The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-05
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STORY OF A WONDERFUL HORSE.
The Animal Was Taught Many Amusing
Trucks Which He Never Forgot.

Trucks Which He Never Forgot.
If the owner applies to his horse the rule
of kindr tess and not of fear, it is astonish-
ing how intelligent, sympathetic and ODE
dent the horse becomes. 1t also very fire.
quently will retain the most clear and dis
tinct recollection of its old master and its
previous training and habits, although a
long interval of time may have elapsed
since the master and it met.
This is alnusingly illustrated in the well
authe uticated instance of horse called
Punch, owned and trained by the late Mr..
Astley. the proprietor for many years of
the esta blishment called by MS name now
Sanger'g theaJer1 on the Surrey side of the
Thames.
Ashley was on the best of terms with
Punch, az I'd had taught il no end of clever
tricks. A tier a variety of gambols with
the clown it would thrust its head and
neck throu vh napkin made for the puT-
pose, then sit down to a well spread table,
knock its ltoof on the table as hint TO
the clown, it's attendant, TO hurry up and
be sharp 1t would furiously seize with its
mouth the lellpull. 1t would then eat
whatever was brought, mock TURTLE. e.,
bran mash, bread fowl, turnips, carrots,
oats, beans, e., called in the play bill by
French culinary terms in fashion. TAX
ing a kettle in its mouth by the handle it
would pour some water in punch bowl,
seize bottle made for the purpose and
labeled brandy" pour it into the punch
bowl, and deliberately nodding, would
drink the clowns health. Then it would
eavlv waltz, and finally fall down as a
drunken man would. This scene would
bring down a hurricane of applause.
IL
performer
After some time Mr.. Ashley made up
company, with Punch among the number,
and sent them on tour into the prov noes
They exhibited with various success until
they reached Galway, where, from bad
management or bad luck, they collapsed.
Owing TO dilicultyin communicating with
Mr.. Astley-or something worse-the cred
itors seized the eff ects and stud, and poor
Punch was hauled off and sold at horse
fair. All traces of the horse were lost, al
though Mr.. Ashley did all he could 10 dis
cover and regain lns favorite.
Four years afterward Ashley, CHANGING
to be in rough quarter of the town, es-
pied in a costermonger's cart a wretched
booking, downcast creature, with bones al
most protruding through its skin, and
miserable likeness. to the lost favorite.
Ashley in doubt stood still and tremu-
lousy said, Punch" whereupon the cos
ter's animal pricked up its ears, stood up
on it's hind legs, upset the costermonger
and the carts contents and breaking loose
waltzed up TO its old master Astley's
"Down, SIR" was instantly obeyed and
there was perfect and touching recognition !
between the two.
"Will you part with the animal?" in |
quired Ashley of the costermonger.
''Yes, and glad TO be rid of it for five |
pound note"
After having paid the money, the coster- |
monger told him what he had heard and |
himself knew about the horse 1t was able |
enough Ito take yer 'air out by the rOots:' |
If it ever saw Kettle on the fire it would .
rush in, seize and commence all sorts of |
games; that it would tug at bellpulls, put |
its hoofs on the table, till table or bell |
came TO grief; and if the band PLAYED in .
the street, it would waltz like real Chris
Sian and then pretend to fall dead like a
herring"
In less than month, after having been
well fed and tended, Punch was back at
It's old post, looking as fat as Drawn and |
ringing bells and drinking brandy and !
water, recollecting all its old clever COM
lcal tricks-as great and general favorite
IS ever--London Tit-Bits.