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| Stable boy with Stub. He might not look like much but he was 27 yrs. old in this photo. |
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| The Gray Family. Daughter Alice, Alonzo, wife Josephine and daughter Olive with Jim @ Ft. McIntosh, TX 1917 |
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| Em Street and Jim. Ripley, Mississippi 1918. "Stub the Horse" - by 2nd Lieut. Alonzo Gray. 1888 Ft. Wingate, New Mexico Territory. "My first venture was to trade an old buggy for a range horse, with the proviso that I was to catch the horse. I took a few Navajo scouts and went to a valley on the mountain top and pointed out the horse to the scouts. Then I made for home. In about an hour, I heard a great shouting and commotion on the mountainside, above the post. I fastened open the back gates of my yard and waited. Soon the Indians appeared, driving a small bunch of horses, which they then ran into the backyard. The gates were closed, my horse roped and the others turned loose. I owned this horse for 28 years and he died at 31 years of age. I always called him "Stub", contracted from "Stubborn", but Lieut. C.D. Rhodes always called him "Old Mortality". This horse soldiered in New Mexico, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, camps at New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa, Huntsville and then to Puerto Rico; back to Missouri, Kansas, Arizona, Washington State and finally to Yellowstone Park where he died in 1916." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Col. Gray's memoirs: 1891 Ft. McKinney, Wyoming- "One of my neighbors killed a skunk and threw it on the prairie, about a hundred yards from the back fence. I had a Water Spaniel which used to go with me when out horseback riding. One day, when coming in, I saw my dog rolling in this decomposed skunk. I yelled at him and he started for the back gate, but he beat me to it. Then, I raced him to the back door, which was open, but again he beat me to it. I followed him into the house and dragged him out from underneath the couch and a sweet scented time we had of it." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Col. Gray's Memoirs: 1906 San Francisco, CA.- "After the earthquake in San Francisco, a large number of lost dogs were running the streets, looking for a home. I took up a Llewellin Setter and had him for several years. The trouble about such attachments is that one breaks their heart by separation from a companion like a well trained bird dog. On my 2nd tour in the Philippines, in 1909, the dog had to be left behind. The same thing happened again during the World War (1918) when I had to leave a trained pointer, that I never saw again." (Ed. note: This well trained pointer was his favorite dog, "Jim".) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This letter was written by Lottie Street (age 96), to Jane Odell Davis in 1985. Lottie was a sister to Maj. John A. Street, who was married to Alonzo Gray's daughter Olive. They had been married for five weeks when Maj. Street shipped out to France during WWI. He was killed in action Oct. 4, 1918 at the age of 23 years and was a graduate of USMA 1916. Jane Davis was Olive's daughter from her 2nd marriage. "JIM"- THE FAVORITE DOG OF COL. ALONZO GRAY Jim was with Olive Gray riding through Brooklyn Park and Capt. John A. Street stopped to admire the dog. He introduced himself to Olive, who said, "Warner Carr told me about you". They fell in love and when WWI began, John was sent to Syracuse, NY to train a troop of soldiers and then in July 1917 Olive went to Syracuse and she and Capt. Street were married. Later, Col. Gray was ordered to France. He called John's parents and asked them to take care of his favorite dog, Jim. JIM'S TRAVELS- Jim was put in a big crate and shipped to J.W. Street, Ripley, Mississippi. Jim had to change cars from San Antonio, Texas to a train for Memphis, Tenn., then on another train to Ripley, Mississippi. Emmett, the Street's second son, hitched up the wagon to meet Jim. He brought the dog to the big family home. All of the family stood around to see the big dog. Jim was an intelligent dog. He was amazed at so many new faces. He became a pet for each of the family and all the children in the neighborhood loved him. So, in the Spring of 1918, Olive Gray came to spend 3 months with John's family. Everyday, she and Jim would walk five blocks to the post office. Everyone passing would stay to admire her dog. He was friendly to all who came near him. He would carry the newspaper in his mouth- until he got to the front porch, then drop the paper. All during that year, Jim had lots of admirers, especially the children on the street. They would play with him and he seemed to enjoy playing with the children. The winter got so cold that Mr. Street brought Jim's bed into their bedroom near the open fire. If he wanted to go out, he would go near Mr. Street's bed and paw on him- so Mr. Street would open the door. After Jim got through with his "business" he would come in out of the cold. He was glad to be by the warm fire. The winter was so cold that Jim got pneumonia and never got well. So, when Olive came by on her way to San Antonio, she saw that Jim would not get well- and she called Dr. Adams, who lived nearby, to come put Jim to sleep forever. Emmett loved Jim so much that he dug a deep grave in the peach orchard- also, he made a wooden box to bury him in and his mother wrapped Jim in one of her beautiful coats and the grave was filled in. The children of the neighborhood brought flowers and sang songs for Jim's funeral. Emmett heaped up the soil and made a mound, so the children could come at times with flowers for the dog's grave. Jim never lived to go back to Col. Gray when he came home from France. No dog was ever loved as much as Jim. |
