The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
A Horse Convention.

A few nights ago the horses of this cit
congregated in Thompsen's livery stable nea
the railroad, and held a convention that TO
order and decorum would put to blush so nj
( we have seen bipeds hold. Don, a staid bay
was called to the chair and little sorrel o
the West End was made secretary. The AID
voCATE's equine editor was present by specla
invitation, land St. Lawrence acted as sergeant
alarms. The convention sat with closet
| doors, and none but horses were admitted
Mehring's mules craved entrance, but were
driven off by the sergeant alarms. Don ex'
pressed his satisfaction on being made presl
| dent, and returned thanks for the honor Hs
said the convention had been called to con
! slider the general welfare of his race, and tc
take some steps, if deemed advisable, to bet
ter their condition. He, himself, he said
had but little reason to complain, but he was
| in sympathy with the movement, and would
| lend his assistance to alleviate the bondage
of the horse fraternity. His master was
school examiner, and during school visiting
was his only rough experience. On these
trips he was well cared for, and the continual
change of fare was conducive to good health ;
yet, he thought school visiting should be done
in the balmy spring, instead of the fall and
winter, over frozen roads, through axle deep
mud or in Eve feet snow drifts.
had finished. He said he was willing to work
faithfully for his master, but he objected to
being driven all the morning to butcher
wagon, and then harnessed up to sleigh,
loaded with bells, and driven like streak OF
lightning all the afternoon and sometimes at
night This he considered as an oppression,
and some of these days he would kick the
sleigh so hard that his master would think a
cyclone had hit it.
A light dun followed. She said she could
sympathize with the preceding speaker. She
had tried both the butcher wagon and the
sleigh, and was glad when she was sold to a
constable. But as all things end, so did the
term of her master as constable, and then she
was sold to physician. She at first thought
she would rather die than to belong to ply
stefan, and refused to go. On one occasion,
she said, she went about six miles in the
country and stood in a stream about two
hours, but her master waited as patiently as
she did, and there was no alternative but to
90 home or freeze up. She had been treated
tolerably well, however, until recently, when
her master had given her extra duty, In
sleighing the girls. Old bachelors are funny
fellows, she said, but she would not tell what
she new. But she added, this extra work
must stop, and she was there to lend her as
sistance in having work properly regulated.
A little black, belonging in the East End,
said her work was not so hard, but came at
odd times. She was driven morning and
night, and in the peasanteSt part of the day
left in the stable. Her master had dropped
a book, "The Adventures of Donkey" in
her stall, and she had read it. In that she
said, she had found out many tricks how to
avoid disagreeable work, and read quite
number of ''adventures" of the donkey to the
amused convention.
The secretary said she would not have
hard time, if her work were properly arran-
ped, Her master believed with Shakespeare,
that time was made for slaves. He never was
in hurry about starting anywhere, and usually
started about the time he ought to be at his
destination. During a campaign he would
start at o'clock for meeting five miles Oft
called for o'clock, and expected her to car
nv him there in an hour less than no time.
'iIf he intends to keep me-, she said, 81 hope
he will be elected Judge, and then he will have
no time nor necessity for much driving"
"But.' she continued, sit is the present for
which we must act. was much amused by
the Adventures of Donkey but it strikes
me that tricks would not meet the case. The
snow is our trouble. People won't ride out
in cold weather, unless there be good sleigh
ing, and we must get rid Of the snow. Tx
cuse the expression. Mr.. President, but Ven
nor is fool and | read in the ADVOCATE
last week that we are to have more and deep
er snow"
Here a clean cut bay, belonging to one of
a West End dry goods firm, said he was in
favor of going out and paving all the snow off
the streets.
The sorrel objected to this, and suggested
that Vennor was now their great enemy, and
he would offer the following resolution
Resolred, That Vennor is no friend to horse
fesh and is not entitled to the respect or es
TEEN of any respectable horse.
Several animals thought the resolutions did
not 90 far enough, and lively debate ensued
between SomerVille's iron gray, John keen's
bay and Frank Mitten's sorrel. A heavy set,
staid old gray, belonging to an attorney, said
the resolution did not suit him, but he would
favor it's passage, and if Vennor did not have
more consideration for the horse, he would
favor the sending of a committee to Canada
to kick his brains out.
Prince, little pony, thought the resolution
ought to pass, as the probabilities were that
nothing better would be offered. He, too,
knew of hardships. In the broilng hot sun
of last June he had to haul huge census
taksr, and his man Friday, around, their COM
bined weights being about four times his own.
Sometimes" he said, "Frday would be too
with shavings and put green spectacles on me,
said he had not been hitched to sleigh yet,
but did not know how soon he might be.
The motion was put and carried and the