The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1905-08-16
DINE AT THE FRIAR'S FARM
New Years Day at the English Home
of Rest for Finely Bred
Horses.

An equine banquet mas proved
not the least interesting of the
festivities of the season. The
scene was E'riar's Place Farm at
Acton, relates the Pail Mall Ca
zette, where the home of rest for
20. ses carries on its beneficeSt
wor., of providing a hospital for
conyalescents, as well as I'll asy-
lum for the aged, and the occasion
was the annual New Years day
dinner to the inmates. Like other
festal menus, this one differed from
ordinary fare. Ridiculously sim
pile fl ON the human standpoint, 1t
was a succession of dainties for
the equine palate. Each inmate
Of the 90 or so loose boxes was
presented with a New Years box.
filled with an assortment of bis
cults, apples, carrots and bits OF
sugar and bread, and they
munched these tasty morsels TO
the accompaniment of many
caresses and kind words from the
guests who were hidden to the
feast mcrel~ as onlookers. There
was no doubling that the horses
knew that their environment was
en- fete. Long before one of them
seized a rope in his teeth, and SET
the dinner bell a-ringing, two rows
of heads and necks were nodding
and swaying out of the open upper
half of the loose box doors, in in.
telligent anticipation of the
favors to come, keeping their eyes
On the tempting titbits as yet be
yond their reach, and dilating
their postrils in shifting satisfac
ton. Like patients in hospital
ward, each was identified by a
framed card, giving his name, his
diet and his treatment, and briel
biographies were furnished b.,
the manager of the home, as each
horse was visited in turn.
The all-pervading kindness dis
played on this day by attend
ants and visitors alike was but
part of the system of thoughtful
benevolence that obtains all the
year round at Friar's Place Farm
The. work of the institution is bet
ter appreciated the more widely
it is known. Each of the three
main objects must enlist the sym
pathy OF all lovers of man;
noblest friend among the ANNA
creation. First of all, it enable.
the poorer classes, on moderate
terms to procure rest and gOOt
treatment for animals that arr
failing, not from age, but from
continuous work, sickness. or &C
cidental causes, and are likely t,
be benefited by a few weeks res
and care. A little timely relief u
this kind enables many failing
horses to do further work will
comfort for years, thus savin;
their owners unnecessary outla.
in purchasing others. Secondly
it provides animals for poor per
sons for temporary use while thei
own are resting in the home,
small amount being charged TO
such loans, and strict guarantee
of good treatment being exacted
In the third place, the home pro
vides suitable asylum for "ol,
favOrites" that would suffer b.
being turned out only to grass, bu
whose owners, instead of destroy
ing or selling them for futur
labor, desire TO place them unde
good treatment for the rest O
their days, paying remuneratiy
charge for such accommodation
Among the latter class the Wis
itOrs were introduced to an oil
chestnut charger whose master
Col. Flndyear, of the Scot
guards, had sent him to join tn
ranks of the other pensioners 70
life at the Home of Rest fo