Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-16
Lancaster fnteIIiQe11rer.
FRIDAY EVENING. SEPT. 10, 1881.
The Reformed Pig.

FRIDAY EVENING, SEPT. 10, 1881.
The Reformed Pig.
New York Times.
Unlike the proverbial dog, the pig has
never had his day. Far-sighted people
who have noticed the tendency among
historians to rehabIlitate the rufians
of antiquity have long been of the opin-
ion that the day of justice to the pig
would finally dawn. When We consider
that Henry VIII. and Tiberius have been
cleaned and exhibited to the public as men
of irreproachable morals, it is clear that
the hitherto dirty and despised pig ought
to receive the attention of some skilful
cleaner and restorer. Accordingly, we
need not be surprised that an English
man-Mr. Gilbert by name-has just writ
ten monograph on the pig which will 90
much toward restoring that animal to his
proper place in society.
If Mr.. Gilbert is to be believed, the pig
has been treated with shocking injustice.
We have made him dirty and loathsome,
and We have then abused him because he
is what we have made him. Everybody
has noticed the difference between new
and old pigs. The former are white clean,
and decidedly pretty, while the latter are
as Objectionable as Russian Socialists.
Ought we not to ask ourselves if we are in
any way responsible for the transforma-
ton of the delicate new pig into tho re. .
voting middle-aged pig TO this question
Mr.. Gilbert has an answer ready, and that
answer is far from flattering to us.
In point of pig Mr.. Gilbert is an un-
doubted pelagian. He holds that the pig at
birth is physically and morally pure, and
that the faults and mud which he after
wards exhibits are due to the circumstances
in which he is placed. These circum-
stances arc to the last degree demOralizing.
Men assume that mud is essential to the
comfort of the pig. and 50 take pains to
provide him with ud-puddles. They
have the extraordinary theory that the pig
thrives only upon filthy food, and SO they
feed him with refuse with which they
would scorn to insult any other animal.
They arc confident that the dirtier the pig
pen may be the happier the pig will be-
como, and they bend their energies to
building and furnishing pig-pens which
shall be dirtier than the steerage Of an old
fashioned emigrant ship. We need not
wonder that the unhappy pig yields to the
force of circumstances and becomes the
loathsOme beast that he undoubtedly is.
Mr.. Gilbert, rs the ap6logist and de-
fender of pigs, asserts that we ought to
adopt an entirely new system of pig -cul-
,ure. He would have the pig-pen built
after a design SO truly artistic that the
daily contemplation of it could not but
refine and elevate the pigs taste. The
interior of this pigpen should, according
to Mr.. Gilbert, be kept as scrupulously
clean rs spare bedroom of New Eng
I'm I,n ras.p cv,
clean and comfortable bed-say 4 spring
washed after every meal. While wallowing
in every form should be sternly discounte-
nanced, the pig should have daily bath,
and great care should be taken to protect
him from insects. Finally, the pigs food
should be of the daintiest description, and
rs the result of this treatment he would
never lose the neathess and grace which
characterize him during his early pig
hood
Having thus transformed the pig by
changing his surroundings, Mr.. Gilbert
would make him the familiar friend of
man. That the pig has good deal of in
tellect there can be no question, for there
have been educated pigs who have shown
an ability to work out mathematical prob.
lens and TO play abstruse games of cards
which has challenged the admiration of
mankind. MIR. Gilbert maintains that the
pig is an afIectionate and faithful animal,
and that as soon rs he is taken by the foot
and assisted to abandon the bad habits
which have hitherto been his reprOach,
he can be made to take the place
in the household now occupied by
the dog and the cat. With prophetic
and enthusiastic eye, Mr.. Gilbert sees
the reformed pig of the future sitting
up On end on the hearthway. and licking
his bristles with the assiduity of the dain-
test cat. He sees the same animal lying
in the lap of beauty, and accepting caresses
with far greater show of appreciation
than is ever made by the pampercd und
conceited lap-los. To the scientific per-
son the domesticated pig will be Of great
service in doing mathematical sums, and
to the sportsman he will be invaluable.
The full-grOwn pig is larger and stronger
than the fierccst dog, and as he has four
times as much surface of nose rs has the
ablest hound, he would probably prove to
be keen of scent rs we'll as bold and vigOr-
GUS i'm attack Thus he would fully take
the place OF every variety of dog, and if
he can bc taught to kill mice, which is by
no means improbable, he would leave no
sphere of usefulness for the cat.
As for his voice, we may feel certain
that it would be improved by cultivation.
Just rs he wallOws in the mire, not from
any love Of mud, but in order to rid him.
self OF annoying insects, SO he sings in
coarse AMI unmusical voice, not because
he is devoid of musical taste, but because
bad food and damp pens have in
jured his throat. Mr.. Gilbert's system
of treatment would, it is expected, con-
vert the grunt that now Offends our
ears into soft, musical purr, rather
louder than the purr Of cat, but much
roundcr and softer in tinbre. Thus the
very last ground for finding fault with the
pig as an inmate of the drawing rOo-.l and
the companion of men and women would
vanish. and We should become SO fond
of the Gear beast that We should never
dream Of eating him, thus arriving, though
ny an entirely different path, to that to-
tai abstinence from swine's flesh which
Moses commanded, and which must for
ever assure to the great law givcr the re-
spect and gratitude of men of civilized
tastes.
Cats.