Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-08
HORSE SENSE"
A Few Facts Illustrative TOf Equine Sa-
gaCity.


II
The horse was always a favorite with
man, IS much on account Of his ssgacity
and affection as for his beauty and utility.
De still retains his high prestige among
men for those splendid natural qualihca-
tons, Several instances have come under
our observation lately.
ANTRATHY TO RAILROAD IRON.
No later than yesterday g team belong
ing to fire engine No. Z, while coming
down Main street, took it into their heads
that the sun was coming down rather
strong for equine comfort. "Ihis work
whispered they into each others ears, sis
TOO slow. There is no fun in this; let US
bolt" While passing the WOrsham
House they "b0lted," and went tearing
down Main street in gallant style, with
their big wsgon-lOad Of sawdust hopping
at their heels They ran, however, like
horses of ID Their object was not to
smash things generally, but to get home
TO the shade Of their stalls. They passed
between a street car and q bunch Of We
hicles, buggies, hacks and spring-WagOns
with the greatest possible care, though
there wa barely for the big wagon
to pass without touching. No damage
done. They carefully evaded everything
| that looked like reCklessn6ss. This eau
ton on the part of the city horses was
more strongly eLempllhed IN a minute
or so sfUerwsrd. The horses were at q
full Rallop southwark, and in a condi-
ton to run sfOUl Of n OF those
great trucks loaded with railroad iron
for the Louisville railroad. The of horse
| stopped short, and not only stOppedshOrt,
! but actually held back with all his might,
and succeeded in bringing the other one
to a halt before reaching ID r~allrOsdirOn.
The cause of this extraordinary caution
is easily explained. Before the horse
-.--. into r,E-1a5HDn nF 4Hn raNn nnun~ra-
ment he belonged to a country man; he
was then young and reckless, fond of all
AM OF freaks and given TO the Indul-
geuce Of many equine fOllies. One eYe-
ming in ummer time he was the leader of
a fOur-horse team hauling wheat TO the
mill. A crossing on the railroad lay on
their route. As they approached it the
engine was coming also. The driver en-
desvOred to rein up his impetuOus ami
mails, but they knew better. They went
ahead, crossed the track with ears and
tails erect, in the very fiery breath of the
iron horse. The rear of the wagon got
caught by the engine, and was knocked
in ali directions. There was not 8 stick
Of It left together, and the wheat was
scattered through the neighboring fields.
The traces were snapped like rotten
thread, Our city horse was strongly in
clin6d TO leave there, but he had new har-
ness on him, and the tongue of the
wagon being made Of hickory did
not break. Between the violent rush Of
the engine on one side, aud the frantic
efforts of the animal to get of on the
other, the shoes, the hrst set he ever wore,
were torn from his hOOfs, and still he
barely escaped being swung in against the
train as 10 swept along at the rate Of
thirty miles an hour. He has a natural
horror of railroad iron ever since, psrticu-
lsrly if it be Louisville railroad iron. This
is a singular instance Of great equine
q % canton,
LIVELY REMEMBRANCE OF A COUP DE
I
One which is every whit as remarkable
in its way took place about the same hour
at the ~pOstofhcs. On Union street, OppO-
site the side entrance to the pOsbOfice,
a horse, the property of g country farmer,
was standing in the heat, while his master
Wss gone 10 look about some business.
The sun commenced pouring down his
vertical rays with unusual herceness snd
~pertinacity. The heat was reflected from
the side Of the pOstOhice and from the flag
pavement, and IL became uncomfortable.
The quiet horse remembered that two
wears age. while standing in q similar Do
siti0n by the side of another horse in st. |
Louis, when the sur wa very hot, the
other animal gave way, staggered and fell
by q coup de SOLieL, from which be lever
recovered. 1t was a lesson to q nag, and
he prohted by it. Whenever brought d.
rectly under the influence Of the summer
sun, he seeks shelter ever since that fatal
event at st. Louis He acted in accord
snce with his usual plan yesterday. He
deliberately walked into the distributing
department, and went nOsing round
among the letters with q very satisfied and
cOntented air, snd evinCed much reluc-
lance to be driven forth again in the hot
ANOTHER CASE.
A few nights z an attempt was made
10 enter q house on Center alley. The
srscksmsn had been operating for ONE
time, and had his holes drilled and bored
out, and would have been inside the
premises in a few minutes, when he was
disturbed by q policeman, and also by
some people who had been sleeping inside,
The police saw his man as he turned the
corner, but missed HIM before ne reached
spot. He had to pass beneath a
belt Of m~oOnshine, and this threw
him on the scent. The burglar
gone. The gentleman inside
the store came out. The policeman
and he had a talk about the matter. II
mysterious how the fellow could have
escaped. They had decided TO take through
alley wsy,in search Of the disappeared,
though, and were on the point of going,
the old horse which was caught
picking the lock of Hughes feed store, at
.hs corner of Boale and Main streets,
some nights ago, came 20 the rescue. He
happened to be nosing round there, in
search Of fugitive wisps Of hay and noe
garbage. He came across q barrel
whose open mouth stood against the wall,
smelling something nutritious there .
70, began paving and kicking to get st il. ,
BE attracted the notice Of our sharp po-
iceman, who went there, turned the
Jarrel round and hauled out the burglar, ,
.OOls and all. Next to the sharpness of =
he policeman, the horse IN for his
hare of praise in bringing about the
,rrest which followed.
All these recall to our memory the curl
,us facts connected with q murder trial
which took place in the courthouse at
many years agO. These facts 90 (
o show the wonderful sagacity of the {
They are simply as follows: A I
Major Merriwether was riding Missis- d
ippiwsrd, and had about him about
200 in convertible funds. The day was il
On the road he overlook q poor man, Q
rudging along, wearied and fOot-sore. y
lie had compassion on HIM and offered 10 p
axe him up behind. They rode along for a
before the ungratsful traveller z
altered strength enough to kill MsiOr n
lerriwetheT. He killed him, however, 81
rOught his body a few rods from the n
J1A5l4Cr anu DuL4EA IL rs Elel Lnu EUE ] III
o Mississippi and abandoned him u
T sold him, we don'J recollect which, just .
OWs No one knew what happened to
ir. Merriwsther, but the man who
He'd him was arrested here in this Il
on suspicion which grew out of u
fact that he negotiated some Of the u
which were known TO have been in b
Lsjor MerriWsther's possession. He was y
cid "a jail for some time and was about lC
D be discharged for want OF evidence,
n he kept his own counsel, when the
horse was seen down in the lower
art Of Mississippi, by a friend of Merri-
lether's, who knew him. He recovered 81,
le horse and was riding him toward =,
-emphls. In passing by the spot where y
le foul act had been perpstrated long n
Store, the horse took Bpasms and became ~
istive and unmsnagesble. so that the J"
had to dismOuut and turn him loose.
be horse ran of the road and did not
Op until be reached the grave of his old
Gster. be paved the earth until he un-
.vered the bones. This led to the COM
discovery Of the crime, and everv-
ing became known through the remark
lie ssgacity OF the noble horse. Many
.Ople now living about this city remem-
r the excitement which the very re-
arkable trial created in the western
m,
Lf but a few instances of "horse sense" ~
5rs given 20 the public occasionally, the
imal would 90 still higher in the esti-
ition Of msn, n the labOrs Of Berg
d his assOCistes would become easier
e account Of this very singular trial,
lich Judge Sneed, now Of the Supreme
nch, wrote at the time, was q Of the
est contributions TO American litera-
e since the days Of Irving.
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