Missouri's two most famous dogs--Old Drum and Jim the Wonder Dog

Those of us who are Missouri residents should be aware that our home state has two historically famous dogs. Both were hunting dogs and beloved pets. The first of these famous hounds is now known as Old Drum. Old Drum became known nationwide as the result of court trials held in 1870.

A neighbor of Old Drum's owner had threatened to shoot any dog on his property that he suspected of killing his sheep. One night, he made good on his threat. Apparently, Old Drum had wandered into his yard, and the property owner, Leonidas Hornsby, had the dog shot. Old Drum's owner, Charles Burden, contended his hound was a great hunting dog but never a sheep killer.

Burden sued Hornsby for as much as the law would allow. Both men were stubborn and unable to accept defeat. So, there were five different trials, including a final appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court. Burden, Old Drum's owner, won the final appeal. However, it was an earlier trial in Warrensburg, Missouri, that made the dog famous. Burden's lawyer, George Graham Vest, made a trial winning speech that is still quoted today. The old saying, "A man's best friend is his dog" came from that courtroom speech.

Today, Old Drum is memorialized by a bronze statue located in Warrensburg. Vest's speech honoring "man's best friend" has been reprinted many times since the trial. We need to remember that these trials occurred very shortly after the end of the Civil War. Emotions were still running high, especially in Missouri, where loyalty to North or South was divided. During the war, Vest had represented Missouri in both the Confederate House of Representatives and Senate. Much later, he served for four terms in the U. S. Senate. Clearly, his fame from the Old Drum trial helped him in his later accomplishment.

The fame of Jim the Wonder Dog was quite different from that of Old Drum. Jim was also a hunting hound but he lived from 1925 to 1937, during the Great Depression. He became famous for his unmatched accomplishments rather than from a lawyer's speech. His owner, Sam Van Arsdale, lived in Missouri, and Jim the Wonder Dog spent his last days in Marshall, Missouri.

Van Arsdale knew Jim was special when one warm day while out hunting, Van Arsdale said "Lets set in the shade of that hickory tree and rest" and Jim trotted over to a hickory tree and sat down. Then, Jim picked at his master's suggestion a walnut tree, a cedar, a stump and a hazel bush. Later, Jim demonstrated on college campuses that he could follow directions or answer questions that were given in various languages, including French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Greek. Such amazing behavior was demonstrated time after time in situations designed to test the dog. Seven years in a row, Jim picked the winner of the Kentucky Derby before the races were run. He picked winners of the World Series. These and other unexplainable behaviors were in addition to his being the best hunting dog around.

When Jim the Wonder Dog died in 1937, he was buried outside the Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall. Later, as the cemetery grew, his grave was included in its boundary. Today, it is the most visited grave in the cemetery. There is now a statue memorializing this amazing hound as well.