The San Francisco call., 1896-11-29
THE OLDEST OF HLL CEMETERIES.
An Eastern Horse Crank Starts Private EQUINE

There is a man in Massachusetts, who
alton they would receive if they were hu-
man beings. In life they receive the best
of care. and in death they are buried in
private cemetery. This cemetery pos
sesses the distinction of being the only one
of the kind in the world. 1t is the most
peculiar form that philanthropy has yet
taken. 1t promises to prove popular, how
ever, with those who have the interests of
the horse at heart and prefer to remem Der
him as being placed under ground rather
than as roast, steak or sausage.
Benjamin f. Poole OF Rockland, Mass. );
is the man whose tender heart inspired
this unique idea. Neither is he satisfied
with the honor that devolves upon the
horse in being buried like person, for he
believes that to pay the proper respect to
its mem ory monuments should be erected.
The picture herewith presented shows Mr..
Poole's idea as it will look when carried
into effect.
When it is considered that it requires
genuine self-sacrihce these days to give a
horse what might be termed Christian
burial, Mr.. Poole will be viewed in the
ac va oA SqNAHO
Five of tie horses which have been laid
to rest in this oldest of cemeteries are,
Mr.. Poole believes, worthy of special COM
mendation. The first of these was Nj or
gan thoroughbred named Dick. He
could trot in 2:40.
jor the second, was to the horse world
what an honest man is said to be to the
human sphere. Mr.. Poole says OF him.
He was one of the most honest horses
ever owned by any one. Very few persons
ever passed me on the road when | was
driving him. He could trot in any har-
ness quarter of g mile at a 2:50 gait''
Kittie, chestnut mare, ranks No. In
the list. She, her owner says, was horse
of whom the ladies were fond. So kind
and gentle an animal, he believes, is en-
titled to all the consideration after death
that this one received.
The fourth and fifth of the horses Mr..
Poole so greatly admired were Fannie and
Nellie, pair of matched driving horses.
Each weighed 975 pounds. Fannie died in
1896.
1t might be asked; how long did Mr..
Poole own these animals to which he gave
such tender carer Th ese figures answer
the question: Dick, months; Major. 21
years old. IA years; Kittie, is years old.
II years; Fannie. Is years old, IL years:
Nellie, 16 years old. Is years.
BY any one who carefully considers all
the facts told Mr.. Poole's charity will be
appreciated. II is fact that dead horse
is often worth more than living one, for
these are the days when horse meat,
cleverly disguised, is no stranger to the
butcher-shop. Every horse that Mr. Poole
has buried in his cemetery represents a
net loss 10 lin of $25 $f00. Regardless
of this fact Mr.. Poole hopes before many
months to be able to mark the resting
place of each animal in an appropriate and
artistic manner.
The designs for the horse monuments
are varied in the extreme. OF course the
equestrian statue is the one which is gen.
orally favored. There are, however, a
mum Der of designs which show that care
ful thought has been gwen the subject.
For instance, one design represents a
horse in an attitude Of slum Der in his stall,