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Jim was a Llewellyn
setter born of pureblood champion field stock in Louisiana.
Though his litter mates were selling for $25 each, a goodly
sum in 1925, he was considered the most unlikely of the
litter and came into Sam VanArsdale's hands for less than
half that amount. Attempts to train Jim for the field
seemed futile as he lay in the shade watching while the
trainer worked with three other dogs. However, when taken
into the field that Fall for the first time, he immediately
went to a convey of quail, came up on perfect point, held
steady till the quail was shot, and immediately brought the
birds to Mr. VanArsdale on the order of "Fetch". He proved
to be a marvelous hunting dog, knowing where there was
quail, and refusing to hunt where there were none. His
master, an avid hunter who traveled from state to state
hunting, kept track of birds shot over his beloved dog. He
stopped counting at 5,000, a total no other dog ever
reached. Outdoor Life Magazine termed him "The Hunting Dog
of the Century.
However, Jim was much
more than just a champion hunting dog. While in the field,
Mr. VanArsdale discovered, quite by accident, that his dog
could understand what he was saying to him and carried out
his commands.
It was a hot day and
Mr. VanArsdale said, "let's go over and rest a bit under
that hickory tree." Although in a woods of numerous kinds
of trees, Jim went to the hickory. Surprised by this, he
asked Jim to go to a walnut, then a cedar, a stump, and a
tin can, which he did rapidly and perfectly. This was the
start of the amazing things the dog did on command. When
told to do so, he could go out on the street and locate a
car by make, color, out-of-state, or a license number. From
a crowd, he could select the "man who sells hardware", the
one who "takes care of sick people", or "visitor from Kansas
City".
He carried out
instructions given to him in any foreign language,
shorthand, or Morse Code. He was capable of predicting the
outcome of future events: he chose the winner of the
Kentucky Derbies, the World Series and the sex of unborn
babies.
Jack L. Jolly, Pettis
County Representative, invited Jim to perform a joint
session of the legislature. Among other things, he
designated the man in the crowd who was playing cards when
they came in".
Mr. Van Arsdale
arranged for a demonstration at the University of Missouri
with Dr. Durant, head veterinarian. He was assisted by Dr.
Sherman Dickinson. They could find nothing physically
abnormal from any other dog. He was then tested by a group
of college students and passed each command with flying
colors.
In 1935 Jim performed
at the Kemmerer Hotel in Kemmerer Wyoming. after his
successful performance, an article was written in the
Gazette of Kemmerer on Friday, August 30, 1935, telling of
this performance and referring to Jim as "The Wonder Dog".
At the State Fair in
Sedalia, Missouri, Gene Moses of Joplin, Missouri, asked Mr.
VanArsdale for a demonstration. He asked "Jim go and show
us who plays the tuba". Jim went to the owner of the tuba
and placed his paw on him. Then, "Jim, show us a red-headed
woman." Jim went through the crowd and raised a paw in
front of her, but did not touch her.
Newspaper and
magazine writers came to witness Jim and were stunned. They
wrote of the incredulous things they saw, and Jim's fame
spread across the United States and elsewhere. He was
featured in Ripley's Believer It or Not.
Jim passed away march
18, 1937 and is buried in Marshall's Ridge Park Cemetery
with a gravestone, and is probably the only animal in a
"people" cemetery. caretakers say his is the most visited
grave there and is seldom without flowers and coins left on
it.
There is a statue of
Jim placed in the "Jim the Wonder Dog Garden Park" located
on Lafayette Street, just off the northwest corner of the
Marshall Square, along with many of the stories and
eyewitness accounts about Jim's talents. The park sits on
the original site of the Ruff Hotel. You can learn more
about Jim the Wonder Dog and other saline County History by
visiting the Saline County Historical Museum (660-886-7546)
housed in the building next door to the Jim the Wonder Dog
Park or by visiting
www.jimthewonderdog.com
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