The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-10-18
THE ADVOCATE.
JUDGE PETERS "REMINISCENCES:

1t must not be supposed that De-
cause my father had selected the legal
profession for my occupation for life,
that while tryin to fit me for that, he
required no other service of me but
going TO school. Such a conclusion
would be most erroneous one.
Having been diligently engaged
from the time of his arrival in Ken
lucky trying to make the dwellings
for the whole family more comfort
able, and to prepare more ground for
cultivation, and having. as he be-
,ieyed. to some extent accomplished
these objects, he concluded that the
time had come for him to perform his
promise made to Uncle Tom that ne
would 90 to Virginia and bring his
wife to Kentucky. To meet the ex-
penses of the trip he concluded, as ne
had dealt some in horses when he re.
sided in Virginia, and that he knew
the description of horses that would
sell well there, he bought eight or ten
very good ones, and having three or
four very good ones besides those he
purchased, he commenced preparing
them for the Virginia market in adj
dition TO the four set apart for Uncle
Toms team. He thought load OF
bail rope and Irvine would be good ar
ticles to sell to the fishermen, so he
loaded Uncle Toms team. Six or
eight of the horses designed for the
market were paired or intended for
carriage or harness horses. Matched
horses were nicked, very common
practice in those days for carriage
horses, and for which two reasons
were urged: l. That it gives to the
horse an appearance OF spright'incss
land life, that cannot be given him by
art in any other way. 2. That it takes
Nom the harness horse the power OF
cAtching and holding the lines under
hils tail, and thereby deprives the
driver of the power to control OIL
GOVERN him. The practice is now
aba hdoned, and lest the art may soor
be Numbered among the lost arts, the
mod Aus operandi might not be out Of
plac6 here: l. A strong man is placed
in rlont of the horse, OH which is
stroJ lg bride, and with atwitch on his
nose. 2. With a strong rope contnt
Hhis left hind leg from below the fet'
kpSmk to The left toreleg above thu
i we. 3. Plat the hair of the tail CLOSE
On d neatly from the root to the end
Clubbing or turning the hair at thu
T&ad,over a small stick, making thu
hair fast the stick is to fasten TIT
rope of the pulley to. 4. Turn the tai
up with a strong arm that can keel
and hold it firm and steady in direc
line with his back bone. 8. With
sharp knife make an incision on eaci
side of the tail, beginning about TIVE
inches from the root, about tire,
inches in length, and longitudinal.
about one-fourth of an inch from tn
outer edge of the tail next to the hair
as soon as the skin is cut through tn
two large tendons will be exposed.
A second pair of missions arc made
similar to the first, commencing abou
two inches from the termination O
the first. Z. Make another pair of in
cisions in length proportional to In
length of the tail, taking care to leav
two inches to the tail. s. Then with
crooked iron or prong. of buck
horn made very smooth, take up tn
tendons at the first incision near tn
root of the tail and cut them SMOOTH
in two. Take up those at the secon
incision and by strength draw tn
parts made by the first out at tll
second, and those at the second dra'
out at third in the same way as tn
first were, and then wash the tail
strong salt and water. 1t is bette
for the horse ii he bleeds freely, as IL
tail is less apt to inflame. Next day
is proper to put the horse in a clea
stall, TO be placed in pulleys, whlc
are hung in straight line over h
back. A cord is faster ed to the end I
his tail which must be drawn in a
exact straight line over his back, so
to keep the tail perfectly straigh
The cord which goes through the pu
leys should be long enough to civ
the horse the power of lying dow
If the tail is not in a straight line ov
the backbone, it will be carried
one side, and instead of improving Il
horses appearance it will greatly j
jure it. During the time the horse