Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-20

II, chunky, white Canadian, and he was a horse who was known to half the population of Noddle island. Ben came to Dr O'Shea about ten years ago Tn an odd way. He was the property of patient of the doctor, and the phy- sician bought him with clause in the IAlrchase that unless he cured the pa tient the sale should not go. Thus Ben, in possession of the doctor, became a living testimonial of his masters abil- ity.
 And Ben grew famous. Not for his speed, though he could if he would knock several splinters off three min utes. Not for his blue ribbons, for he was not show horse. He was just 8 broad-chestcd, white, blocky geld ing, with the scars of the wire fences of his youth still discerniblc when his hair was clipped short. But he was so clever that the tale of his accomplish ments sounds like dream. He uii- derstood English perfectly. He knew the doctors calling places absolutely, and when the list was done, Inc would insist on going back to the office. The doctor was inspector of schools i'll East Boston, and often drove from school to school without taking the reins off the whip, where he had twist ed thenl when he stopped first.
 Dr O'Shea does not like to talk much about Ben. Tn the first place, his loss has been a real bereavement to the doctor; in the second place Dr O'Shea does not like to say things he knows will not be believed. So he re- fers questioners to an old friend of the horse, A. Fl. Kelley, master of the Ly- man school, who has. so to speak, be- fore now, embalmed Ben in print
 That story, which is true in it's smallest detail, perhaps more than anything else, shows Ben was worthy of the suffrage of the ballot. For many a horse can be taught funny tricks. and can pick out his name from the constitution of the United States, which is the qualification for voting. But not every horse can reason that when it is, time for a reasonable being to take care of the children, a little thing like a good hard welting should not count. Ben did that.
 He was left standing outside of the doctors house in Chelsea street one day. ,Dr O'Shea has three children, and they are up to the average, to say the least. That means, among other things, that they are enterprising. They being out of doors, and nobody by to forbid, it follows as a matter of logic that they climbed into the buggy. See ing a whip in the socket the same req. soning shows that the boy must infalli- ply have taken it out and laid it over the horses back in resounding cuts. He looked around when the whip rat tied. in the socket and deliberately watched the youngster raise it on high and bring it down on his sensitive pelt. But he never budged from his tracks. Again the boy struck, and Ben merely put up with it." He said as plainly as possible: "You can welt me with that thing till you're black in the face; that's because you don't know any bet ter. can run away with you, but I do know better, and that's why don't do it." | -"''
 Ben was never whipped by the doc tor except once. The merest hint of a rattle of the whip in the socket was al- ways enough to put the horse to his best paces. So Mrs O'Shea, who was looking from an upper window when the incident began. expected to see trouble as soon as the boy reached for the whip. She screamed, but the doc tor knew his horse well and merely laughed at her. He walked calmly to the window and watched the whole thing. Tn fact, it tickled him so that on another day he repeated it for the sake of photographing the incident. He put the boy into the buggy and went into the house, leaving the pho tographer to observe what happened. The boy reached for the whip, the horse looked around to make sure that the proper and authorized person was maltreating him, and the picture man snapped his shutter. es..t
 One of Ben's tricks was to knock at the stable door, when found it closed A little thing like going to his stable alone, when the doctor was done for the day, never troubled Ben. The doctor would alight and say All right, Ben! Go on home," and the horse would gravely trot off to his stable. On cold days the doors were often closed, and Ben would knock with his forefoot till somebody came. He would do this at the word of command, and repeat it if he was not heard the first time. Of course there was often a well meaning but ignorant citizen " hO UuIISu HI, SeSllSs d IdFHGSSeQ HOTSG going about his own business. This al- ways resulted in chase. and Ben would turn up at the office again to let MT O'Shea know somebody had been interfering with him. On one oc- casion he was captured; that is, the citizen who wanted to set the affair right managed to get into the carriage. But after that Ben took command again, and in spite of all pulling on the reins, brought his captive back in t-i- umph to his masters office
 pr O'Shea had a cottage at Ocean Spray, and has sent women home in East Boston in the care of Ben. All they had to do was to hold tho reins; :; Ben would find his way, stop for trains to pass at crossings, avoid electric cars. dodge wagons, deliver his passengers and walk off to the stable alone. At the doctors country place in Rowley. Ben was often invited into the house to luncheon. He always behaved like the gentleman he was, and never tried to sit down on the chairs.
 The only time Dr O'Shea ever struck Ben was one day when he left him in Maverick square. Ben was never hitched, and, attracted by the smell of fresh paint on broad tree box sign, he walked over and began to nibble at if T6o f1zryao5 I,;