SHUDDER GARDNER ON THIS VIRTUE OF DOGS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1693, 3 March 1882, Page 2

SHUDDER GARDNER ON THIS VIRTUE OF DOGS.

♦ “ I was realdin’ a newspaper paragraph de oder day to de effect dat dfe keepin’ of so many dogg aroun’ ’efii would alius keep de cull’d race poo’,” said the old man as the meeting came to order. “ Let us analise the statement a bit. It am estimated dat de cull’d people of this kentry own an oped 2.000. dogs. To feed these dogs requa’rs at least 1,000,000 pounds ot crumbs, scraps, ’tater skins, apple-cors,' old hones, an’ sich worth, about twof cents a poun.’ In oder words, it costs about lo cents a week to feed a big dog which tied up an’ can’t farage up de nayhurs. Now, what am de compauship of a big yaller dog wurt to a family 1 Womd ten times 15 cents per week offset dat? When de cold wind howls an’ night shuts down, isn’t it wurth a two-dollar bill to see de chil’en gather clus aroun’ de stove—to h’ar de teakettle sing—to watch de fish snap, and to know dat de dog am talcin’ a sweet nap under de bed ? Who created de dog ] Why, de Lawd, of course. What fur] Why to be a companion to man, and to purtect his pusson an’ property. Would it look berry well to see a poo’ cull’d man git up an’ sniff at de handiwork ob the Creator ] Shall we refuse to accept gifts created for us ] If de Lawd didn’t know what he war ’bout when he made an auiraile an’ called it a dog, den adwice from newspapers am all right. I have estimated dat de 2,000,000 dogs prevent 500,000 burglaries e.ch year, Dey am de cause of 6,000,000 chickens not bein’ stole ; likewise half a; million cords of wood; likewise ober 200.000. axes an’ saws. I don’t believe in dog worship, but I do believe dat it am our dooty to take de gifts of our Creator, and make de best possible use ob dem. I keep a Scotch terrier to bite Scotch Burglars, an Irish setter to sot down on Irishmen, an’ I have one or two oders who pay dar way by killin rata an’ bits’ o’ tramps. Nex’ to de glorious sight ob seein’ a 300-pound man wheelin a ten-pouu’ baby along de streets, am dat ob seeing a cull’d man pacin’ his way down town arter sf codfish wid five dogs follerin, clus a$ his heels in a single file/’