The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-06-11
.4.x An Intelligent Horse.

There can no longer be any doubt
that the horse is a noble and intelli-
gent animal His admirers have al
ways insisted upon his nobility and in
teliigence, but very many persons have
failed to agree with them. They have
asked: .'How can an animal be called
intelligent who lives in terror of q
sheet of paper lying in his path, and
wherein consists the nobility of the
beast who will run away without any
provocation whatever and smash a
valuable carriage and a more or less
valuable driver?" The very fact that
an animal as powerful as the horse will
| consent to be slave seems to show
that he is mean-spirited and stupid. A
| lion or a tiger would utterly refuse to
| spend his life in dragging a Third
avenue car, and there can be no doubt
that in all wild-beast circles public
opinion is very far from accepting the
theory that horse is either noble or
intelligent.
1t has remained for a Boston horse
to vindicate in the most thorough man.
ner his right to the high estimate
placed upon the horse by all horsey
persons. From time immemorial
horses have been introduced into dra-
matte representations, and hitherto
they have accepted without remon,
STRANGE any part which manager
might assign to them. They have
walked meekly on the stage, blinked
at the footlights, and walked off again
at the proper time. Some horses
trained to act in '.Mazeppa," have al
lowed large and heavy actresses to be
lashed to their backs, and have theI
solemnly pranced up a winding path
way of wooden rocks and pretended te
gallop at speed of nearly two miles
an hour. When one reflects upon the
good that might be done by really in
telligent dramatic horse, it seems sac
that our stupid horses should so Ions
have failed to avail themselves of thl
opportunities afforded by the stage
How many oppressive stage villain.
might have been suddenly kicked int
a proscenium box, and how, many vel
low-haired MaZeppas might have beel
the orchestra?
The Boston horse in question cam'
on the stage in quiet and undemon
stratiye way, but he had evidentl,
made up his mind what to do. HI
Waiheu promptly u tno IOotiiSAGS an
threw himself into the orchestra, land
ing on the bass-drufn. The harrowin;
incidental music came to an abrup
pause, and the musicians, who had in
tended to play ''Sweet Violets" at tn
end of the act, fled in all directions
The bass drum was gloriously and IRE
trievably smashed, and the horse, hav
ing accomplished his noble work, per
mitted the supernumeraries to lea'
him quietly away.
Here was noble purpose intelligent
ly executed. 1t may be said that tn
failure of the horse to kill one or tw
fiddlers and the man who plays tn
cornet solo was reprehensible, but il
view of the smashing of the bas
drum it would be ungrateful to fin
fault with the horse for anything
He accomplished his grand purpose G
silencing the drum and of frightenin
the orchestra so thoroughly that it di
not venture to play Sweet Violets
during the whole evening. Let us hon
or this noble and Intelligent animal
and hope that his example will be fol
lowed by every horse which hereafte
appears on any stage.-Neac Yor
| Times