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The San Francisco . Sunday : Call THE DOG WHO PLAYS POOL AND THE DOG WHO BOSSES A CATTERY Robert Bolton THE only dog In the world that plays pool is "Toots." The claim has stood for a year or more without and fr there Is a game In whic9»thallenges d» cot go unanswered It is pool. More over, paol players are a clannish lot and know what each other are doing the world over. William Clayton, who owns "Toots," makes the declaration, and as he has refereed three world's championship pool contests, he knows what's what in h!s ephere. : • Let us hope, however, that there is another, for then a match could be ar ranged between them. Clayton is named as owner of the dog, but her pool playing proclivities . are credited to Mrs. Clayton, for it was she who put the little pup a month old on the table and painstakingly taught her what she was to do. Mrs. Clayton now has her co thoroughly trained that when 6he has nothing else to take her time she puts the dog on the table and • plays her a game. It would be going too far to say that "Toots" knows when she wins, but she certainly shows her appreciation of the attention when • she brings applause by the cleverness of her shot, and sits up barking and wagging the stump of her tail ecsta tically. Mostly Fox Terrier '"Toots" passes for a large sized fox terrier, but when you look at her close ~& you can see that the strain Is not pure. Her face has the shrewdness of a etreet urchin's, and her eyes are too Intelligent. As she glances over the table looking for some choice *het she seems actually to think about It After the has found It she walks with super- FnlPTnn face to the edge of the table and, after the approved manner of all pool players, chalks ..her cve — that is to say her nose— and makes the shot with the due amount of deliberation—^tho kind that impresses the spectators. There was a great barKing and »*.ti£hing around the ' pool table the Any I first saw "Toots," and I inquisl- T.veiy peeked in to see what it wkii'all about. At the unusual eight of a fox terrier standing in the center of the v V,e and eying the balls, now and then letting out short yelps at her mis tress, who was taunting her in her per plexity, I , stopped to watch. "Go on, why don't you play?" laughed Mrs. Clayton. "Thai, one is' easy. See,. stupid, kiss the four at the side pocket and you will make it all right." . She motioned with her hand across the table \oward the "four" ball, and. "Toots" seemed to. understand. Leaning back on her haunches with her nose held about an inch from the j ball, she took careful' aim and, Ewinß- Xr.fi her head forward and at. the same Time throwing the weight of -"her? body i With U. sh« cent ti>» ball roiling at a good clip across the table. Her aim, however, was a little off, and the ball kJbsed the "four" too . Boon, bouncing Against the cushion. With a short bark Bhe jumped forward to poke it into the pocket, but; her mistress stopped her. • "My shot," she said. "Toots" quieted down, sitting on the edge of the table with her paws on the cloth ready to lift them should there be danger of a ball rolling that way. and growled while Mrs. Clayton put two balls into the pocket. They were playing "rotation." Mrs. Clayton had put ( in the "two" and "three." The "four" had rolled over against the cushion. That was one of "Toots' " favorite shots. She walked over with the air. of a pool player who thinks the shot s** easy that it is not worth while doin^ it with any • care. But, while other pool players usually miss these shots through overconfi dence, "Toots" put it into the corner pocket with a swish of her nose and looked around for the next shot "Without being; coached she sniffed around until she spotted the "five" ball, which she edged in. "The "six" was not. so easy. \ She found that between'jit and the cue ball intervened the "ten;" Of course. "Toots" -plays without a cue ball (that^would be' too much to ask of a dog), but'she'ls bound by. the posi tion of the cue ball in' her plays, which she does not understand but; accepts as a condition -of the game. -In the present: Instance^ her mistress would have had to make a\"Jump" "shot to hit the "six," so -"Toots" had to do the same. She was for sending it in! with out further delay, but her : mistress in^ tervened, picked up a triangle and held it over the "ten." "When she was a .pup." • Mrs. Clayton explained, ' "she : used ' to - Jump through ; now she goes over." "Now put the. 'six*, in," she said -to "Toots."'.' . . .v".-. V "Toots" eyed the "six" over the bar rier, to get, a correct gauge on its po- BUStfn, leaped lightly." over, the triangle and, 'hitting the ? ball with the end' of her nose, sent 'it rattling into" the pocket .- The "seven" she leaving* an easy "lay" for Mrs. Clayton, who* in turn " missed -the' : "eight," which rolled within an. inch of_,. a corner ': pocket. "Toots" sprang! toward 1 it, avoiding, the other : baJlß* with% marvelous dexterity, and j nosed \it '\u25a0; In. . She a then : looked around for the ; "nlne." which was at the other ; end of ?the • table, „' and, finding? it after smelling.- around s two ; or ; three others,; gave, it a .double ; shot, which ' is allowed, her, when * the iball '- is v too far away from "the • pocket ] to^expect such an uneven cue.~as a, nose >to make a long; shot, correctly. . -. The vten" lay close to. a! side pocket She aimed', badly and hit '.the cushion,, but .before the ball could bounce back she reached out with her foot and edged it; into the pocket; then, as, if she had not cheated at: all,; she; hunted upjthej /"eleven." ,y And * so f the ? game \u25a0 on, played in 'earnest; by; both sides, j Some- X times :' ?Toots" wins;* sometimes Vsher loses ; but ' her -interest ; neverj flags.* ShY seems Vto ; understand that there \u25a0 is. a .contest > c on and \u25a0 her -mistress : shoot- with an, apparent jknowledge /of :; whaC she is^about/ %- \u25a0/' > .: : vi >.: Of course,. '' Toots", is only, a dog'after "all, and her cleverness must always fall snort : of/ »otuaj ;i inteUigence, She^ had .;tobe i-.&uiht everything and; the 'tricks * wWcbTlmaka^:the spectators^^sp af ilthe i result \u25a0«" of ; painstaking) care*.; < :',.. \u25a0,'• • "Toots" ; was is barely able to . pad j about '•. at>."the*j age of? a : few > weeks -when ? Mrs; = Clayton^ puV( her,, on- the : table for^the i first tifne/£rShe- began: byj placing a ball close to /a hole -and pushing; It Tin with » t he ii pup's jnose.sbut after a- few i weeks* \u25a0ho 2 merely : , Blxnnlated '.the ; action ; with her ' own '"nose/-. This i" aroused "Toots' " VmuiatlonV r and' she Iwasl soon knocking thefballsilnto'the ; pockets, 4 ho: matter where*L they. \u25a0 stood ; ;r; r ; ItS took Jlong, hard - months Vof ' work and "infinite ] patience, 7 "* however*. |to carry the! pup's \ education to v a pomt 4 where ' shftiknew.it he} balls^ by their, numbers/ In -this* respect her. education "is still. in- complete, as she only knows them up to six Individually, although she can distinguish them up to fifteen taken as a set. When Clayton Is showing off the dog he likes 'to have the spectators call out the numbers of the balls. "Three," some one cries, but "Toots" pays ;no attention until Clayton cries: "Three, 'Toots,' three." . The* rudimentary intelligence that serves "Toots" for a brain and makes her know the difference between Vile down,""go home" and "come here" has formed what psychologists call a habit of associating the sound of "three" as expressed by Clayton or his wife with a ball striped after a certain fashion, so she puts that one into the pocket. Long association with the pool table has taught "Toots" just what balls be long upon it. Clayton, is at. sea about this himself. If any ball which does not.belong among the others is placed there, "Toots" immediately roots it out, 'takes it to "the edge or the table and drops it upon the floor. Mrs. Clayton >as colored several white balls tojmi tate the proper ones, but "Toots" is not to be deceived. In time Mrs. Clayton has accumulated black, tan. blue, gray, yellow,'' pink and purple balls, as well, which she likes to place unostenta tiously on the table while "Toots" Is busy with a shot.. To her . great de light "Toots" always discovers the ruse immediately. • ', ' ."* i . . " :,f-?Any '" ivory j^ball besides '\u25a0 the cue '. ball 'tToots'.' ;also disposes of, -knowing that only composition balls are ordinarily used.;.,;-,^ ,v.:.."""r ;•'.*/" i "\u25a0 -~>"\ ""•What 1 appear, to be the most pro nounced, acts i of 'intelligence are the combination ; : shots ~ she .makes. She kisses >; off r ; balls, 1 " sends two into- the pocket s with-; the ;- same • shot," and *• when . two ,~orTmore: balls ; lie bunched near a pocket, -^ sends j' them •• in } one after an other'withrseveral little short; jabs. • '\u25a0.'•"'.\u25a0'•.'.'. When "Toots" Is Stumped .There is one fancy shot.;that mysti fies' her "and seems to arouse her envy, as she always watches I lt^with great interest, . yelping and jumping up and dr>wn~as : It j is : successfully carried -out. This ?is I the ;' difHcult .six ball shot ln .vented;by Alfredo de Oro,' champion pool ; player.: of .the*. world .for 14 , years. One of the -'.I; accompanying "j photographs shows Mrs. Clayton taking ? this * shot, and "Toots,". i her" feet carefully _• drawn out ; - of i the : < wayl -absorbed :. in watch- Ing lt:*Ti '.^. \u25a0/::A-,; : ,;+A. • \u0084, •.? \u25a0 \u25a0 ' ... ,:,V.The play jinust. be' made exactly right. Six;balls : are- placed as; if in. : two arcs /with y the > convex;, sides each other,* the) two { center* balls in each -be ing; so", "close "together " that the cue ball 'can motr not- pass .between,' but hits eachat ;aj sharp'* angle, •i' 1 ; When' properly rexe • cuted a ; ball - is ., sent \ Into 'each 'j of : the six - pockets/, It ; Is ; a' very/; pretty, shot, the balls all "hitting the pockets ' at the 1 same ! instant. ~ "Toots"; has } studied this hundreds of .times, but she can not grasp j 1t."53! She ) looks up^ at Mrs.* Clay ton, whln : ing ; and Iwagging ; her 'tall fas IIfI to say : you I explain?*! f 3. But " all : that J her ; mistress ..<ca"n do ; is to . pet ' her and : give her/al piece: of (chocolate.';;'.. ."?..'; -. \u25a0?n-Her | playing 3 frequently £an '*: occa- i slon" for; laying a.. few x small •bets.'iwhlch t in 5 " some ; doggy * way ; seems -to ,:be .com-" municated -} to ; her A ; As i soon * as * money is Uatd ion I her^she \ bucks \ up\ and \u25a0\u25a0 plays ; a'» better^ game, and if It is her, master^or : mistress \ who^ is < betting ' she plays mar velbusiy.Vy At./ leasC^ so people 'assejrted'in^ alls honesty. = However, I do ;not'vouchiforjthls.'^~^ .:''. ; .-. • "Tobts".>Jias * the jj ways i of ', pool \ play- i ers^and'mustShave^thV electricity \u25a0burn ing",bvex^the^ table,'; noThiatter. how^llght i1 5 is.^., Sometimes \ hei jmistress I turns , It off as' 'shells' engaged* in!maklnga ; ; shot;, but ,"Toot/>" '.'immediately stops and stands on her hind legs, slapping at th» light and barking;. " She has proper scorn for an Imita tion game, and once when placed on a toy pool table she would not play. Here Is another story about . her, which will have to be taken on faith. Having' no cue ball she can not ' "scratch." So Clayton, to teach he? better manners, declares each scratch. she takes at herself with her hind foot to be equal to a "scratch" In the game, for which she Is fined a ball. She does' not like |to be fined, so she does not scratch. "Toots" Is merely the outcome of con stant and tireless training. She knows the meaning of the slightest inflection in the voices of her master and mis- tress. She has learned score 3of words and she acts on these solely. No on« could play pool with her as welL If one of the two were not there to help her over the rough places her lack \u25a0 of actual intelligence leaves her helpless. But, even considering that, what sha does seems impossible. The pool play ers all know her and make a pet of her. and owners of pool playing estab lishments ace always glad to see Clay* ton coming in with "Toots" at his heels. In two minutes she is on the tabl* playing her master, a game to the de 1? eh ted surprise of. the dazed specta tors. • • • June Cares for Cats . "It's luncheon time, June! Where's -_ your basket? Hurry, now." ; The speaker was Dr. Ira Barker Dal zlel, the veterinary surgeon* and fancy the surprise of the newspapermen to see, not a* little girl, as the name would suggest, but a full blooded shepherd dog. who came bounding toward Doctor- . Dalziel for a moment and then, turning sharply, l ran to the yard outside and after a few sharp. Imperative barks, returned with a large basket In his - mouth and. looking neither to the right nor to the left,' ran • through an open door and down the street. ._ Responding to the inquiring looks of his newspaper friend. Dalziel explained: "That's my dog June. He has gon» • to my house for the cats' dinner. Wait a moment and you'll see how they wel come him on his return." Then Mr. Dalziel became meditative and reminiscent. "You see." he said.' "l think a lot of June.. I ; dld ..not: suppose when I took ' him in just after, the fire that I would : grow so. "fun of him. or that h9 would prove to-be such an appreciative and lovable companion. June is really a refugee dog. His owner,, who waj obliged to -leave San Francisco imme diately after the earthquake, brought him around :to'my f place, feeling very badly at > having • to , part with * him; in fact, he ;was j actually crying, and . said his wife and daughter were really sick because *they had to give up their pet." so then I, agreed to look after him.' and now I have become so attached to him that I would not give. him up for any; price., Here he comes now. You see he -has made'; good time with that \u25a0 lunch | basket." Just .then .June came bounding through the door with a. well filled lunch basket that 1 might . almost have fed ; a picnic party, r and from the yard at the same time came bounding a half * dozen "sleek, fat 'cats,' : mewing Imna tiently as '\u25a0 Is tne habit of cats, until tn% * contents ,of -' the basket . were remotf e4 : and j placed at -their C disposal, "June,'. meant! me. lay. down by hi* master's ' chair 7 and blinked complacent ly.^butihlsiwork'was'hot yet finished. Again came the .command: \ "Here.' i you; June,' get: your smoking outfit and your hats, and show tne gen tleman how you look when you're en gaged in doing something really inter esting." \u0084'\u25a0":.; ... ..\u25a0;:_\u25a0- •, ' '; ; .-..-»\u25a0 , .Obedient, to the word," June again. left the room.w returning . immediately.' with &'. plpe^anft^several 'small .hats, 'and '". hopplng^uponla;chalr. posed good-na turedly; for \u25a0 the photographers' camera.; t **Much\* obliged, 1 I'm ; sure.", said the ' newspaperman/ ","Perhaps_that pipe" is strong. ".".Would you llke^a^clgajr?". And June 'took; the cigar.