The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-10-09
USEFUL DEPARTMENT.,
Spoiled Horse.


This was my last purchase. Late in
the autumn, the following advertisement
led nae to it:-"For sale, a valuable
horse, to one seho knous hon to han.
de Atm" Prompted partly by curiosi-
IT, and partly because my stable had
become vacated, l carefully examined
the horse offered for sale. He had not
been harnessed for over five weeks, and,
what was worse, they did not dare to
harness him. i'll bought, l must take
my chances: it was a "run for luck"
Notwithstanding all his faults, I some.
how liked him from the first; yet no one
OF the many who had called to see him
seemed disposed to buy. Although the
stables warned me not to touch him, my
check for on hundred and sixty-two
dollars and a half settled the matter, and
! led my purchase home. I led him, for
1 did not care 70 back him until [ had
first made his acquaintance Ny wsl k
home gave me time for reflection, for
though my eyes and my hands were
kept busy in looking out for my horse,
my thoughts were buster than either.
A jump and a snort from my prancing
steed %wouldrec my wandering thoughts
andlcause me to be more on my guard
lest the stable keepers warning should
prove true before l reached home. But
at last my purchase was safely il my
stable. A higher melted or more thor
eughly nervous horse 7 never had there
before. However, with all his faults, he
had n redeeming trait--he did not
ksekf But with every other vice he
seemed to be familiar If l attempted
to put my hand on his head, he would
pull away and snort. I could hardly
enter the stable without his thrashing
about violently. The grain man came,
but he got so thoroughly frightened that
it was weeks before I could induce him
to come again. q. d. "@:"' @i
From the day he. entered my stable
until the present, I have never struck
him a blow. Inever, under any ctrcum-
stances, strike a horse IN the stable.
Kindness will accomplish what whipping
has failed to do. I thought I had a,
winters job before me; but the first.
thing 1 wished to do was to win his con-
fdence-to teach him to love me, which
I feel I have e~ffectually done. / began
by giving him apples and potatoes, which
L always taught him to eat from my
hand, and at the same time patted his
neck and head. In this way I made
rapid strides in gaining his confidence.
What ! dreaded most was to harness
him. Those, ominous words, "A .,yalu-
able horse to one who knows how to
handle him." were continually running
in my mind. Was L the! man Har.I
messed he must be, for every days delay
was making the matter more difficult
and dangerous. I procured the help of
two good men, and began. I admit that
my nerves were a, little shaky, yet my
in managing a horse had not
all died out. After some trouble we got
him fairly in the shafts, and L found
myself seated behind him, ready for a.
But it was no go. I soon learn
that there was no danger of his, run.
ning-not a bit of it! He threw him
self back ia his harness, and evidently I
expected a +" sc:ape." But in this hel
was disappointed. I could sit as long
Is he could stand and I waited, said
bat waited until he got tired of
and started OF, IBIS, own accord,
when I drove him, and could handle him
With perfect ease, The next day, I,tried !
again, with, the same. performance, 5
ollowed BY the same result, andL Irom t
the present, he has never q
to start when~I ask him, or in
way behave improperly, 1t is the O
re and the spirit that add value to the '
teed, when brought under proper sub ?
sction to the MASTER Dan and myself ii
ave become the best Of friends. He is '
to DO anything I ask him, and Il
eve strike him a blow. I talk to b
if he'is frightened. A kind word Fl
me assures him, and he takes cour- o. |,
&C.. .o:.se9 , .sa,4 g. .~-..5.,a -, :rrrs...s y
He can "make his mile " in, three d,
~inutes,J aorItwelve miles an hour, has y
ne style and action, andis as good and u
ever an animal insthe stable or harness tt
I could wish. Ny boy of twelve can p'
andle him aud take care. of him with q.
affect safety. j, was, not the .yAip :
at made him what he is, but tthe law
kindness, which always works best,
man or beast / By i'll have a good r
q valuable, horse. and I think he has 4
master who, ft".kaoavs ,Aosoe to handle N
h, 40. W. f., in Our Dumb AMI de-
ais..ssf7 y M - no.'HI ri "a "l"T 81 pa
y l.. a! s1ss--l--s -. - = ~54o
THE EP1eLoTTIs.-T1h general tn
Illness of, the exercises at the late tai
'eting Of the British scientific a~ssocia-
q, was relieved BY the, reading of a Pr
per on An Obstacle to Longevity sal
yond Seventy" by Sir Duncan Glib, .os
twas stated that an examina. hi,
o Of heathroats Of 5000 healthy ppeo- fer
revealed the fact that in 1850 cases so'
epiglattis was dropping. or pendant S S,t
1 furthermore, that in everycase which -:
! come under his observation, the cpl vii
ttis OF persons reaching an. age over SEES
'enty was erect and overtieaLgs Upon no!
basis Of these facts Sir DUNCAN lays Ia
WI y The inviolable rule that persons to
b q pendant epiglottis. cannot attain y
. longevity beyond seventy: years, La
lie O. vertical position Of this hitherto ~ !
important member. makes the ,fortu. dor
9 pessessore reasonably, Ger, y certain ia Of of1
ching the extremist limit Of human"ts<
JaRlnnuEnerable practical benefits sure -
result from this discovery will readi- -