“A dog is man’s best friend.”

Just where did that proverb come from? King Frederick of Prussia named dogs “man’s best friend” in 1789. Its modern use has been traced to Senator George Graham Vest of Missouri, who in 1870 was the plaintiff’s lawyer in the case of Burden v. Hornsby. Charles Burden’s favorite dog, Old Drum, was fatally shot by the nephew of neighbor Leonidas Hornsby when the unsuspecting pet wandered onto Hornsby’s property. Enraged, Burden sued Hornsby, and the case eventually reached the Missouri Supreme Court. Future senator Vest delivered the words, “The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world . . . is his dog.”

To the delight of dog lovers everywhere, Burden was awarded $50 in damages. The local Chamber of Commerce erected a statue of Old Drum on the lawn of the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg.