Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic ExpeditionLanman, Charles
History
Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic Expedition
Lanman, Charles
Arctic regions; Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881-1884); Lockwood, James Booth, 1852-1884
of encouragement, his father assigned to him a patch of ground for his
special cultivation, with fertilizers and the use of a team. To the
surprise of all, his success seemed amazing, and his crops were good and
profitable. With the money thus secured he purchased for himself a watch
and a sporting gun. He had a special fondness for dogs, and exerted over
them great influence. His favorite in this direction was a short-legged,
long-bodied, common rat-terrier. In the purity of this dog’s blood, he
was a decided believer, which faith he maintained with many hot
arguments, and exemplified by teaching the animal a great variety of
tricks. Indeed, the high degree of training to which he brought the dog
Jack was remarkable. He was always quiet and positive toward the animal,
and Jack gave his commands a serious and implicit obedience. One of the
feats performed by the dog was to carry a candlestick with a lighted
candle wherever ordered to do so. Another was to this effect: the boy
would place a small scrap of paper on the parlor wall at a height which
Jack was hardly able to reach. Jack’s attention would then be called to
the paper, and the dog and master would retire up-stairs. Some time
afterward, Jack, in obedience to a mere word, would proceed to the
parlor, and, to the amusement of those congregated there, launch his
body at the paper until he finally secured it, and then would carry it
to his master. Although this dog had a special dislike for fire, he
would, under orders, pull chestnuts out of the hot coals, even if it
took him an hour to perform the task; and it is also related of him that
on one occasion, when he slipped his muzzle on the Academy grounds, he
picked it up and took it to his master. When the lad’s father was
ordered to the National Observatory, the family removing to Washington,
the pet dog accompanied them, and the intimacy between the dog and his
master was unabated. They often rambled through the streets together,
and it was during one of their walks along Pennsylvania Avenue that the
dog disappeared, and was never recovered by his owner, whose grief was
most sincere and manifest. He published an advertisement, and, true to
his regard for the departed, he spoke of it as a pure-blooded animal;
which statement was probably the reason why the dog was never returned,
as no stranger could have believed in the alleged pedigree of such an
ungainly creature.
After young Lockwood’s father and family had become settled in
Washington, it was decided that he should return to Annapolis and take
charge of the farm until some more suitable or congenial employment
should come into view. In looking over the home letters which he wrote
at that time, I find a few developments of character which are worthy of
mention. For example, in February, 1872, he writes as follows:
“I find Annapolis the same as ever. It would hardly do for Rip Van
Winkle to go to sleep here, for, when he awoke, he would find no change,
not even by death.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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