The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-10-30
HORSES GO INSANE.
THE FACT CONFIRMED By A MAN
WHO HAS HAD EXPERIENCE.

common, and we seldom hear much said |
about Il, but there is no doubt that the /
minds OF animals, like tho minds Of hu. |
man beings, become derenged. That ami |
mails have minds and some Of them minds
superior to the minds of some men no
person who Is well acquainted with them
will dispute.
Ny father traded for a fine large bay
mare which had been raised in our neigh,
borhood, and which we had often seen at
work and never heard that she had any
vices She was turned out to pasture for a
| few days, and when my brother and l
went into the field with halter to catch her
she came at us on full run, with ears
turned back, mouth wide open, nostrils
expanded, and eyes glowing like balls OF
fire. She evidently meant murder, and OF
course we jumped the fence and got out Of
her way. Having provided ourselves with
clubs. we returned to the field, when she
Immediately charged upon usas before and
was only repulsed by the blows OF our
clubs on her head. Defeated In her purpose
of trampljng us under her feet, she show
Cd her evil Intent by wheeling and kick
ing at us with great violence. A day or
two aftArward she appeared gentle, offered
no resistance to being caught, was har-
messed peaceably, hitched TO wagon be-
side another horse and driven by my father
| across the river on n good smooth ford
way. She behaved we'll until returning
across the river in sight Of home and near
the home shore. when she suddenly stop
pod, and no coaxing or driving could make
her bulge step until she got ready, which
was full half hour after stopping.
Not long after hitched her to a buggy
and took my mother and another woman
20 q berry patch about four miles from
home. The mare behaved as we'll az any
horse going out and was put into stable
| at the nearest house and fed and watered
at noon. When we started for home at
| night, she went about 90 rods, suddenly
stopped and could not be started by word
! or a blow Of the whip got out and tried
| = lead her, then tried to mesmerize her by
. r&tting, patting and stroking her nose and
neck with my hand. 1t did no good. The
more tried to psychologist her the more
iendishly she looked out of her eyes. My
mother and the other woman got out and
walked on toward home. After standing
about Is minutes the mare Of her own ac-
cord started on a run, and when the wom-
en- were overtaken and / stopped her to let
them get into the buggy she would not
Z start. They got ont the second time and
, | walked on. This performance OF the marc
was repeated until the women got disoour-
aged about riding and walked home, leav-
> ing me to get the mare home rs best
0 could. After much trouble and vexation
D | rot her home, having made the four miles
! in two hours.
Balky mare? Perhaps some balky horses
, are crazy. She got sick, medicine did
4 | no good, she fingered about four weeks
and died No tears were shed at her bur
ial
once bought a span Of 3-year- old colts
: we'll matched Except as to coior), wei
> broken, kind and pleasant to work. Wher
q full grown, they were the best horse team
b in the woods for getting out logs 1 eve
saw. They would wade through brusi
v heaps and mudholcs, climb over rocks ant
l. old logs almost as patiently and stcadil,
as oxen. They grew TO he large hcav!
| team, strong, rcsolute and true as steel II
every place. Up to the age OF 10 years the!
had no vices. but then the marc com
IL menced kicking without any provocatioI
l. when blowing in the spring. Although tn
II | whiffletrces were not allowed TO hit he
rs heels. she would kick with great yiolenc
N when turning the corners. ] told the team
:, ster to hit her a blow with the whip wbel
in the act Of kicking. He did so, and
40 seemed to break her for tho time being
but he told me afterward That whippin
IN made her worse and he discontinued 1t.
ut We managed to use her till spring wor
l. vras done and we commenced haying. A
to I did all tho moving, know exactly hoy
she was handled and how she behaved o
the machine. The mower was an easy cut
ting one, the knives were sharp, the gras
}. stood up we'll and the meadow was smooth
She had been accustomed to moving wit
,r- the Same mate, on the same machine, ]
tho same meadow, ever since she was
rv years old and had always behaved vel
~, but this year from the very first tho noi'
49, of the machine or something else SCENE
to make her nervous and cross, and In
''e short time after they were hitched up 81
or commenced threatening to kick every tin
n they turned mt the corners. Soon afte
lie ward she would make one vigorous kic
ms with both hind feet, and then go on we
ON enough till making the next turn, whe
ID the kick would be repeated. I thought
20 best to pay no attention to her disagree
VI able behavior, and she could not ha'
lac known from anything said or did that
ut was not pleased with her conduct. 4
I'm length she showed great mental cxcit
~ ment carried her ears back all the tim
IN, her eyes seemed to project farther fro
he her head, and there were q glare and fierc
ha ness In their expression which 1 had new
10 observed before Without any provvcatit
no whatever she commenced kicking wi
en great fury and kept 1t mp without int
ltn mission until she had broken the doub
On, whiffietree and one of the single ones, al
es of course had to quit moving.
eat As she had never kicked on a wago
m we commenced drawing hay In the aft<
mt noon, and she behaved very well until
came to the place here she had kicked
the machine In the forenoon, and then s
1iu kicked with terrific violence until she h
ae- kicked the clasp from the whinietree a
va the whifietrees from the wagon and bl
les ken the breeching Of her harness VIII
| is her strenQth was exhausted, she threw h
!, of self down over the wagon tongue under
re. feet of her mate and lay still on her bae
art feet upward.
~" She began to make decided objections
-, being harnessed and would sometin
&C. kick it of before It could be buckle
rue What IL stranger still, she would kick j.
irst a. hard, II not harden, while the harm
ion was being taken Oh at night a. when
was put on in the morning. From
; is great change which suddenly took pii
,art in her disposition mt ON ago when hors
the habits and principles arc supposed to ha
w become permanently hxed, have no dot
yer that she was insane. with lucid 'nteryo
'no Country Gentlsusn.
st.
Doom Of the Derby.
The derby hat is thing Of the pa
Time was when no self respecting ra