The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-08-31
For the Valley Virginian.
AN APPEAL FOR DUMB BRUTES.

AN APPEAL FOR DUMB RRUTES.
Mr.. EDITOR That you have, even at
this late day, spoken word in behalf Of the
poor animals which cannot speak for them
selves, will rebound to your credit and ought
to win, from the considerable and humane,
patronage for your paper. For months | have
wondered that men could witness such cruel
treatment from day to day, yet not raise
hand or voice to prevent il. Why IS this
The most charitable construction we can put
upon it is, that it arises from thoughtlessness,
and yet, this would imply stupidity, at least,
for how could man stand by some brutal
negro, or enraged white man (for, | regret to
say that men think it their duty to become
enraged and to curse, Whenever horse Goes
not move precisely as fast, or as slowly as he
wishes him to move while beating a horse
numerically, and not Mink? Animals may
be the object of cruel treatment in other ways,
and men might not think. For instance, a
horse stands all day-yes for ten hours at
least [ have often seen them-in the brolling
sun of day so hot that We humane creatures
cannot keep ourselves comfortable in the
shade with plenty of ice-water; but this poor
animal stands there without one drop OF wa
ter, or one handful of feed, and the flies sting
ing his tender skin, while he being tied SO
tightly. has little power to keep them off any
part Of his body. But this is not cruelty
perhaps, in tho eyes Of the majority. Well,
there would be nothing gained by talking to
such---pardon me, I had almostsaid, brutes,
though really they have not as good sense as
the brutes they use. am glad, Mr.. Editor,
you speak particularly Of fast driving this
warm weather About two weeks ago,
heard that the stage and omnibus from Har-
risonburg came in with their horses bleeding
at the nose from the effects of racing for miles.
This, you remember, was the warmest wealth
er we have had this summer, and [ suppose
no human being can conceive Of the suffer
ing of these poor, defenceless creatures, when
subjected to such treatment This racing,
hear, was made practice Of for some time.
Of course, we cannot for an instant believe
that the ovners Of these lines sanctioned
such cruelty-they probably did not think
For the thoughtless, ones, then, Mr.. Editor,
l will ask you to insert in your paper gen
tie remonssranoe from the poor horses them
selves, which l take from the paper entitled
"Our Dumb Animals for last month
aREspEcrEp PERsqN After living IN
appreciated until middle life, have at last
found friend who understands me, and is
willing to interpret me to my master and mis-
tress, to whom [ wish to give few ideas.-
You mps'nt suppose horses have no brains,
for can tell you we hear and understand
more than you suppose, only we can't express
ourselves in a way that suits your compre hen
sion.
IF THEY ONLY KNEW.
For instance, yesterday they took me out
to exercise me. I'm such f.vorite that they
take care to exercise me pretty much of the
time sometimes / almost think they overdo
it, but know they mean we'll However, as
was saying, I trotted easily along, one ear
kept we'll back to listen to the conversation
Says my lady, Il often think that if our
horses only knew their own strength and
how completely we are at their mercy, We
should have to take to locomotives, velocipedes
and wheelbarrows, for the horses would be
lost to US forever" Says my master, cts 2
blessed thing they don't
How wild they would have looked, had
they known that [ understood every word
BROWN STUDIES.
But they are mistaken; we do know our
own strength we talk it over at nights in
the stable, and sometimes, when | am in the
field, and no human creature near, | almost
make up my mind to revolt from slavery for
ever Sometimes, when see in the distance
man with an ear of corn, say to myself,
"He can't catch me unless [ choose, and |
don't choose; IS for his ear Of corn, he won't
- ~ hat four
grains of corn compared with freedom ?'-
Again, when | am in harness, and get into a
brown study over something, all at once |
feel a cut of the whip which | don't like, for
it interrupts me. Now, at such moments |
know perfectly well, that if [ chose to put
forth my strength for two minutes, l could
smash everything, aud free myself from bonds.
But while know that could, I feel as if [
couldn't Now that's queer thing, isn't it
BETTER UNDERSTANDING WANTED.
However, that's not my business now we've
talked all that over, and concluded that, on
the whole, it is the destiny Of horses to be
driven by people, and that as long as the peo-
pie treat US properly we'll make no fuss
about il. But we should like to have lit
tie better understanding as to what proper
treatment as; for the fact is, although you
are doubtless mostly well-inteptoned, some
of the things you do are SC odd that it's very
hard for sensible horse to comprehend them
at all. For instance, when | take my master
out Of an afternoon, why does he insult me
by speaking to me so rudely he hurts my
feelings continually if he is slow about get
ting in, aud | paw the ground to hurry him
up, its-"W hoa, now! Ho, Casar!' shouted
as if I were deaf It jars on my nerves, and
is apt to make me start a little, and then
again its-"Ho now, what ye bout p as if I
was comnlittingsome improperly, when moth
Ing is further from my thoughts. Then off
we CO. as | recover my good humor | give a
little playful shake; it does me good, after
standing so long in the stable. Straightway
comes a jerk on the bit that almost makes
me sit down, and "Ho, now, keep steady,
can't YOU" just as if he thought if he didn't
yell at me, meant to kick things to pieces
I tell you, nothing rifles me like being un-
justly accused. Well, when he has done
this few times, he has spoiled all my pleas
ure in the journey; then,I settle down in a
dull sort Of way, when all at once am rous-
ed by singing touch of the whip then I
jump, and start off pretty fast to escape an