Evening journal., 1903-03-26
HOW HORSE ACQUIRED
HATRED OF MANKIND
Began With Cruel Treat
ment He Received When
He Was a Colt

ire development of vicious horse
from an innocent colt is described by
Sewell Ford in one of the stories in
Horses Nine" The colts disposition
was first spoiled by ignorant ana cruel
handling on the farm of one Perkins.
Then he was sold, and his subsequent
career is thus pictured
In the weeks during which he trailed
over the fruit district Of southern Mich
igan in the wake of the horse buyer
Blue Blazes learned nothing good and
much that was H. He finished the trip
with raw hooks, n hoof print on his
flank and tooth marks on neck and
withers. Horses led in bunch do not
improve in disposition.
Some of the scores the blue roam colt
paid in kind, some he did not, but ne
learned the game Of give and take.
Men and horses alike, he concluded.
were against him. If he would hold
his own, he must be ready with teeth
and hoofs. Especially he carried with
him always a black, furious hatred Of
man in general.
So he went about with cars laid back.
the whites OF his eyes showing and a
bite or kick ready In any emergency.
Day by day the hate In him deepened
until it became the master passion. A
quick football behind him was enough
to send his heels flying as though they
had been released by q hair trigger. He
kicked first and investigated afterward.
oil %
ing distance reused all his ferocity.
Toward his own kind Blue Blazes
bore himself deGantly. Double harness
was something he loathed. One was
not free to work his will ON the de-
spised driver IL hampered By a pole
and mate In such cases he nipped
names and kicked under the traces un-
til released. He had a special anup-
atby for gray horses and fought them
on the smallest proyocation dr upon
none at alls
As a result. Blue Blazcs, while know
ing no masters, had many owners.
sometimes three in a single week. He
began his career by filing three
months engagement as q livery horse,
but after lie had run away n dozen
times, wrecked several carriages and
disabled a hostler he was sold for half
his purchase price.
/ Then did be enter upon his wander
ings In real earnest. He pulled street
cars, delivery wagons, drays and ash
carts. He was sold to unsuspecting
farmers, who, when his evil traits
cropped out, swapped him unceremoni-
ously and with ingenious prevarication
by the roadside. In the natural course
of events he was much punished.
Up and across the southern penin-
suia OF Michigan he drifted conten'
tiously. growing more vicious with
each encounter. moro daring after each
victory. In aluskegon be sent the driv'
er Of a grocery wagon TO the hospital
with q shoulder bite requiring cauter-
ization and four stitches. In Manistee
be broke the small bones IN the leg OF
bakers large boy. In Cadillac
! boarding stable hostler struck hin
: with an iron shovel. Blue Blazes kick
cd the hostler quite accurately nnd
. very suddenly through a window.
Between Cadillac and KalasSa he
spent several lively weeks with farm
ers. Most Of them tried various tam
ling processes. Some escaped viii
! bruises ard some suffered serious IN
. jury. At Alpena he found an owner
who, having read something very con
vincing IN horse trainers book, clad
orately strapped the roan's legs nc
cordlng to diagram and then went Int
the stall 70 wreak vengeance with
p riding whip. Blue Blazes accepted on
4 cut, after which he crushed the aveng
: er against the plank partition unit
!. three of tho mans ribs were broken
2 The Alpena man was fished from IN
! der the roan's hoofs just In time I
y save his life.
This incident earned Blue Blazes til
It name Of man killer" and 1t stuei
He even figured in the newspaper dis
$ patches. blue Blazes, the Michiga
" Man Killer" "rhe Ugliest Hors
Alive" "Alpena's Equine Outlaw
these were some Of the headlines. IN
Perkins method had borne fruit.