Rules For Right Living

1902

For the man or woman, whether young or old, who wishes health, which means happiness, the following simple rules were gathered:

Pin them up where you will see them. But do not let that be all you do. Read them again and again, and, best of all, act upon them.

Eight hours' sleep.
Sleep on your right side.
Keep your bedroom window open all night.
Have a mat to your bedroom door.
Do not have your bedstead against the wall.
No cold water in the morning, but a bath at the temperature of the body.
Exercise before breakfast.
Eat little meat, and see that it is well cooked.
For adults, drink no milk.
Eat plenty of fat to feed the cells which destroy disease germs.
Avoid intoxicants, which destroy those cells.
Daily exercise in the open air.
Allow no pet animals in your living rooms; they are likely to carry about disease germs.
Live in the country if you can.
Watch the three D's — drinking water, damp, drains.
Take frequent and short holidays.
Limit your ambition.
Keep your temper. — New York American.

Note: This article and its advice is from 1902. Please check with your physician or neighborhood scientist before screwing up your life too much.

Lifting Cats and Rabbits

1910

Mistake to Lift Animal by Nape of Neck Without Supporting Lower Part of Body

It is a mistaken idea that the proper way to lift a full-grown cat is by the nape of its neck without supporting the lower part of its body with the other hand, says Watchword.

It is true that the mother cat carries young kittens by grasping in her mouth the loose skin at the back of her offspring's neck, but a tiny kitten is a very different matter from a large cat, and, indeed, the only way to lift a kitten without squeezing or hurting its soft little body is to lift it by its neck; but after it has grown larger its own weight is too great to be supported by such a bit of skin and fur as is so grasped by the hand, and many a cat suffers perfect tortures by being held in this manner, and is quite helpless to run or struggle, as in such a position certain of its muscles cannot be controlled, and it is absolutely at the mercy of its unconscious tormentor.

The same rule should be observed in lifting rabbits by their ears. They should always be partially supported by the free hand and not allowed to dangle with their whole weight straining from their large but necessarily delicate ears

Hires Nurse to Care for His Pets

1915

Nothing's too good for the pets of the Grant Park Zoo at Atlanta, Georgia.

That's what the zoo keeper, E. T. Boyd, believes. Seven weeks ago a baby lion was born in the zoo. This caused quite a commotion round the place and hundreds of persons became interested in the cub — none, however, as much so as Boyd.

There's a young woman in Atlanta — Miss Margaret Carlisle — who shows much interest in animals of all kinds, especially stray and homeless ones. She, too, became interested in the lion cub. So it came about that Boyd contracted with Miss Carlisle to have her act as nurse for the cub as well as for a small fox terrier, playmate of the baby lion. And now the pets get regular nourishment from their bottle and are waxing fat and healthy-looking.

Animal Planet — "Pets of Honduras"

1896

Honduras seems a paradise for pets. Parrots of every size, from that of a sparrow to the great green macaw, three feet long or more, can clamber all over and about the house and never know a cage. Chachalacas trot through the patios or courts of the houses in the towns, and bitterns stalk disconsolate about. Fawns and children play together in many a yard, and coons and sometimes an armadillo are playmates for little ones who have few dolls. In the Sambo hamlet of Ulun, a tame anteater was offered to me, and while we talked of it, a woman came in leading a gibeonite which took occasion to nibble its owner's bare heels while she bargained.

As I lay in a hammock in a Waikna hut one day, a peccary came within my reach. With a convenient stick I ventured to scratch his brown and bristly back. Down he flopped on his side and grunted in sweet content as long as the tickling went on. From that moment he was my ardent, much too ardent friend and faithful follower. I could not go ten steps without finding him at my heels, and his jealousy was as instant as it was fierce. Woe to the dog that dared come near me. A sudden rush, a quick upward thrust of those gleaming tusks and there was a bleeding gash in that dog's quarters, if he was not agile beyond the average of dogs. And the snapping of those tusks had a sound that was most suggestive, particularly to a white man groping in the dark for the olla that holds the drink. Peccaries are not really the nicest of pets for people whose visitors are nervous. — Outing.

A Better Record-Book

1904

The shrewd comment of a Lancashire blacksmith, whose wits had not been dulled by over-education, is quoted by the Cornhill Magazine. It may be suggestive to students in our universities who spend the lecture hours in scribbling notes instead of listening and understanding.

The clerk in charge of a farriery class held by the county council at Preston, England, gave a stalwart blacksmith a notebook and pencil.

"Wot's this 'ere book for?" asked toe man.

"To take notes," replied the clerk.

"'Notes?' Wot sort o' notes?"

"Why, anything that the lecturer says that you think important and want to remember you make a note of in the book."

The Lancashireman looked scornful. "Oh!" said he. "Anything I want to remember I must make a note of in this 'ere book, must I? Then wot do you think my blooming yed's for?"


For A Dog's Ear

Rossini lived before the day of special pleas for the dog, but he was sufficiently in advance of his time to recognize the equality if not the superiority of his own favorite beast.

The Gentleman's Magazine says that the late Sir Arthur Sullivan made Rossini's acquaintance in Paris.

One morning when Sullivan called to see him he found the composer trying over a piece of music.

"What is that?" asked Sullivan.

"It's my dog's birthday," Rossini replied, gravely, "and I write a little piece for him every year."

A Pet Cemetery

1908

Where Pet Dogs and Cats Are Buried In State

New York. — In a picturesque little spot situated on one of the most beautiful of the Hartsdale hills lies one of the oddest of cemeteries. The casual visitor here, inspecting the inscriptions on the tombstones, would expect to see records of long forgotten generations, perhaps the history of the village in the lives of its citizens, but instead the stones contained nothing but inscriptions to dogs, with an occasional cat epitaph here and there.

"Fido, asleep," "Our beloved fox terrier, Flossie," "Dedicated to the memory of our pet cat, Smutty." Such a jumble of inscriptions meet the eye that the visitor begins to wonder whether the souls of Fido and Smutty now rest peacefully side by side or whether they arise at the witching hour to fight out once more their lifelong battle. In that case even the back fences of Harlem would be preferable to the rural peace of Hartsdale.

This cemetery, moreover, contains French dogs and French inscriptions and German dogs. And just as human tombstones have little angels on them so these dog tombstones have little puppies carved on them playing with toys. Next to one of the graves the owner has erected a big rustic mourner's bench so that he may grieve for his pet in comfort.

The most elaborate grave is that of a bulldog that once belonged to a family named Willson. Besides having a big granite stone at the head, it has two little bay trees on either side, and at the foot is a little marble trough with three little marble canaries drinking out of it. The canaries would be more easily explained if it were a cat grave, but perhaps this particular bullpup had feline predilections.

For six months after he was buried tali dog had fresh violets or roses placed upon his grave every day, it is chronicled. The burial cost the bulldog's owner over $500.

The grave digger of the cemetery also tells of dogs buried in rosewood or mahogany coffins, some with gold handles, and gold, jewel-studded collars around their necks.

"You have no idea," he will wander on, "how much money some undertakers make on the side in these dog coffins. Often the coffins are lined with plush or velvet and cost large sums of money.

"And then some people insist on having their dogs embalmed before they are willing to bury them. Of course the undertakers keep that part of their business very secret, but they do it just the same."

Many of the dogs that were prize winners in their lively days have all their trophies, ribbons, silver mugs and such things buried with them. Others have all their old collars, whips and playthings, and one woman actually buried a Bible and rosary with a dog.

"Of course I know it must seem very silly," she said in explanation, "but it just makes me feel better, so why shouldn't I do it?"

"And do they have real funerals for dogs, with services and so on?" asked the seeker of information of the digger of graves.

"Well, no; no real services," he explained, "though some of them would like to, I guess, by the way they act.

"Sometimes they bring the body up from New York in an automobile, sometimes they ship it up as freight and meet it at the railway station with carriages. Only family and friends, you know. There are never very many of them.

"But the way those people act when it comes to covering up the box is — well — just about the limit. And the men are not much better than the women, either. I've got a pretty interesting job, I can tell you.

"And most of them come up regularly and see to it that I'm keeping the grave in OK condition. And on the day of the dog's death they usually decorate the grave with flowers. I can tell you I wouldn't mind being some dogs."

There are now 450 dogs and about 20 cats buried in the cemetery. Plots cost from $15 to $25 each, including a zinc lined box which is hermetically sealed for shipping. This, however, is only the minimum expense for a dog funeral, and from this point the price goes up far into the hundreds.

Teaching Parrots To Talk

1900

An Undertaking That Requires Good Judgment

The natural tendency of some species of parrots to learn to talk is well illustrated at the zoo, where a collection of parrots was recently added to the animals and birds on exhibition.

In the confusion of sounds — the roaring of lions, the trumpeting of the elephant, the chatter of the monkeys, the stentorian commands of the animal trainers, and the blaring of the band — may be heard the shrill screech of the parrots.

An intent listener will discover that the birds are imitating the sounds they hear and some of them are repeating words which they catch in the general jargon of the place. Even Lecturer Rollins is imitated in some of his sentences describing the animals or the feats about to be performed. Alexander Day, assistant superintendent of the zoo, says that, like the wild animals which are capable of being trained, the parrots will early give evidence of their aptitude to learn to talk.

The best way to train a parrot to talk is, he says, to keep it in a room away from other birds or animals, and with its cage covered when the lessons are given. This is to teach the bird to distinguish the sounds alone and not the individuality of the teacher. The gray parrots are said to be the best talkers, although the Amazonian or green parrot is a good talker and is the one most commonly seen. These come from South America and the West Indies. The rosellas and macaws, which also come from the West Indies, can rarely be taught to talk. — Baltimore Sun.

What Is a Dead Dog Worth? Up to Court

1920

$100 Is Value Placed by Woman on Animal Killed by Auto

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. — What is a dead dog worth?

If it happens to have been a handsome pet of French poodle-Eskimo breed its value should be fixed at $100 at least, says Mrs. Ella Doyle.

But if it didn't know any better than to run in front of an automobile it isn't worth anything, replies F. M. Stich, a San Francisco merchant.

Justice of the Peace A. T. Barnet is to have the final "say" in the dispute.

The animal was run over and killed by Stich's auto while out for an airing with Mrs. Doyle, its owner. It is the contention of Mrs. Doyle that the machine was operated negligently. She asks $100 damages.

The dog was so intelligent it would even say its prayers before retiring at night, according to the plaintiff.

House Cat is Nearly Baked

1914

The Family Pet Slept in Oven of Cook Stove and Is Nearly Burned to Death

Waynesboro, Pa. — M. B. Ayers, Hamilton avenue, Waynesboro, almost cooked a new dish at his home.

When he retired at night he left the oven door of the kitchen stove open. To get away from the cold the family cat crawled into the oven and there curled itself up for a sleep that lasted all through the night.

When Mr. Ayers went downstairs in the morning to stir up the fire he closed the oven door. The cat slept on and made no protest. Then Mr. Ayers turned on the drafts and thrust the poker into the bed of coals, and in a short time he had a good fire going.

He heard the mewing of a cat, but he couldn't see a cat, and he fancied the animal might be on the outside. But the cat grew more persistent in its mewing and added a tone of anguish to it, and then Mr. Ayers bethought him of the oven. He opened the door and the cat sprang on to him, almost knocking him off his feet.

The animal was burned terribly. Its feet were badly charred and its body was almost baked. It is still living and is on the road to recovery.

Bird Flies in Mouth of Sleeping Husband

1920

Canary Loses Life, Man Loses Life's Good Regards

BLOUNT CORNERS, N. Y. - Mrs. Martha Joslin says he is through trying to keep a canary. Mrs. Joslin states that if her husband would keep his mouth shut when he takes his after-dinner nap she could keep a bird, but that he won't do it and that she has bought her last canary.

A few weeks ago Mrs. Joslin bought a young canary. She brought it home and placed it in a cage. According to Mrs. Joslin she opened the bird's cage to feed her pet and before she could close the door the bird flew out.

Joslin was asleep in a chair in the kitchen. The bird flew to him, circled over his head several times and flew into his wide-open mouth. Mr. Joslin brought his jaws together and killed the bird.

Mrs. Joslin expresses the opinion that her husband's gold tooth attracted the bird. Mrs. Joslin says she has lost six canaries within four months by the same means and that she is through trying to keep a bird.

Mr. Joslin says he is innocent of bird slaughter and would not have killed the bird for ten dollars if he had known it was in his mouth.

Animal Lover's Will is Cause of Trouble

1912

ANIMAL LOVER'S WILL IS CAUSE OF ROW

(Special to THE TRIBUNE by International News Service.)

PARIS, July 6.—When Mlle. Grandjean died three years ago at the age of 75, she left the bulk of her fortune, which amounted to $180,000, to the Paris Poor-Law Board, but she had not heart for her fellow creatures only. She was very fond of animals, too, and to her house near the Beaujon Hospital was attached a big yard, in which she kept about 150 birds of different kinds as well as half a dozen rabbits and seven horses.

The good old lady could not bear the idea that any of these animals should suffer by her death, so, to insure their being well cared for she committed them to the charge of the man who had been tending them, providing him with a liberal allowance to stimulate his zeal.

Thus she directed that, besides the enjoyment of an annuity of $500 he should receive $240 for the keep of the birds, $10 a month for that of each of the seven horses, and $2 a month for his attention to the comfort of a parrot which was a great pet.

Everything went on smoothly until lately, when the man who had been thus favored took legal action against the gentleman to whom the general use of all these animals has been bequeathed by Mile. Grandjean. He asks that this gentleman may be deprived of this enjoyment on the plea that he prevents him from doing his work as it ought be done. What the general use of the animals may consist of does not appear.

—Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, July 7, 1912, page 2.

Man's Best Friend: The Fashion in Dogs

1922

THE DOG SURVIVES

Fashions in dogs are changing. You may have noticed lately that the majority of lost-and-found ads, dealing with canines, are Airedales that have strayed from home. The Airedale craze is refreshing, after the epidemic of diminutive dogs that looked like a cross between a starved rat and a dwarf giraffe. Popularity of different breeds of dogs seems travel in waves. There was an epidemic of hounds, long ago, when a man had little social standing unless his kennels housed at least five. Pug dogs had their day. So did water spaniels, fox terriers and Newfoundlands. The "Boston bull" was all the rage when the Gibson Girl's clothes and huge, bulging pompadour were in style. To a psychologist, each of these dog crazes reflected "the trend of the times." Now it's the Airedale's day — probably because it is expensive and a one-man dog.

The dog — which in the wild state never barks — is one of the few animals that have accompanied man, in friendship, during the long march out of barbarism.

Originally dogs, jackals, foxes and wolves belonged to the same family. The origin of domestic or tame dogs is lost in the mists that enshroud the period of the cave man. Professor Shaler's researches in dogology led him to believe that dogs were first domesticated to provide an emergency food supply during famine. A more plausible guess is that dogs were tamed to help gratify man's craving for submissive affection, also to tickle his vanity. Our primitive ancestors, no doubt, felt very much pleased with themselves when they contemplated the dogs they had subdued from the wild state. Nevertheless, the dog has accompanied man into so-called civilization, and in return has been rewarded with a maze of legislation concerning his legal status, rights, ownership and conduct.

The oldest monuments of India and Egypt show that ancient man reveled in ownership of Fido, Towser, Bruno and Bob. Today we have him in magazine stories and the news, which correspond to the carvings on monuments of long ago. How the dog has survived man's passion for exterminating animal life, is a riddle, despite the affection with which he rewards kindness to him. That's why the study of dogs is inseparable from the study of human nature.

—Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin, June 24, 1922, page 3.

Swindlers at Police Station Pose as Detectives

1920

Crooks Pose as Detectives and Get $125 From Grocer

HOBOKEN, N. J. -- Police headquarters was chosen by two daring swindlers as the most convenient place to defraud Harold Bonnell, a Milburn, N. Y., grocer, of $125.

The men, posing as detectives, induced Bonnell to go to headquarters under the ruse that his money was counterfeit.

Arriving at the station, the "detectives" excused themselves on a pretext. Bonnell, after waiting an hour for their return, explored the building and finally unfolded his tale to the astonished lieutenant at the desk.


Starved Self to Feed Dog

Women With Income Makes Strange Sacrifice for Pet

REIGATE, England -- A strange story was told at an inquest here of a woman named Giles, aged 66, of independent means, who according to medical evidence, died from pleurisy, accelerated by starvation, the body being very emaciated. It was stated that she lived alone and was of eccentric habits. She had an income of $50 a month, but it was said that most of it was spent in feeding her dog.

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, March 27, 1920, page 2.