Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-10-16
The Perfect Horse

Rev. VIM. II. Ii. Murray is a Congre-
gational Clergyman, preaching at the
Park Street Church, Boston, and is the
author of The work, bearing the above
title. The Editor of the Literary Wor{d
reviews the man, not the book, in the
following sharp and felicitous manner:
Agriculture must have been remu-
neratlve n the neighborhood which had
the honor Of giving birth TO Mr.. Muir
ray, If we may judge bv his notions of
the pecunlary resources of the average
farmers boy. Il DESIRE" he says in
his preface, "to put into small com
pass Svo' PIP. 4S0l and cheap form
81 the result of many years of read
ing and observation, that every farm
crs boy in New England may have in
his possession a book which, etc. If
the reverend author counts upon a
large revenue from the sale of this
book to the bucolic juvenile, we fear he
will be disappointed. Farmers bows,
as class, do not suffer from pecuni-
airy plethora, and are not in the con-
tirmcd habit of ordering four dollar
books from the nearest city. If the
authors knowledge of the horse is not
more accurate than his notions Of those
for whose benefit he has written, the
readers of this volume will be led into
woiul error. That it is more accurate
we are willing to believe, or trust. not
upon conviction, for we are not a grad.
uatc Of any Theological Seminary. and
have never read the writings OF Thom-
as f-quInias, and are not, con seuueut-
~, qualified justly to value a purely
hlppOIOIIcal " ork.
The subtitle printed above indicates
the general scope Of the work, to which
Dr. George Is. Lorins contributes a
chap ter OH Agriculture and the Horse,
and Rev. Henry Ward Beccncr an In
PRODUCTION, which is, in effect, an apoI-
osy for his brother clergyman smell
ot the stables OF Mr.. MURRAY ; own
pors We can best convey Al Iuca by
quoting this announcement Of his pur-
pose:
purpose, also. to lay before him THE farm
erN boy aforementioned the true principles Of
animal propagation. following which the breed
InS Oi fast and valuable horses Shall be in no
sens" the result OF chance or good luck d. the
phrase i, hut Of causes clearly understood and
arranged from the start. | shall show him how
T. raI>c VICIOUS Or anlahlc colt Il slow or fast
unr; what y discard and what ID include in
hI, selection Of dam and sire; and how, when
In" perfect animal Is produced, to educate hIn
properly, and brlnG hlm iorw ard IN intelligence.
AMI dorIlty, until ~ i, ahlc to contribute most
dirrcil! and fully to III, owners profit or pleas
uTr.'
la pursuance ui this p.an, the rcycr-
eud author dl,courscs Ot the points Of
a good horse, the principles OF breed
hS, training, shocIug; writes 4 glow
in5 pancg.rlc and biography OF the
Morgan stock gives minute directions
ior laying out trottIn5 course, states
The pcdI5rccs Of noted ''hyera'' uuu
brings his work to AZ end with i Cal
lcry Of Celebrated Horses" Many ol
these latter are the property Of Rev.
W. III. ii. Murray. In Inspecting this
"Gallcry' aud reading such sentences
- 'he Live Oak IS regarded by his
owner rs every way SIC worthy OF
public patronage, we yIcld passing
tubute Of admiration TO the authors
frugal mind" which thus olezes upon
this opportunity of effective advertis-
ing, and are pleasantly reminded OF
boyhood 5 years, when one OF the pas
times OF vacation ii the country was
the perusuI Of neat Aanl-bills affixed
70 the walls al tavern bdr-lOons, and
proclalnlug The merits Of some local
equine prodigy. These "reminiscences
may not be savory but Dir. Murray is
responsible for their evocation The
reverend authOrs instructions Us to tho
laying out vi 4 tIottln5 course (~hlcA
he euphelnlstlcalil calls "A - &c
Track, } viii be appreciated BY The
sporting fraternity, aud VIII, no doubt
be turned To account by the managers
Of agricultural horse-trots" through
out the country. How enyiable is the
two-iold Office OF showing the wav to
heaven and the way to lay out trot-
ting course
Delightful task. to rear the frisky colt,
And teach the young Abdallah how to trot.
we have fecbly attempted to make fun
OF this joint product of the pulpit aud
the stable but indeed, we regard the
book as something too serious for !augh>
ter, and purpose to make few remark,
Oh The general subject of what we may
call priestly Centaurism-the state OF
beings, half clergy men-half horse
For the benefit OF those of our reader,
IN /
hipparch has not reached, we will say
that ne practices what he breaches, i'll
hlppology, at least, owning and driving
horses 80 conspicuously and IN such def
ahce OF sober public opinion, as to
make himself one of the speclacles
OF the city, ''pointed out with the finger"
by the populace. This explanation
seems necessary in order to justify our
selves for whatmav seem TO those whose
knowledge OF the facts is wholly deriv
ed from the book under notice, unwar-
rantcd severity. The book itself we do
not condemn; il is, no doubt, rich in
valuable Information; but we do con
denim The tendency which it illustrates
TO degrade the Office of preacher Of the
gospel and TO slacken his obligation as Il
guide and eXemplar. A clergyman has
AN uhdoubted right to own horses, to
drive them, and to carry on astock-
iarm,-tba same fight that he has to keep
yacht, or raise chickens; but there are
rights that it is not always expedient to
exercise.
Mr.. Murray's attitude is as if he said !
81 will show the public that am man
as clergyman, that by the assumption
of the priestly Office, | do not cut nv
self off from rational enjoyments-orl
from the right of choosing those enioy
ments-and that the louder the voice of
popular disapprobation, The bolder shall
be my defiance of conventionalities. >
The question is not wholly one of riyht
expediency is an element of it. Snn,
pose Mr.. Murray should suddenly ne.
come AN enthusiast in the matter al
corns and bnnions, and devote ,he time
and thought that he now gives TO horses
to he amateur practice OF the chiropo-
aists art; the general comment would
De: There's no accounting for tastes
Dut II IS hard to see the clergyman in the
corn-doctor." So it is hard to see clergy
man in the jockey. But while The chiro-
podic passion might be INDUCED without
injury to others, his present mania can