This minor saga begins with a tiny artifact from the Lucas County Historical Society collection --- a gold charm measuring about three quarters of an inch in length that could, I suppose, be worn as a necklace, as a bracelet charm or attached to a watch fob.
Finely cast, the lettering on one side reads "Bowles" and, on the other, "Bowles Live Stock Commission Co., Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha."
It's the sort of thing that would have been given as a favor to a customer and there are a few others similar to it out there for online sale, but this is the only example I found in gold.
It's also so small that it is virtually impossible to display in a manner that catches the eye of museum visitors. So I pulled it out for special attention.
I tracked the Bowles Livestock Commission Co. to Thomas L. Bowles, who founded the company in his hometown, Kansas City, during 1903 and, as he prospered, opened branches in two of the Midwest's other great livestock market cities --- Chicago and Omaha.
Mr. Bowles died during March of 1938, age 68, of pneumonia at his Kansas City home and the funeral Mass was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Hope (Redemptorist) Church with burial following in Mount St. Mary Cemetery. There were six active pallbearers and 21 honorary, described in his Kansas City Star obituary of March 27 as "friends in the livestock business."
Survivors included his widow, Gertrude; a son, Thomas Jr. --- and a faithful dog, Chu Chu.
It was that dog that made the news later on in 1938, attracting far more attention than the death of his master had, when an enterprising Kansas City reporter filed the following report that was picked up and republished by newspapers around the country:
KANSAS CITY (AP) --- For years, Chu Chu, a chow dog, accompanied his master on a walk each night and to Mass each Sunday.
Nine months ago, the master, Thomas L. Bowles, died.
Now the dog, each night at 7 o'clock, follows the route of his master's walk in lonesome dignity.
And each Sunday he varies the routine by walking to church and back --- by himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment