The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-06
NEW YORKLSMS.
Rf,otn o,lr otpn oorrespondent.


the Fourth street side Of the house, "Society for
Che Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals" Ascend
ing by the side interior the visitor is confronted
with door bearing the same inscription, and
opening upon q neat square little room, which
pverlooks busy Broadway.
Small as the room is, and few as are its occu-
pants, the VISITORS first impression is that a
great deal of business Is transacted there. In
the northwest corner sits q middle aged gentle
man, with keenly benevolent face, whose eyes
seem TO beam with general desire for the
welfare OF all dumb animals everywhere. This
Is MIR. John Nude, head clerk. Immediately
opposite TO him and in the southwest corner sits
Mr. Henry Bergh, the altogether indefatlgable
President of o Society, some of whose good
works it is proposed here to show.
The act TO incorporate that Society was passed
April 10, 1866, and its first operations were In
limited field. Mr.. Bergh owns that he CON-
menced his work as an enthusiast; and, indeed,
without the enthusiasts blind devotion, It can
scarcely be believed that man would address
himself to so gigantic task. But the white
heat which so much resembed fanaticism has
subsided by this time into the steady even glow
which is the characteristic of life's conslderate
devotion to the transaction of great duty
Aware that he is called madman by men of
less sympathetic mould than himself, hampered
frequently in his efforts by judicial processes
which should help rather than hinder his
course; threatened occasionally in life and limb
by those who CONCEIVE him to have opposed
their interests; he is cheered by the proofs that
are from time to time laid before him, Of the
tangible good that has been achieved.
The first cases upon which his beneVolence
made itself felt were the cruelties practsed in
the, transportation of cattle and sheep. The
conviction of q few of the offenders soon RENE
died that evil however. His efforts to put do wn
the practice of plungng live fowl In boiling
water for the assumed purpose Of more easily
stripping them of their plumage, were not so
successful. The defendants asserted that insen.
sibility had first been produced by piercing the
brains OF the fowls with small penknife, and
the case was dismissed. His attention was then
directed to the cruelties practised on green tur-
ties during their transportation from the tropics
hither their fms being pierced and tied with
thongs, and themselves thrown upon their
backs and kept for weeks without sufficient
nourishment. A great deal of ridicule was
ELECTED by his attempt to obtain justice and
extract sympathy, turtles being considered too
low link in the scale Of animal life to be de-
serving of human forbearance. At length bill
of indictment was found against Nehemiah II
Calhoun, captain of the schooner Action
although he was afterwards allowed to
escape from justice. An appeal to Professor
Louis Agsssiz to lecture in public in New York
upon subjects kindred to that of cruelty to ami
mails, produced from that learned man q letter
dated at the Museum of Comparative Zoology
at Harvard College, in which he gave the mos
unwaverng support to MIR. Bergh's views of the
t1o NNfh ic n
raise laugh on such questions as these, and
gourmands, we may make sure, are the first tc
grin. But the Society for the Prevention o
Cruelty to Animals has now too assured plact
in the world, and has alleviated too great al
amount of suffering among dumb animals fo
any such exhibition to be received as other thai
an indication of either very great apathy Of
very great stupidity.
1t is, of course impossible to trace the step
by which one evil after another evoked tn,
attention of the Society. Among these evil
were the adulteratcd food for horses and cattle
such as the mixing of plaster with ground grain
the numerous abuses inflicted on horses by ca
conductors and drivers; the amount of suffering
caused by the present mode Of constructiu!
public roads to those animals which are obliged
to pass over them; the cruelty practised in dog
QRntS, anu COCK 'HSnLSj Ine UruIdl siduR uLeTlnR
cattle; the feeding OF snakes and reptiles will
live animals; the worrying of cats, rats an(
other animals by dogs; the tying OF live fowls Il
stakes to be torn to pieces by amateur sports
men; the wanton injury of animals anC
suffering them to die lingering
death; and finally, most monstrou
ofall-the dissection OF live animals assumed t.
be performed for scientific purposes. The latte
Practice, known as "vivisecton," has for year
been carried on in Paris, London, and New
York, and it is to be presumed in all large cities
II these accursed scientific dbattOirS, where lon,
paths of agony lead to death, live dogs are Gu
open and deprived of their kidneys, spleen, anC
Romachs the most sensitive nerves of cats ar
laid bare, and pinChed, cut and galvanized; tn
brains OF birds have been whOlly or in par
removed; the facial nerves OF rabbits have beeI
divided; and, finally, live horses are hacked Il
Death by the slow process Of siItyfoUr dilferen
operations! Upon all these cases, as we'll a
nany Others the vigilance of the society ha
leen employed and with results which on
eem small to those who have spent time ant
hbor in achieving them.
have made 1t my duty to inquire into tn
AMOUNT of work which the Society has per
trmed. One of the peculiar features is tn
distribution, throughout the public chartabl
aylums where children are cared for, of seVerd
tousands of small illustrated work treatin
othe consequences of cruelty to animals. MI
Brgh has also lectured before large audience
olthe subject of "our Dumb Chattels," beside