Bummer and Lazarus
Transamerica Redwood Park (Sansome opposite Leidesdorff)
21’5” X 19.75” (75cm X 50cm)
21’5” X 19.75” (75cm X 50cm)
Bummer (right) and Lazarus (left)
Illustration © 1984 Malcolm E. Barker ELEGY ON BUMMER
BY A. BOHEMIAN, ESQ. He, who was faithful to the end,
The noble Bummer sleeps; Gone hence to join his better friend, Where doggy never weeps. All tears are wiped from Bummer's eyes, Good angels give him place; E'en at the gates of Paradise, Barking glad notes of grace. When Lazarus was ill, in need, 'Twas Bummer bro't bread; Then brethern all, I pray take heed, To gain such praise when dead. |
San Francisco is known for its odd and colorful characters. But there is probably no more charming - and tragic - story than that of the two “San Francisco dogs,” Bummer and Lazarus.
In early 1861 Bummer, a black and white Newfoundland mongrel was well known along Montgomery Street where he frequented the restaurants and the saloons where free lunches were offered. He had not acquired the name Bummer for nothing, and was always always welcome and guaranteed a meal. One day patrons noticed that instead of eating the handouts Bummer was leaving with them. A couple of men followed him and discovered he was giving them to another dog. They learned from witnesses that Bummer had rescued the dog from an attack by a larger dog several days before. The witnesses had doubted the victimized dog would survive his injuries but Bummer was nursing him back to health. The dog’s remarkable recovery earned him the name Lazarus. The two dogs became inseparable and were nicknamed Damian and Pythias. They also gained a reputation as “ratters.” In 1863 they were reported to have killed 400 rats where a building site was being excavated. In 1862 an unknowing pound keeper picked up Lazarus and took him to the pound. Those familiar with the dogs were outraged. A petition with several hundred signatures was placed before the Board of Supervisors demanding that the two dogs be exempt from the ordinance requiring strays to be impounded. The Board agreed and the pair became the “San Francisco dogs.” Their stature was elevated shortly thereafter, when the two dogs stopped a runaway horse-drawn wagon on Clay Street. One newspaper stated that the pair should be considered in the “employ of the city.” In late 1863 Lazarus was poisoned by a man who believed the dog had bitten his child. Lazarus eventually died and was sent to a taxidermist to be stuffed. For the next two years Bummer, apparently mourning the loss of his friend, was rarely seen. Then, one night in 1865, a drunk kicked Bummer down a flight of stairs. Several days later he died and was mourned by the city. Mark Twain, thinking the dog died of natural causes, wrote a cynical eulogy. Just like Lazarus, his body was sent to a taxidermist and stuffed. The two were regularly displayed in various saloons along Montgomery Street. Author Malcolm E. Barker was largely responsible for getting the plaque placed at this location. His book, Bummer and Lazarus, was written from contemporary newspaper accounts and is the definitive biography of these two beloved dogs. |