Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-04-03
How to Educate Animals.

THE BstNeti1 de Paris has an'article,upon
how to educate animals, very pleasantly
told, as the following translation will
show:
To educate an animal is not to force
its nature, but to tame and direct it, so
as to make it fit for the service or the So
ciety of man. This is not very difficult
task for one who knows how to go about
it. Most animals are drawn toward man,
whose superiority they recognize by in
stinct, whom they are proud to please,
whose love is agreeable, and whose pro-
lection is advantageous to them. But be-
fore these relations are established, there
is an obstacle to be coDquered-the dis
trust natural to the lower animals. The
first step to be taken, then, is to secure
the pupils confidence.
Unhappily, many do just the contrary
OF what Is necessary to secure this end.
Some brutal men know only how to
maltreat their animals, which do not obey
because they do not understands; other
men make playthings of them, and others
fatigue them with lmportunate caresses.
Do none of these things. What an ami
NAL demands is security. Never harm
him, and you will have his confidence
When your first relations are established
accord. Always be careful of him, but
without feebleness or importantly. Never
tolerate vicious act; never allow YOUR
self to be defed; but be indulgent for un-
intentional disobedience, or for any dam
age done unintentionally. In these last
cases content yourself with making the
animal understand wherein he is wrong,
without too much severity. Well doing
should always be rewarded with caress
In habitual intercourse, be affectionate
If you will, but first be reasonable. Do
not be lavish OF caresses; make them less
frequent; but let your rule be gentle,
peaceable and just.
Violence and blows are bad means of
education for animals as well as men.
Force makes itself obeyed, but only on
condition of continual action; a sad con-
ditionl 1t sometimes happens that de-
| spair revolts against even force; we often
! see this in the case of the ass, sometimes
in that of the horse Besides, in making
yourself obeyed by outer force you drive
from the animal all spontaneous action,
his grace, his amiability, his ardor to
obey you, without counting that, in using
this means, you reserve for yourself an
extreme resource for extreme cruelty.
Look at the facts. Your poor asses are
numerically beaten, and are stubborn
Your cruel teamsters overwhelm their
horses with blows, and oftentimes can
scarcely govern them; the Arabs caress
| theirs, talk to them, live with them, and
do with them whatever they wish. For
my part, in my relations with animals,
always make it an amusing study to OBJ
tain their obedience with the least posi-
bic expense.
"A Danbury boy who reads the papers
went to his father with rope in his hand
and told that worthy that, if he did not
give him fifty cents to buy two-bladed
jacknife, he would forthwith hang him
self. 1t was the place OF the old man to
say; Heaven forgive you, my son, for
the awful thought--here's the fifty cents. y
He didn't say it. however. he merely
twined his fingers in the young mans
tresses, and bumped his head against the
door.jam until the suicide thought it was
4th of ,Tuly night