The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-23
CHICAGO'S HUMANE SOCIETY.
Prominent Women Who Have Power
to Arrest Offenders.

New Orleans Times-Democrat.
The other day a slack-backed darby was
urging along weary-eyed horse with an
ugly sore on it's shoulder. With every
movement of the horse the harness scraped
the bleeding place, digging into the raw
flesh and widening the wound. "Git up
howled the driver, bringing down the whip
angrily.
At the sound of the violent imprecation
and cruel whack woman on the sidewalk
instantly turned and quickly, with an ex-
perienced eye, scanned the animal, taking
in every detail of harness and horse. Then
she gathered up her well-cut tailor-made
skirt and prepared to pick her way into the
middle of the street. stop a minute" she
said to the driver in soft, pleasant voice.
1.-The harness isn't right; its rubbing that
sore. First thing you know you'll have
such a sick horse on your hands, have 10
pay out money to doctor him, not be able
to use him, or work, and all for the lack
of a little care. Well leave out the ques-
ton of the suffering of the horse, you don't
mind that, 1 fancy but don't you under
stand that by being kind, being careful of
your own property. you are ares saving yourself ad
in the end. Why beat him because the
pain he has makes him lag? If the door of
your house creaked, or slammed in your
face, would you take an ak and chop 1t
to pieces? Not much; you'd oil the door,
you wouldn't destroy it; why hurt some
thing that belongs to you tina that is alive and
And look at these binders, Tapping in his
eyes every time he moves, that will make
him blind. Nice thing for you to have
a blind horse on your hands, wouldn't 1t?
See here" with few deft manipuations of
straps she had shortened here and let out
there. The horse, that must have been suf-
fering exquistely, was relieved TO some ex-
tent: the harness was fixed so that ii could
not rub the place, the binders We're made
comfortable, and then she gave the man
directions for dressing the wound, what
food to give, etc. The darby listened with
growing interest growing intelligence.
"Guess you right, lady, he said finally;
"I'l ten to him, jes' like you say, vas
well I'll come to your place in week
and see how he's getting on" answered
she. and picked way back to the side
walk.
The woman was Mrs Vincent Gregg,
member of the executive board of the Anti
Cruelty Society of Chicago, one of the
noted anti-cruelty workers in the country,
whose quiet, fearless championship of the
cause of dumb animals has caused her
to be written up time and again, and whose
action III stopping a cane rush a few
months ago at the Coliseum in Chicago won
the applause of the thousands who had
gathered TO witness 1t.
The Anti-Cruelty Society Of Chicago is
entirely composed of women. Mrs. Theo-
dore Thomas is the president, Mrs. Sidney
r. Tabor. vice president. Also on the board
with Mrs. Gregg Mrs. f. Copeland
Schumen and Mrs Jos. Winterbotham. The
society is a small one and one of the most
powerful and exclusive in the city. Its
members are chosen slowly and with great
care. No woman is ever admitted who is
not to be relied upon for discretion of judg
ment and those qualities 10 be expected
when a great trust and responsibility goes
with the membership. The club possibly
numbers not over thirty. but has hundreds
of associate members. or the numerous
applications for membership coming in
every month, possibly out of hundred one
or two will be accepted, sometimes for sew
eral months no new members will be added
and this, because the members of the soci-
ETY. wear little five-pointed star. superior
TO that of the regular patrol, and have the
that no plumbers are made, no excited SEN
sations or errors committed, has given the
Anti-Cruelty Society place in Chicago at
once splendid and influencing. Its purpose
is not TO clap into Jail offenders. not To hail
the police if a man, woman or child is
cate, to teach kindness and care of animals.
The p1iice jail is resorted to only in ex-
tremities This little band of women are
the heart the core. of an overwhelming
influence for good. What il has accom-
plished in its three or four years of organi-
cation can hardly be reckoned in words 1t
has associated clubs, the members OF
which wear button that invests them
with the power TO report a case of cruelty,
but not TO arrest. II has children's
branches formed of the raggamuffin slum
element. and hundreds and hundreds of
street gamin in the awful Little He'll dis
trict of the Windy City are growing slowly
are educated TO be Jealous. kindly hearted.
anti-cruelty workers.