The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-08
Josh Billings Philosophy.
THE HORSE.

animal gifts TO man.
They are ov all colors, shapes, sizes.
tempers, and capasitys, from the lean and
1.-the built Arabian, to the solid and
sturdy Suffolk Punch.
The horse IL the fastest animal on the
footstool, for emmy distance, and probably
the most easy one to domestikate.
The valuable karackteristiks ov the
horse are bone, muscle, formashun,
temper, courage, and the adaptashun ov
muscle to his formashun.
There is probably az much real differ
ence in the value ov horses as ov enny
other ov the animals, and thare il none
who has so menny good, and in other
cases, so menny bad qualitys.
l knO Ov no animal that has more de-
cepshun in their appearances, none who
look so good, and yet are really so worth
less, none who look so worthless, and vet
are so really good.
The best road horse I knu, one who
could go over country road emmy day
in the month ov June, drawing a heavy
two wheeled shay, one hundred miles,
between sunrise and sunset, and next
day return, would not bring seventy five
dollars, at any publik sale, WHARF, she
waz not known.
This animal had not one single
evidence in her looks, that she waz az
good a roadster az ever waz raised in M
England.
On all dumb brutes, the horse haz suf-
fered the most at the hands Ov man, and
still haz all wuss been hiz most usephull
and obedient servant.
Thare IL no kind ov abuse, no kind ov
hard usage, no kind ov neglect, no kind
ov lameness and distress, but what this
noble kreature haz had imposed upon
him bi hiz unfeeling masters.
No horse should be broken to harness,
or saddle, until the spring they are COM
ing four years old, and during their
fourth year. Should never be called
upon to use one half their strength.
But the anexiety to develOpe speed is
so great, that three, and even two year
old colts, are put to their utmost powers.
This fills the country with broken down
and disseazed horses, who have scarcely
lived to be six years old.
Thare are but fu positively worthless
horses, unless made SO hi the cruelty ov
man, but ov all the vast numbers ov
them, thare liz not more than one out ov
five that liz passable, and not more than
one out ov ten that IL desirable.
hav owned at least five hundred diff
ferent horses in mi life, and can't now
recall but three in the whole lot but
what l could hav duplicated at emmy
time at country fair, or from among
the farmers, in emmy of our farming dis
trikts.
Perhaps thare haz been no improve
ment in the horse that haz been developed
so Systematically and so rapidly az hiz
trotting speed.
During the past 80 years, the horse
haz trotted down from three minutes TO
two minnitts and fourteen or fifteen
seckonds.
Twenty-Five years ago, waz told by
John Case, an old trotting expert, who
was contemporary with Hiram Woodruff,
that the time would come when horses
would trot mile in two minnitts.
At the time waz told this by John
Case he waz driving Lady Moscow, who
waz then as fast az emmy horse, but could
not beat two minnitts and thirty-six
seckonds.
This makes John Cases provecy look
almost like q matter ov good Judge
ment.
The trotters have already got within
half minnitt ov the average rase-horse
time. This shows CRATE skill in manage
ment.
We see menny viscious things among
the horses, but with few excepshuns theze
kan all be charge either to the stupidity
or malice in their masters.
The terrible kruelty ov man to theze
pashunt, dareing, noble creatures, is one
of the meanest traits in hiz karakter.
The horse haz figured more in the high
est order ov proze and song, since the
days ov Job until now, than emmy and
perhaps all the brute species, and the
domestic relashuns between the Arab aud
his thorobred are nursery tales taught to
children, and admired bi everybody.
Thare certainly liz no finer specimen
amung the animals than perfekt horse,
none that challenges more admirashuA,
none that seems to kno hiz power, and
expresses hiz pride better, and most GER
tainly none that inspires hiz master to so
CRATE degree with hiz own outrage and
generous spirit.
The viscious habits which horses &C
quire are the most diffikult things posi-
BILE to break them ov;. this shows the
CRATE susceptibility ov their natures.
never knu horse who had once run
away, or ever been thoroly frightened at
ennything, to outgrow it. Once run
away, always runaway, liz proverbial