Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-21

Whoa, You rascal Steady, sir ! "
cried perspiring groom, who was rub
bling down Denver" Professor ID. NJ.
Bristol's trained mule, as he turned to
greet a reporter yesterday. The mule,
watching every movement o. the groom
out of the corners Of his twinkling
eyes, took advantage Of the opportunity
and playfully tumbled his friend and
valet into the straw with sudden ex-
tension of his off hind leg. " Ha :"
cried the groom, picking himself up
Il knowed you do it, and he shook
his finger threateningly at Den
yer, who hung his head. This was at
Hartranft's stables, Norristown, and
Lewis and Bristol's trained horses and
mules were undergoing their morning
toilet. Just outside the door, tanning
himself vigorously with a broad
brimmed straw hat and yainly trying
to keep cool, sat middle-aged gentle
man, whose good-natured face was COW
cred with reddish-brown beard. 1t
was Professor d. NJ. Bristol, the train
er Of the horses. to whose will and pa
tient perseverance is due the perfection
attained by the animals. Professor
Bristol has been training horses for
twenty-five years and is the author Of
several books on the horse.
II am very fond Of my equine chill
dren," he said, "and they love me. !
know their thoughts nearly as well as
they do. and they understand me per-
fectly when | talk to them. Training
horses for the stage requires great
deal of patience and considerable skill.
A horse will do almost anything you
want him to do ifyou show him clearly
what it is and reward him for it after
ward. One must be gentle and kind
with them. If / wished to teach
horse to roll a barrel | would first lead
him to block and place one foot on it,
then the other, and caress and feed him
while in that position. He would soon
understand what | wanted"
GLOW long does it usually take to
train a horse?"
Some are trained three or four
years, others only one or two. Denver,
the midget mule, has only been going
to school year.
Are horses troublesome when first
presented to an audience:"
"No, for they are thoroughly trained
before they make their debpf. Some
Of ours were nervous and had stage
fright, just like human actors. They
made triiling mistakes, but they soon
regained confidence in themselves.
They are as fond Of laughter and
applause as any star, and when
their efforts are not appreciated
they are much cast down. 1t
was the laughter and applause Of
the crowds that made a clown of Dem
yer. He did not know how funny he
was until his acting was repeatedly
greeted with round after round of up
roarious laughter. lie works for
laughter and applause now just as
eagerly and industriously as an end
man in a minstrel troupe. The others
play better when they are applauded,
and they certainly appreciate and enjoy
Deryer's droll capers.
+" stumbled upon Denver in little
back county in Indiana. He was the
property of an old maid. As soon as
| saw him | fell in love with him, for
he planted himself in that inimitable
way Of his, threw forward his ears, and
scanned me from head to foot. Ills
look was so ludicrouSly solemn that |
burst out laughing, and bought him on
the spot. The members of the Eques-
curriculum are in excellent condition,
and will reach Philadelphia to-day in a
special car, made expressly for their
accommodation and comfort. The
troupe consists Of fourteen members
twelve horses and two mules"
1t is certainly the most remarkable
family of intelligent equines that ever
saw said W. {. Coup, the popular
circus manager. Il have been in the
business twenty-five years, AID have
been identified with some of the most
prominent amusement enterprises ever
presented TO the public, but this beats
them ALL"