The evening times., 1899-10-02
Horse Sense.

There is a new monthly in town, and it
the Automobile Magazine 1t is, of
course, devoted 10 the interests OF the auto
mobile as against those of the old and faith
full friend of mankind, the horse.
One of the articles in this magazine de-
plores the mistake made by those who talk
of horse sense The writer says:
1t is peculiarly appropriate that some cold facts
about the horse be laid before the public at the
present time. These viii substantiate the asser-
tipu that the horse is an animal of extraordinary
little sense-Ising the word synonymous with
Judgment. He has a remarkably delicate per-
cepfion, coupled with very slight power OF
correlation. he is therefore subject TO seizure
at any moment with fits Of the most violent in
sanity, induced at the slightest provOcaton. This,
together with the enormous reserve strength of
the animal makes him an exceedingly dangerous
engine TO be practically given the freedom of
the road in our populous communities. Only
familiarity makes the peril seem endurable.
IL is quite natural that the horse should have
a nature unbalanced mentally; evolved. as he
is, from ancestor who of the most
timid of wild animals possessing no weapons of
offence or Defence and therefore finding his only
safety in flight He had ever to be on the alert
with his keen senses of perception ever tense,
ready TO urge him into mad gallop at the slight
est movement or rustling Of leaf, which, per-
haps, might betray the neighborhood of some
lurking and terrible beast of prey about to
spring upon him and tear his life out with lacer-
atlng claws or teeth. II is no wonder, therefore,
that at any unaccustomed sight noise touch or
motion the horse OF today, in spite of countless
centuries OF training in the service of man.
under the ancestral impulse that dominates his
most intensely nervous organization, should still
be seized with an ungoveFnable terror that ex.
presses itself in mad onward rush whose fright
ful power is fraught with destruction for every
thing about him.
Now, as matter of fact, and with all
due regard to sthe progress of modern in
vention, The correctness of this point of
view may be questioned If the horse
could talk, he might be able to prove that
his kind of intelligence is, If not superior
to that of man, at least equal to it, as far
as it goes. We all know that one of the
most uncommon things in the world is
What is popularity called common sense.
Suppose the horse does shy at things
shich man knows are harmless. There are
numerous people in this world who would
have serious fits at the idea of going on the
street in clothing of last years fashion, or
Of cheap material. For the sake of obtain
ing such garb as they think proper they
will sometimes do unjust dishonorable.
and shocking things, when they know, and
everybody around them knows, that such
a course is not only wrong, but silly. Is 1t
any worse to be a horse and shy at piece
of brown paper? There is almost a GER
tainty that the least little Whit OF smoke
in theatre, with the sudden information
that the place is on fire. will precipitate a
panic in which scores of people will be
killed, when all might easily have got
out in safety. What about mans superior
wisdom in a case like that? The horse
does not know, when he sees locomotive,
that it cannot get of the track and come
at him; the audience does know, and woul 1