The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-05-31
JACKSON G. H, OHIO, THURSDAY 81, 1877
A Bull on the Track.

When George Stephenson was before a
committee who were inquiring into the
nature OF his locomotive, one farmer
committee man, after hearing that prob
ably the unexampled speed Of twelve
miles an hour would be attained. and re
alizing that the machine could not leave
its rails. sagely remarked: But. Mr.
Stephenson. supposing cows should get
on your track. before your engine
Well replied the inventor. quietly
"lt would I've bad tor the cows"
IL the questioner had framed bis que
~ to refer to bovines Of the masculine
gender. subsequent experience has shown
that Stephenson's reply might we'll have
been otherwise; for while the average
COW Is not run over, as a rule, except in
voluntarily, bulls have over aud over
again scornrd to fy from locomotives
and, while being killed themselves, have
wrecked the aggressive train A remar.
kable instance OF this happened recently
ia Virginia. just as heavy freight train
was approaching a bridge. A bull with
name and tail erect. placed himself in
the middle Of the track. breathing fierce
defiance. The engineer put on his brakes
and blew bis whistle but the brute low
cred his head and refused to stir. IL
was impossible to stop. and the engine
struck the animal just as il was passing
on the bridge. left the rails, and was pre-
cipitated on the trestle work. which
gave way. The locomotive. tender. and
six freight cars went down into the abyss
the boiler exploded. and the bridge and
cars in a few moments were in flames
The bridge, which was 100 feet lone. was
entirely consumed, the locomotive OF
course ruined, and the engineer was NOR
tally injured. The loss to the railroad
company was over sS.0OO What became
OF the bull is not stated.
Mr. Herbert Spencer, in discussing the
subject of distinction among which brutes
are capable Of making between anima.e
and inanimate objects, says that. where
intelligence rises beyond the merely au.
tomato. the motion implying life begins
to be distinguished from other motion
by spontaneity. That the spontaneity
OF motion ser, es as test. he considers
is clearly shown by the behavior Of tame
animals and even OF wild animals. in
presence Of railway trains In the early
days Of railways. they showed great
alarm; but alter time. iamiliariz~d with
the roar and swift motion OF this some
thing. which. appearing in the distance,
rushed by and disappeared in the dis
tance. they became regardless oi IL
This implies that the knowledge acquir-
ed by cattle in the early days OF the loco
motive j. hereditary which is in accord
ance with Mr.. Darwin's we'll known de-
ductions from observation other traits.
trans mitted from generation to genera.
tion, in hunting dogs and other trained
animals. But in the case Of brutes in
which there exists great pugnacity, such
as bulls. il would seem that the senti
ment Of anger Is. as in the case Of man.
strong enough TO overpower the knowl-
edge which is analogous to reason. There
can be traced in man, besides. the same
tendency to think. in moments Of rage
that objects which he knows to be mani
mate. are animate. Made angry by Tesis
tance to his efforts. he may, in fit Of
anger, swear at some senseless thing, or
dash il to the ground, or kick il But,
to quote NJ Spencer again. ''the obvious
j. that anger, like every
other strong emotion. tends 20 di-charg-
itself in violent muscular actions. which
must take some direction or other, aud
the same author goes on 10 show that. as
the object Of wrath j. a living
object. TO the injury OF which the mu-cu
lar exertions are directed. 20 this sam.
discharge is. by force Of associ
alton, turned upon an inanimate thing
The similarity Of bhavior under such like
peculiar conditions. brtween man and
The brutss, seems 10 add another link TO
that connection between human beings
aud the lower orders which the evolution
theory aims to establish. - Scientific
American