The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-06-07
A BuLLONTHE TRACK.

When George Stephenson was before
a committee who were lnqulrlng into
the nature of his locomotive, One farm
er committeeman, after hearing that
probably the unexampled speed OF
twelve miles an hour would be attain
ed, and realizing that the machine
could not leave it's rails, sagely remark
ed: "But Mr.. Stephenson, supposlng
COWS should get on your track, before
your engine!' "Well, replied
the inventor quietly, lit would be bad
for the cows
If the uuestioner had framed his
ouerv to refer to bOvines of the mas
culine gender, subsequnt experience
has shown that Stephenson's reply
might well have been otherwise; for
while the average cow is not run over,
as a rule, except invOluntarily, bulls
have over and over again scorned to
fiy from locomotives, and, while be-
ing killed themselves, have wrecked
the aggressive train. A remarkable
instance of this happened recently in
Virginia. just as heavy freight train
was approaching a bridge. A pull
with name and tail erect, placed hlm-
self in the middle of the track, breath
ing fierce defiance. The engineer put
on the brakes and blew his whistle;
but the brute lowered his head and
refused to stir. It was impossible to
stop, and the engine struck the ami
NAL lust as it was passing on the bridge
left the rails, and was precipitated 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 few mo-
ments were in flames. The bridge,
which was 100 feet long, was entirely
consumed, the locomotive of course
was ruined, and the engineer was NOR.
tally injured. The loss to the railroad
company amounts to over SS,OOO.
What became of the bull is not stated
Mr.. Herbert Spencer, discussing the
subject of the distinction which brutes
are capable of making be
tween animate and inanimate OBJ
iects. says that, where intelligence ri.
ses beyond the merely automatic, the
motion implying life begins to be dis
tinguished from other motion by
.. spontaneity. That t! " spontaneity OF
!, motion serves as test he considers
is clearly shown shy the behavior OF
tame animals, and even Of wild an
: finals. in presence of railway trains
In the early days of railways. they
, showed great alarm; but after a time
, familiarized with the roar and swift
, motion of this something, which, ap
; bearing in the distance. rushed by an(
disappeared in the distance, are re-
CARELESS of it, This implies that thu
knowledge acquired by cattle in thu
early days of the locomotive is heredl
{ tary. which is in accordance with Mr.
) Darwin's well known deductions from
! observation of other traits. from gen
!: Grafton to generation. in hunting dog
, and other trained animals. But in thu
J. case of brutes in which there exist
great pugnacity, such as bulls. i
! would seem that the sentiment of an
}. ger is. as in the case of man, stron!
: enough to overpower the knowledg
1 which is analogous to reason. Their
t can be traced in man. besides. tn
$ same tendency to think, in moment
e of rage. that objects, which he know
d to be inanimate, are animate. Mad
|. angry by resistance to his efforts. h
< may in fit of anger swear at som
It senseless thing, or dash it to tn
e ground, or kick it. "But,' to quot
N Mr.. Spencer again, s'the obvious II
IS depreciation is that anger, like ever
h other strong emotion, tends to di
re charge itself in violent muscular a.
IN lions, which must take some directio
In or other.'' and the same author got
We on to show that, as generally the o.
IL ject of wrath is living object, to tt
It, injury of which the muscular exc
nd tions are directed, SO this san
as muscular discharge is, by force I