DOGS. (New York Times.)

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 4

DOGS. (New York Times.)

Our esteemed contemporary, the Sun, asks ih reference to the recent murders oh Long Island, whether there is not some safeguard which will protect people from '{.Assassins and increase " the probability of -.early detection" in cnses were murder it. committed. The answer to this question, according to the Sun, is, "Yes, dogs." The Long Islanders, if they will provide themselves with big dogs, will be comparatively safe, and if it does so happen that a "murder is committed in the presence of a Long Ibland dog the detec tion of the murderer will be rendered very probable. While there is no doubt that iv point of intelligence the average , dog is far superior to the average detective, it does not appear precisely how a dog can aid in the detection of miudcrers. Few, if any, courts would admit , .the testimony of a clog claiming to have been an eye-witness ot a murder. A dog does not understand the nature of an oath, and even were it explained to him, the fact that he has no soul susceptible of future reward and punishment places him, as a witness, on a level with an atheist. It may be conceded that were a dog to bite a piece out of a murderer's leg and bring it promptly to a coioner, suspicion would be at once directed to any man whose leg the piece might fit ; but dogs will not form the habit of sampling murderers without long tiaining, and there might be a difficulty in finding legs with which to train dogs. There are theatrical dogs who, on meeting a murderer years after the peipetiation of his crime, will instantly rush at him and announce in a loud Inrk that he is guilty ; but these dogs are ncvor met with except on the stage, and the ordinary dog of pnvate life knows no distinctions between a murderer and a minister of the Gospel. Of course the Sun recommends that only laige dogs should be employed as private police guards. The belief of our esteemed contemporary is that a big dog will always fly at a ruffian who lays hands upon the dog's owner. This cci tainly is not true of the Newfoundland dog. A more peaceable and credulous person than the Newfoundland dog does not exist. If a murderer attacks the owner of a Newfoundland dog, and the latter finds by nasal investigation that the murdeier keeps a dog and has thus been admitted to canine society, he will implicitly believe every word the muideiei says, and will sit with his tongue out, cheei fully watching the murder of his owner, under the belief that it is some soi t of a friendly game. As a protector, the Newfoundland dog is painfully in eflicient. He is a gentleman, and his society ought by all means to be culthated, but he is no better as a protector than is an Egyptian soldiei. The mastiff is a much more efficient beast, and when he is hungry he will bite a muideicr or a gas inspector with gicat enthusiasm. The difficulty is that when he is not hungiy he is good-tempcied to a fault, and is almost as ready as a Newfoundland dog to listen to a murdeier's plausible explanations. Then, too, when the mastiff is hungry he will bolt any meat tiiat is given him witli the speed and confidence of a Western railway tiaveller. Thus it is always ca«y to oalm him with prus^ie acid, and pii'vcnt all possibility of his iutei'fciing with <i murdcici's plans. The ti utli is, that the popular opinion of the fidelity of watch dogs is not justified by facts. As Lord Eicon intended to remark, '' Dogs arc for delight, for consolation, and for example." .Socially, the big dog— provided he is not a bloodhound— is one of the most satisfactory and improving companions, but lie is not to be ti listed as a protector of life and propeity. The small and conceited tcnier, who loudly informs any buiglar who tries to enter the house of the dog's owner that he w ill give him iust one minute in which to leave, after which he will tcai him into a thousand pieces, md ically means what he say.s, is woi fcli a do/icn big dogs as a protector ot pioperty. Long Island murderers will not, however, be appieoiably diminished either by big or little dogs, and Long Island miudeieis will bo detected by local detectnes almost as soon as they would by a corps of bis; dogs with special constable badges fastenenod to their coll.us.

Alli told tlipre are now almost 40,000 telephones in the United Kingdom. Shocks of earthquake have been experienced in Malta, Gibraltar, and Southern Spain. The old saying, ' It never i.nns but it pours,' seems suggestive of a baby, who never has pains but it loais. ' This is the poetiy of motion.' said the editor, as he shied a bundle of very blank verse into the waste basket. All farm work should be done thoroughly. Half-way work is little better than no woik. " My dear,'' said a fond wife, " when we were engaged I aluavs slept with your last letter under my pillow. "And I," tnurmuied hor husband, " I often went to sleep over your letters,'' It is said that Philadelphia!) girls are learning to play baseball. One thing which will militate greatly against their success is the fact that tin; female vocabulary is not sufficiently broad and deep to do justice to the umpiie when he makes un adveise decision. Jit mm Wako has a leputation for epigiamuiatic leuhcs and observations and theie is saucely a sitting of his Court dining \\ Inch something good does not fall fiom his lips. At Inveicargill, recently, the counsel was, advancing the extiaoulinavy argument that when a man's character is at stake he is not legally or morally bound to tell the tiuth, when His Honor remarked : " It a nun has to tell a lie to defend his chaiaoter, he can have but little chaiactc to defend." Tin; Engineer of July (5 lias a long ac count of a new piocess for pioducmg ii un from magnetic nonsand, winch was discovered by Dr Siemena. The piocess is carried out by a lot.iry furnace, and the results are said to be most satisfactory. Mr Ritso, of the Taranaki Iron Company, informs the Star that, along with his father, in London, he has secured the right to use this pioccbs. Also that negotiations have been entered into with the company now electing woiks at Onehunga to amalgtmate it with the Taranaki Company. The Editor's Farewell —An Arkansaw editor, upon retiring from the control of an influential journal, said—' We do not leave this community with any leyiet. We are glad to go. We have not reccix ed due patiouage from this town, consequently wo areglad to throw up the journalistic sponge. It is customaiy for editois to say that they part with their contemporaiies with regiet. We do not. We are glad to quit. We have been branded as a thief, and it has been proved that we are a thief, consequently we have no regrets at patting. Those who owe us are expected to settle at their earliest convenience. Those w hom we owe must wait.' —' Arkansas Traveller.'

No time to Fool Away.—The other week when erery thing took a tumble, and it seemed as if the bottom had dropped out of Wall street and lett a hole big enough to take in the whole country, a holder who was being pinched, and scraping his soul for moie margins, was informed that a visitor desired to see him. 'Can't see anybody,' was his reply. In five minutes the messenger came back with the announcement that it was very important business. ' Can't help it " —l'm in no condition to see my own father.' A third time the messenger disappeared, but a third time returned to say : 'He says it's a case of life and death, sir.' This decided the operator to' < admit the unknown. He entered with ,an easy step and a pleasant smile, and after mature deliberation, softly inquired : r My friend, how is it with thy soul ?' 'My soul ? Halifax and Texas ! Do you think a man who has 60,000d01. worth of stocks shrivelling up on him like a cabbage leaf on a hot stove has any time to fool away on bis benighted $oul? You git I s