The McArthur enquirer. (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1873-1884, 1873-04-09
"A HORSES LETTER.
TRANSLATED by REV. II. DE WITT TAIL
lMf MAGE, d. ID.
lBRooKLYN LIVERY STABLES,
'E January 20, 1873. {

III ilhOOhLlN Llfbhl olAbLEoj [
January 20, 1873.
i My DEAR LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN: / am aware that this is the
first time horse has taken upon
himself to address any member o.
the human family. True, second
cousin Of our household once ad
4 dressed Balaam, but his voice fol
public speaking was so poor that
he got numerically whacked, and
never tried it again, We have en-
durSd in silence all the outrages Of
many thousands of years, but feel
it now time to make remonstrance.
\ Hesant attentions have made us
aware of our worth. During the
epizSotic epidemic, we had at oul
stables inumerable calls from doc
tors and judges and clergymen.-
Every body asked about our health.
Groamsmen bathed our throats,
and sat Up with US nights, and fur
nished us pocket handkerchiefs. -
For the first time in years, we had
quiet Sundays. We overheard a
conversation that made us think
that the cQmmeppe and and the fashion
of the world waited the news from
the stable, Telegraphs announced
across the land and under the sea
and we came to believe that this
world was originally made for the
horse. and man for his groom.
But things are g9ing baek again
where they were. Yesterday l
was driven fifteen miles, jerked in
the nj outh, struck ON the back, wa
tered when Twas too warm, and in
steadpf the six quarts of oats that
my diver ordered for me, I got
two. Last night | was driven to q
wedding, and / heard music and
quicE feet and laughter that made
the chandeliers rattle, while 1 stood
unbh hnketed in the cold.
Sbmetimes the d9ct9rs hire me,
and / stand at twenty doors wait
ingIfor invalids to rehearse all their
paibs. Then the minister hires
me- and 1 have to stay till Mrs.
Title tTattle has time to tell the
domino all the disagreeable things
of Ehe parish.
The other night after owner the
had gbne home, and the hostler was
asleep we held an indignation
meeting in our lliyerIy-stahlel sold
Sorrel' presided, and there was
long line Of vice-presidents and
secretaries, mcttled bays and dap
pied grays and chestnuts, and
Shetland and Arabian ponies.-
"Charley, zone of the oldest inhab-
itants Of the stable, began q speech,
amid great stamping on the part
of the audience. But he soon broke
down for the want of wind. For
years he had been suffering with
the "heayes" Then tPompey," al
venerable nag, took his place, and
though he had nothing to say, he
held out his spawned leg, which
dramatic posture excited the ut
most enthusiasm of the audience,
"Fanny Shetland" the property of
lady, tried to damage the meet
ing by saying that horses had no
wrongs. She said, Just look at
my embroidered blanket, ] never
go out when the weather is bad
Every body who comes near pats
me on the shoulder. What can be
more beautiful than going out on n
sunshiny afternoon to make an ex-
cursion through the park, amid the
clatter Of the hoofs of the stallionsH
/ walk, or pace, or canter or gallop,
as / choose. Think of the beauti-
full life we live, with the prospect,
after oup easy work is dane, going
up and joining Elijah's horses of
iire!,
NextI took the floor, and said
that / was born in q warm Penn
sylvania barn: was, on my fathers
side, descended from Bucephalus;
on my mothers side, from steed
that Queen Elizabeth rodein q stee-
pie chase. My youth was passed in
clover pastures and under trusses
Of sweetsmelling hay. / flung my
heels in glee at the farmer when he
came to catch Inc. But on dark
day | was over-driven, and my
joints stiffened, and my fortunes
went down, and my whole family
was sold. My brother with head
down and sprung in the knees,
pulls the street-car. My sister
makes her living on the tow-path,
hearing the canal boys swear. My
aunt died Of the epizootic. My
uncle--blind, and afflicted with the
bots, the ring-bone, and the string