cities of the countries and who is well known as a subduer of the king of beasts, secured her divorce on a complaint of cruelty, alleging that her husband had browbeat and intimidated her beyond endurance. The defendant did not appear.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Tuesday, January 17, 1899
Kankakee, Ill., Jan. 17.-Twenty-eight head of cattle and 18 horses were burned Sunday night with the barn of T. J. Clark, two miles west of here. Loss, $5,000; insurance, $2,000.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, December 2, 1898
An Instance Which Shows That Dumb Beasts Can Be as Kind as Men.
A herd of wild Asian buffaloes will charge any foe, even a tiger, to save the life of one of their number who has been wounded.
Elephants, baboons and other animals will do the same in a wild state.
On the other hand, monkeys have been known to fall upon one of their number who is ill and drown him, possibly as an act of mercy. Similarly, wolves destroy one of the pack which becomes helpless.
If an otter is trapped his brother otters will run around him all night showing the utmost concern.
A writer in the London Spectator states that he has seen sparrows in groups discussing and lamenting when one of their number had fallen into a trap. Next day when a robin was caught the sparrows paid no attention.
He adds that he had seen a big pig try to help a smaller one through a hole in the fence by pulling at its head.
St. John tells of a Highland shepherd whose cat brought him some edible bird nearly every day in the year.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday, August 24, 1898
They Are Increasing So Rapidly in Brooklyn’s Greenwood That a Trapper May Be Called In.
Greenwood cemetery is suffering for the second time in its history from too great increase in its colony of chipmunks. Eighteen years ago they became such a nuisance that a trapper was employed, and 28,000 small, stripped pelts were the results of his first year’s work, says the New York Sun.
This year it was noticed that an unusual number were about, even in early spring, when the chipmunk first appear after a winter’s sleep. Now it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 chipmunks in the cemetery, and a great deal of damage has been done. Through their burrowing habits they have undermined the gravestones, and even in many cases caused graves to sink in, when rainwater has helped to hollow out their burrows.
The chief enemies of the chipmunks are the florists, for the animals nip growing plants at the roots to reach the sap. One Brooklyn florist says that since Decoration day he has had to put in 250 new plants to keep up an original plat of 150. Florists with contracts to keep graves in condition have entered strong protests, but outside florists, who work by piece, have been making money.
The eight special policemen on the grounds have been furnished with poisoned nuts to scatter about. No diminution has yet appeared in the chipmunk army, as they reproduce three or four times a year and increase fourfold in a season if not checked. But if poison fails another trapper may be called in.