Hogs Under Military Drill

1896

Major Carpenter, a veteran who conducts a farm near Stockbridge, Mich., gave an exhibition yesterday which proves that ordinary hogs may be educated to a high degree. The Major has introduced military discipline among his porkers to such an extent that they go through the evolutions with almost human precision.

The exhibition yesterday was given by Major Carpenter for the benefit of a few former army comrades, who pronounced it wonderful. Eight of the animals formed in line at the Major's command, and stood like so many statues. In front of them, about two rods, was a trough into which a farm hand then dumped five or six pails of mixed feed. The hogs took great interest in the operation, and their little eyes twinkled in anticipation, but not a hog of them stirred until the Major cried out: "Forward! March!" When they were three feet from the trough he commanded "Halt!" and all stood still, though it was evident they were laboring under great excitement. Finally he shouted "Charge!" and eight porcine noses went into the trough at the same instant.

When the meal was over the animals re-formed in line, marched solemnly to their pen and were disbanded by a wave of the Major's hand. —St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Harry Potter Award Goes to Darby Youth

Pennsylvania, 1929

Exchange Club Presents Watch to S. T. Herb

While Colonel Lewis S. Sorley, chief of staff of the Seventy-Ninth Division, U. S. Army, looked on, Samuel T. Herb, of Darby, yesterday was presented with the Harry W. Potter award for proficiency in Citizens' Military Training Camp work, by the Exchange Club of Chester.

The presentation is made every year by the club to the young man from Delaware county selected as having the highest grade at the conclusion of two weeks training under C.M.T.C. officers at Port Houston, Texas, and Fort Howard, Baltimore. Md. The award is in memory of Lieutenant Harry W. Potter, of this city, who served in the World War. He died about four years ago and is buried in the National Cemetery, Arlington.

—Chester Times, Chester, Pennsylvania, Dec. 6, 1929, p. 1.

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.

Docility of Birds — Parrots

Docility of Birds

1877

A parrot of some note, in Brook's collection, was notoriously dainty. If food was proffered which its instinct or caprice rejected, it would take it with its foot and throw it down with an exclamation which sounded like "There!" Food to its liking was carefully examined, tasted, and then conveyed to the bird's own tin dish, in which it was packed close by pressure with the bill. If any of the children fell or was hurt, Poll was the first to give the alarm, and did not cease clamoring till the case was attended to.

A gentleman taught his parrot to descend from its perch at the word of command and to stand upon his finger; then, on another order, it turned back downward and hung on the finger by one foot, retaining its hold although it swung about ever so violently. It was very vain, and enjoyed showing its wings. It would walk on the ground backward, if ordered to do so, walking in this direction with the utmost ease. It was extremely fond of music; and with movements of the feet along the perch, danced to all lively tunes, its wings also moving, and its head moving backward and forward in correct time.

By a peculiar working of the serratures of file which all parrots have in the upper mandible, against the lower, it diligently strove to imitate the noise made by a scissors grinder who weekly visited, the street; but finding that this alone did not quite serve the purpose, it had recourse to the expedient of striking its claws against its tin covered perch, and accurately observing the time of the turning of the wheel, effected so exact an imitation once or twice a day that the neighbors said the man had become a perpetual nuisance.

He Thought He Was Shot, While Training Dogs

Wisconsin, 1907

HE THOUGHT HE WAS SHOT

Jos. Milcharek Goes Out to Train His Dogs to Hunt and Narrowly Escapes a Serious Wound.

While training two of his dogs to hunt near the river on the plat of ground near Messer's slough, Sunday afternoon at about 12:30 o'clock, John Milcharek accidentally fired the contents of a 32 calibre cartridge from a revolver into his right foot and barely escaped permanent injuries.

The dogs had gone ahead with his two sons, and when several rods ahead of him, he fired his revolver into the ground. The dogs howled and appeared to be alarmed, and thereupon he hastily fired again, the second pulling of the trigger being done carelessly while looking across the river. As he fired the second shot, he felt a peculiar sensation coming over him, but suffered no pain in his leg.

A warm perspiration came over him suddenly, and he grew weak, but walked on until he felt a numbness in his foot. Stooping down and examining it, he found a hole pierced in his trousers, and closer investigation showed that his stocking was torn and the leather of his shoe cut. At this point, Milcharek fainted and fell to the ground.

His children ran home for assistance, but meanwhile he recovered and called on the Drs. von Neupert. His wounds were examined and except for a sudden swelling near the ankle, the flesh was not pierced by the bullet, it having taken a diagonal course and glanced into the ground from his shoe.

—The Gazette, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, May 29, 1907, page 1.


Miss, Mrs. and Mistress.

"Miss" is an abbreviation of "mistress," which, as an English law dictionary explains, is the property style of the wife of an esquire or a gentleman.

By Dr. Johnson's time it had become "the term of honor to a young girl." In the earliest part of the eighteenth century, however, it was used respectfully of girls below the age of ten alone. After that age "miss" was rude, implying giddiness of behavior. In Smollett's writings an unmarried woman of mature years and her maid are both "Mrs." It is certain that "miss" has grown older, so to speak, while "master" has become confined to boys.


Good Idea.

First Beggar — How is it that you always manage to get something from both of those women on the ground floor of that apartment house? Second Beggar — Dead easy. I ring both bells at the same time. Both women come to the doors at the same time and each one wants to outdo the other. — Fliegende Blatter.

Bird Dog, All Alone, Shoots Wild Game

1920

Bird Dog, All Alone, Shoots Wild Game; Pulls Trigger of Gun with Hind Foot

Clever Animal Bags 111 Ducks During Present Season

PIERCE, Neb. -- What is declared to be the most intelligent and remarkably trained hunting dog in the country is owned by a hunter of this village, Bruce J. Boyd. "Cognac," for that is the animal's name, is a large, spotted bird dog. He not only searches out his own game, but also shoots it and brings it home to his master, who is proprietor of a local grocery store.

An automatic shotgun was made to order for Cognac by an Omaha gunsmith and is strapped to the dog's back by means of a cleverly arranged harness. The gun is arranged with a patent trigger, which is pulled by the animal's hind foot.

"Aiming the gun doesn't bother Cognac at all," declared Boyd. "The dog seems to depend upon his instinct and gets just as good results as a human being would by carefully sighting before he shoots."

Brings All His Game Home

Cognac also carries a wicker basket strapped to his side, in which he puts his game after he kills it. He bears the game back to his master at the conclusion of a day's hunting.

In the past few weeks, during the local duck hunting season, along the north fork of the Elkhorn River, Cognac has bagged no less than 68 mallard ducks, 43 teal and a number of wild geese. During last winter's rabbit-hunting season, the dog killed more than 300 cottontails. Boyd, who is in his store all day and has little time for hunting, thus has his table always supplied with fresh game, and declares that it has reduced his living costs more than 40 per cent.

"It was about a year ago that I got the idea of training Cognac," says Boyd. "Up until that time he had been merely an ordinary hunting dog, with no especial talents. But I always noticed that he wasn't the least bit shy of a gun and I evolved the scheme of teaching him to shoot.

"I tied my automatic shotgun to his back with ropes and then pulled the trigger. Cognac just wagged his tail in glee. The next time I went hunting I fastened the gun to his back with a harness and shot at least twenty times. After a little more of this training, I had the special shotgun made which Cognac now carries.

"It took several weeks to train him to pull the trigger with his hind foot, but he never had any trouble at aiming. For a time I was afraid to trust him out alone, but I soon learned that he understood the danger of possible accidents, and was really more careful than a human being.

"So each morning, during this duck-hunting season, Cognac comes to my bed about 3 o'clock and awakens me. I strap the gun to his back and he trots out. By 8 o'clock he is back with all his ammunition gone and one duck or more for every shot he has fired.

Will Teach Dog to Reload

"When I have more time this coming summer I expect to teach Cognac to reload his gun. As it is now, he is done for the day when he has fired the six shots in the chamber and magazine."

Other hunters have become familiar to the sight of the lone dog and do not interfere with him.

"I have been offered several thousand dollars for Cognac by eastern sportsmen," declares Boyd, "but millions couldn't buy that dog. Aside from his value as a hunting animal, he takes care of the baby, wheeling the carriage about the streets, and is a willing helper about the house."

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, March 27, 1920, page 9.