There wasn't much work done in the Times office early Friday afternoon (the 25th). Even a scoop about Dillinger wouldn't have caused much of a ripple.
It took Pete, that lovable bull dog with the black ring around his eye, whom we've all laughed at in Our Gang comedies, to put a husher on all the typewriters in the office. Everyone gathered round Pete and his lucky owner, Harry Lucenay, who are here from California for the week end at the Parthenon.
Mr. Lucenay is no slouch, folks. He's one of those friendly fellows who loves his dog and loves having other people enjoy him too.
The Times force got to see a lot of Pete's tricks, done with great ceremony right on the none too clean floor of an editorial office with its ribbons of papers.
Pete acts like the blue blood he is. In the first place, his mother was a Pasadena society dog and his father the illustrious Pal of Jesse Lasky picture fame.
In the second place, Pete is as well groomed as though he were the fashion plate of "dogdom." His teeth are brushed daily so that Pete doesn't appear to have pink tooth brush. His toe nails are constantly manicured, though he doesn't seem to go in for colored polish. His handwrought silver collar has a Tiffany look about it.
This lovable old fellow is ten now, folks. He's been used to fame since he was three months old and had a part in Buster Brown comedies.
Pete is half English bull and half bull terrier, but he looks more human than any dog we've ever seen and far handsomer than some humans.
Just how important he is to Harry Lucenay is shown by the fact that Pete is insured for $25,000.
Aside from doing a lot of the most intelligent tricks we've ever seen a dog do, Pete lives pretty much like the king he is. He gets a pound and a half of meat a day with a few biscuits thrown in for good measure. In hot weather, Mr. Lucenay says milk and eggs constitute Pete's diet.
"Let's see some tricks," asked a news hound who had stood watching the handsome dog.
Pete meanwhile had been resting, allowing his silky head to be petted. He wasn't too enthusiastic about all of the fondling he was getting; but he took it.
When Harry Lucenay snapped his fingers, the show began. His master is the king. Pete's eyes follow Harry's every move. Pete shook hands, he climbed up and whispered to his master. Then he picked up some bits of paper and put them in the waste basket. He sits up as easy as rolling off a log. He walks on his hind legs handsomely. In between tricks, Pete sits down. His tail is actually flat from so much sittin'.
But the funniest thing, the thing which was almost human was when Pete talked on the phone to Patsy, the collie belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Boals. Patsy likes to bark over the phone. And so she did with all the coyness of her canine way. Pete loved it. He listened carefully, grumbling a soft, low, contented response.
Yep! Pete's a dandy dog.