Heroic dogs are well-known in our popular culture. Canines, such as "Lassie,"
have saved many lives in books, in movies and on TV.
However, in real life such animal heroism is perhaps less common. One of those real-life examples was in Greenville in the early part of this
century. In January of 1911 a Greenville Advocate front page headline read: "Dog
Rescues Boy From Icy Waters." The story went on to say that an 8-year-old Greenville boy, Frances Cox,
"owes his life to the heroism of Dan Ellwyn, the pedigreed Scotch collie owned
by Dr. A. M. Keith." -- (Dr. Keith was this writer's grandfather.) According to the article, the dog saved the boy from drowning "when the
little fellow was floundering in the waters of McGinnis' pond, after having
broken through the ice" on Friday, Dec. 30, 1910. Francis was the son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Cox. His mother thought the ice was
sufficiently strong to support her son while he was ice skating. However,
thawing had weakened the ice and the boy fell through. (The pond was said to be
at least six feet deep in places.)
The boy apparently continued to try to grab a hold of solid ice, but each time
the ice again broke off. According to The Advocate article, Dan Ellwyn saw the boy floundering in the
water, then trotted to the edge of the pond, rushed out on the ice to the boy's
assistance and "grabbed him by the back of the coat and dragged him out to the
bank." The frightened boy, with his clothing freezing to him, rushed home, burst
into the house and told his mother that a dog had saved his life, the article
stated. Later, there was a pawing at their back door and Dan Ellwyn, the canine hero,
dashed into the house, scented the boy he had saved, then sprang onto the bed
and licked the boy's hand. The boy's father made an offer of $100 to buy Dan Ellwyn, but Dr. Keith
declined to sell him. The dog was a year old the previous June. The Advocate said: "In the summer (the dog) and his little master, Allan
Keith, (Dr. Keith's son) are inseparable, but since it turned cold Dan Ellwyn
has been tramping around town trying to find some children to play with. He is
very fond of children and seeks their company."
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