Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-04-09
From the Charleston Evening News.
THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER.
BY GRANT THORNBURN.

SIN all the universe of God. perhaps, he has
not given unto man a more useful, more intel
ligent, and more grateful animal than the
horse lie is thinking; calculating and So
cial animal. Treat him as he knows he ought
to be treated, and he is thy companion, thy
friend and in thy defence he will sacrifice his
own lite Pity he is so abused pity to see him
bound in a dirt cart, his bones piercing the skin,
load Tar beyond his strength, brute having
two legs, but more ignorant than his horse, beat
| ing him with club because he wont move the
load, which he is willing though unable to drag;
this unfeelmg mortal should be marched to the
post, there to receive forty stripes save one.
will relate few anecdotes, hoping it may
| induce men TO treat him with more kindness |
had the following from gentleman, of whose
veracity there is no doubt A friend of his was
riding home i'll a dark night through wood: he
struck his head against tree and fell stunned
to the ground. The horse returned to the house
they had left; paved at the door and some one
came out. The horse turned about looking over
his shoulder and walking ahead lie was fol-
lowed by man who found his master living
senseless Thus the horse saved the masters
| life
When a man is uniformly kind to his horse,
the animal will never desert him in distress
An acquaintance of mine having drank deep
and late at a tavern, was placed on his horse
| the morning he was found lying asleep on his
side, the hoEselying with mis- back to the back
OF his master. 1t was thought that the warmth
OF the animal kept the man alive.
II have SEEM" said a friend of mine, "a child
OF five years old sent for.by the wife OF the keep
er to quiet an unruly horse, for to no other per
son wqaldshe yield such implicit obedience but
pat from her tinyhand or the in1antile inquiry,
| "What is the matter with you?'' was sufficient
To .lii a,
was only tohers he yielded such submission. for.
otherwise, he was a high spirited and really in
tractable animal. This child was often found
fast asleep on the neck of the horse when he laid
himself down in the STALL and so long as she
continued to sleep, so long the horse remained
invariably in his recumbent posture
There is something mysterious in the manner
IN which thehorse discovers and avoids perils
OF which his master is quite unsuspicious In
1916, gentleman in France was about to cross
a bridge in cabriolet; the horse stopped-nei-
| Their whip nor coaXing would induce him to
move,-while urging the horse, the arch fell
thus saving the life Of the master
A few months ago there died in my stable a
horseby the name of Billy. He-had carried my
wife, my children, my grand children, and my
great-grandchildren. He was a white Canadian
pony, and as docie as child. One day roing
to a village on Long Island on a part of the
road where was obliged to pass they We're ma
king stone fence, the road lay incumbered with
ox-carts, chains, lime barrels, large stones. &C.
SO as to make it almost impossible even in day.
light; got detained beyond expectation. When
returning it was very dark
When came to the road making department.
| could not see my horse's head He stopped
1t was the end of March, the frost coming out
OF the. ground Had l stepped from the wagon,
| would have sunk to the knees in mud. Now
Billy" says |, II oant't see, can't walk you
must try not to upset me if you CAM i slack
ed the r,eins-@Now,"~ says l., Chilly, ye may
gong ye,a ewn gait, the understood Scotch as
well as The had been born in Scotland) He
put.hi nose to the ground he crossed he tack
ed and Wore ship like an old sailor among break
ers he brought me out safe. s'Well done Bill
y," says |, you shall get a bicker (6 quarts) of
oats for this" He clapped his feet to the ground,
and in ten minutes we We're at the stable door.
| washed the mud from his legs, rubbed him
down, made bed of clean straw, gave him
drink, and then his oats, and bid him good night.
He returned lew nicker, as if he said, E'thank
ye.' Last summer the wife of one of my sons
died. Billy went with a man down to New
York and brought up her cofin 1t was has last
Toad. He took sick that same hour after coming
home, and died in three or four days thereafter
He-was buried IN has skin in grace neither
dog nor buzzard profaning his worthy carcass.
The man who would in his anger, beat or abuse
his horse, with the same brutal ann he will
knock down his wife"