Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-01-03
hem to our care and will surely hold us


them to our care and will surely hold us
responsible.
These thoughts have been forced upon US
the past few weeks as we watched the hors-
es, stripped of the covering nature has pro-
vided them with, driven at the top Of their
speed up and down our streets, and then
allowed to stand shivering in the cold wind.
We are aware that there are many per-
sons who advocate clipping horses and
quote the experience of horse men in large
cities as authority for so doing. But that
is no rule for US. Horses used only for fast
driving and as soon as the harness is re-
moved are put into warm stable, often
warmed with artificial heat, covered head,
neck, body and limbs, with rooien blank
ct, with man ready TO take care Of them
as soon as the driver leaves them, may not
be injured by this practice, but to clip ordi-
nary driving livery horses is an outrage and
should be condemned by every humane per-
son.
One of the coolest days last week, when
the wind was blowing a gale, man led a
horse down street, that had been clipped in
Boston and brought here for sale. The horse
had no blanket on and trembled with the
cold at every step. We watched him turn
into a passage way between two stores and
when, some ten minutes after, we passed
down the sidewalk, the man was holding
the horse there by a halter that the
horse was suffering from the cold was pain
fully evident for he stood with back arched
and his hind and fore feet together and
We could see him shiver as We passed. Had
there been society fer the prevention Of
cruelty to animals in town, that horse would
have been put into stable, blanketed and
the man fined for his brutality. Hardly a
day passes that | do not see these poor
clipped horses standing in the street and in
most cases without any covering over them.
What excuse can be given for this brutality ?
None but ignorance, and in this enlightened
age. ignorance in these matters is a poor
excuse. 1t is common practice for people
living in the suburbs and neighboring towns
TO leave their horses standing on the street,
often with robe thrown over them, barely
large enough TO cover their backs, and so
light that the least wind will blow il off, and
ing round them. and their feet on the snow
or ice, and their blood at ferer heat from
exercise. until they become stiff and chilled !
through. The suffering inflicted on these
poor animals should be sufficient to cause
their owners TO be more humane The dam |
age done to horse by such treatment could |.
be prevented BY providing him with shel- |
ter. when left TO stand and two or three dol F.
lars extra for a large and warm wooden /
blanket; If any one who reads this thinks /
the evil exaggerated lie; him strip of his
winter clothing, put on a cotton shirt and !
a pair of o,eralis, and for exercise saw
half cord of wood. and then stand with /
his feet in the snow fer half an hour ex-
posed 10 the cold wind. and we think he
will realize what these poor dumb creatures
suffer.
IL Is demoralizlng 10 I community 10 Al 4
low animals to be abused without a remon-
Mean. indeed /, the man whu only looks
upon all animal simply so many dollars
10 be used or abused agcordin. 10 his whim
or caprice and horse jockeys who trade in
horses At FIVE or ten dollars piece should be
punished FOR their cruel,, and the horses tax
IN and pu, out Of their misery. The men
who can only afford TO pay such prices for
horse, should not be allowed 10 keep one
for they can neither shelter nor feed them as
they should
\ few DAYS since we witnessed a scene on
Main street so brutal that i; would have dis
graced nodoc settlement, and YET i, passed
unrebuked. Two men. made more bea>ly
with rum. than the animal they Mere driving,
had been riding for some time up and down
the street as tas, as the poor clipped horse
SNHiA ~ " l.FN4Ntd Ai4t tihlNt " NJ HtI htls-
ing every nerve. for his nostrils were ex-
panded and he vas breathing very hard and
every vein on his body could be seen, II
close had bis hair been cipped) Appar-
eutly the driver thought he could force a lit-
tie more speed from the animal for he rose
from hi seat aud &c involuntlrily closed
our eyes as We heard the whip cut through
the frosty ali and fall On the poor crea-
lures back. We fully expected 10 w
the blood follow the lash. but if !, did not
the blow. We appeal to our city authorities
10 know if there is no protection for these
poor helpless animals from their brutal
masters.
OpSEpyrp