The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-23
A Knowing Horse.

DURING the early settlement of Wis
| consin-Or the wilderness part of 1t, at
least-I was frequently employed by cor
| respondents from abroad to search out
certain sections Of land and report as to
| their value, timber, quality of soil, etc.
In discharging this duty / usually went
cut on horseback, using favOrite old
family horse. To find the particular Sec
ton described, would first find survey
ors blazed line," and follow it up until
| | found "corner post" where / would
ind the "cOrner trees" marked with the
number of the township. range, and Sec
ton of which the post was the boundary;
lhen by glance at the map, | could tell
| at once the distance and direction of the
section was in search of, and would fol-
low the blazed lines accordingly. On one
occasion-a dismal, foggy day-I had gone
longer distance from home than usual,
and in part of the wilderness that was
| strange to me. After making the survey,
| the fog came on so very thick that dare
] not take my usual course of returning
| by direct route, without regard to the
angles of the surveyor, but started on a
blaZcd line leading nearest to the required
direction. Before going far | came to
| bog, or marsh, which was impossible on
| horseback, and l was forced to go round
| 1t. After had got on the opposite side,
| | could not find the line again, and, after
searching some little time, 1 gave it up,
and threw the reins upon the neck of the
horse and bade him go home; preferring
| 70 trust to his instinct to find the way,
rather than my own judgment as to the
proper direction to be taken. We had not
gone many rods before noticed the blazed
| trees, for which | had been looking, and
my curiosity was at once excited to know
whether the horse really noticed the faint
| marks on the trees, and was guided by
them. Accordingly, | left the reins per-
| fectly free and was soon satisfied beyond
a doubt that such was the fact, for, on COM
ing to fallen tree or other obstruction,
he would go around it, return to the line,
and follow it without mistake in fact he
seemed to find the line more readily than
could myself Afterward, tested him
time and again. 1t made no difference
whether the direction was to or from
hcme. Once start him on surveyors
| line, and he would follow it unerringly
If the direction was from home, on COM
ing to corner post he would make stop,
as if to inquire whether to keep straight
on, or turn tC the right or left. This was
only one of many knowing traits display
ed by him. But Notwithstanding the old
fellow was so dOcile and knowing, could
never persuade him to let me shoot game
from his back; and, after a few attempts,
was forced to give it up. He would not
let me even mount him with the gun in my
hand, or allow it to be handed to me after
had mounted He appeared to have
horror of firearms; perhaps he had
noticed the result Of their use on the
e
a shot himself. With another horse l tried
an experiment that | never should
have thought of except for the in
telligence, if not reasoning power,
displayed by an old favorite l had
and perfect beauty of horse-which was
said to have been caught from drove of
wild horses on the Texas prairies. He
was gentle and docile enough while in
hand, but once loose, there was no such
thing as catching him again by any Of the
ordinary means used for catching horses
In fact, the man from whom | purchased
him, after chasing him for days with relays
of horses from his livery stable, had been
obliged, at last, to crease" him, in order
to catch him.. e., to shoot him through
the top of the neck, just above the neck
bone, temporarily paralyzing him, with
out doing him permanent injury. This
to be successfully performed, requires a
good marksman; for, if the ball struck an
inch too low, the shot would be fatal
After had been his owner six or eight
months, he got loose in the fall Of the
year, and took to the woods near by.
used to see him often, but he would never
let me approach anywhere near him. AT
ter snow fell in the winter, and feed be-
came scarce in the woods, he could OcCa-
siOnally be seen in the evening near the
stable, and / used to leave the door open
until bedtime, and sometimes as late as two
o'clock at night, and place measure of
| oats and salt within tempting distance in
side the stable, in hopes that he would go
in; but he WAS not to be entrapped in
| that way. AT last began to cast about for
the reason why he would not venture to
enter the stable while the door stood in
viiingly open and no person in sight, and
| came to the conclusion that the horse
reasoned after this manner: AS long as
lights are burning in the house people are
| stirring about, and am liable to surprise;
| after the lights are out there is no more
stir for the night, and if the door was left
| open l might venture in with safety"
| Taking it for granted that had solved the
problem correctly, l laid my plans accord
ingly. Attaching one end of rope to
the handle of the stable door, passed the
other eLd through the window of the
| house, which commanded a view Of the
| situation, and at the usual hour for retir
ing, L had the lights put out and every
thing kept quiet The result was as
had hoped, rather than expected. The
| lights had not been out more than ten or
fifteen minutes before the horse cautiously
| approached and entered the stable The
trap was sprung and We had him SAFE
| How this affected his reasoning faculties
l can't tell, but he must evidently have
considered himself taken in. That the
horse would not have gone into the stable
had the lights been left burning, l don't
pretend to say; give the facts as they
| occurred. But am satisfied, from more
than thirty years close observation, that
the horse observes and makes (mentaD
note OF great deal more than is generally
supposed Ooerland Monthly