Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1903-07-31
CURE FOR BALKY HORSES
Charles Davis subdues Stubborn An
imaIs By Humane Methods.

Of persons Missourians, Iowani
canal drivers ranchers, city folk
and others-rto make balky horse
or mules behave and move on
Some have turned the hose on th
obstinate critters, others have ap
| piled fence rails with considerable
force as prescribed by Sunny jim
| poured water in their ears, built fires
under them, or pounded their fore
legs with clubs for an hour or so
with all sorts oflfesults. Yet balk5
horses and mules continue to exist
and humane societies multiply. But
this state Of affairs will undoubted
ly pass into ancient history once
the world at large learns of the ex-
istence Of Charles Davis, of this
county, and his unique remedy for
making balky horse behave.
Mr.. Davis is in charge of the
horses used in hauling logs to the
Charter Oak Saw Mill Co.'s plant,
located near Airlie, this county.
To snake an oak log out Of the av-
erage Oregon forest almost justifes
any old animal cultivating a mule
lsh temperament, even under the
best of circumstances. But when
the critters are natural born think.
ers along one line to begin with, the
task involved in supplying the mill
with logs, says Mr.. Davis, is not
conducive to clear sailing for the
men holding the reins, particularly
when the roads are crude, dotted
with tree stumps, and up hill and
down.
But few months ago Mr.. Davis
made what is considered real,
sure-enough discovery, one that is
said to be not only an effectual but
a humane way to cure a balky
horse. It happened while he was
on the way to the mill with heavy
load Of logs on truck. His team
consisted Of a good pulling horse
and an .eqpallv strong mule. tie.
latter being new addition to the
stable. Everything moved along
smoothly with Mr.. Davis and his
charge until an uphill pull was
encountered, Here the mule
bucked. Coaxing, profanity in big
gobs, together with wholesome
application of the blacksnake by
the driver, availed not. The mule
continued to stand pat and perfect
ly rigid.
Mr. Davis had been made ac-
quainted with the mettle of the
mule, but he paid no attention to
the advice given him, as he had |
handled horses all his life and
never failed before to make them
come to taw. But this particular
animal seemed to be Of very hard
formation AID things looked really
bad for the head teamster. Finally
he sat down along the roadside,
near one of the breed of animals
that made Missouri famous, to
diagnose the case. The strong, pow
erfully-bullt mule looked straight
ahead without batting an eye.
In casting his optics toward the
balky animals feet Mr.. Davis no.
ticed that the ground was covered
with small pebbles. Without any
fixed purpose be picked up hand
ful, and then it occurred to him to
shoot one Of the pebbles, like boy
does marbles, at the mules nose.
The tiny rock was accurately eimed,
but the mule did not deign to no
tice it. An instant later another
pebble landed on the nasal organ
of Mr.. Mule, then another and an
other, until a full dozen hit the
bullseye. The stubborn animal
then noticed" the bombardment
for the first time by snorting. This
encouraged Mr.. Davis in his short
range shooting tourney, and he
his rapid fire Of pebbles.
The constant jabbing was begin
ming to irritate the mule and cause
him to switch his chain of thought,
lnlimber his legs, and finally shake
his head in all directions in an en-
leavor to get his nose out of range
# the pebbles. But Mr.. Davis fired
lway as fast he could until the
inimal whined, howled and danced
Iround with evident fear and pain,
md was covered with foam and
age and woe.
Climbing upon the wagon load Of
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST teseher. {
lee Aeker,s Engllsh Remedy in any