The sun., 1905-08-28
TAUGHT TRICK HORSE IN 8 DAYS.
Frank Melville Wins Bet From Ernest
Clarke With Unpedig greed Animal.

CI1IR6 WIN SupcOABVcOO Aininoi'
Old dogs may not be susceptible to edu.
oational innovations, as they might say in
Boston, but that you can teach an old horse
new tricks has been demonstrated by Frank
Melville, the circus man who was born on
horseback, to the satisfaction OF everybody
who has seen his wonderful silver gray
stallion perform. The stallion is not very
old compared with circus horses, whose
luxurious life keeps them in the ring beyond
the thirties; but he is old compared with the
horses that do the rough work OF the world
He is from the West, just what part
Melville does not know, and he has no pedi-
gree. like some other famous Americans
He is Just plain horse, not In looks, because
he Is q beauty. but In the lineage that counts
at q horse show. As Mr.. Melville says, ne
is like Napoleon, the first Of his line. he
might have remained forever neglected
and zone the way Of other untaught geniuses
II Melville had not happened to have dis
pute at the Hppodrome with Ernest clarke
who does wonderful things from and on the
backs OF horses, about the ability OF Melville
to train a green horse. =,
Melville bet Clarke $500 that he could
% IA anv horse exchange and pick out
horse and train 1t In five days TO 90 nve
dificuit tricks. He went with Clarke.
Marceline. the clown. DR.. M; ': Potter, tne tne
Hippodrone veterinary, and several other
men Of the show to an uptown exchange.
Melville picked out the silver gray stallion
He held up his head like an aristocrat, not-
vithstandfng his lack OF ancestry, and ms
ewes. which are big and soft. indicated
unwonted intelligence. r ,a ,d
therennon tie buyer Of the show put up
S2zS and Melville took the stallion TO an
once to win Clsrke's $500. First. he told
the stallion that his name was Augustine
and that for short he would be called Az
gust. This information di6 not .I1,,i1ie maze
much impression at first. Then Melville
nroduoed q rinsmaster's whip and August
BETRAYED some Interest In 1t.
The trainer showed August carrot ana
tnv,ted him to take bite. August declined.
Carrots with horses are, like camemtert
cheese with man. cultivated taste. Mel
vile ground part OF the carrot ON, mto Ths T,.s
stallion found it not disagreeabe. and after
Getting more decided that he liked It.
The whip was put into play then. Inc
trainer got on one side OF August ana, at
tractine his attention to that side by tap
Of the whip, said loudly, August
The stallion naturaIly Looked aroomd ;Is ne 70
the name again and used the whip from the
other AIDE. He kept this up until the horse
looked whom the namo was called witnout
waiting for the application Of the whip.
Having taught the stallion his name, +,
Melville sot him after ten hours hard work
to do the march or the high stepping
act. He wss speedily proficient and was
rewarded with carrots. The next day ne
was put through the changes, that y,
he wes taught to 90 over course IN tho
ring like the figure B. He got more carrots.
Next he was drilled in the salute, IN which
the foreleg = thrust out straight from the
body.
The tricks Of sitting on the haunches
and lying down were taught, and nnally
August was, with the help Of ropes, taught
how to lneel and walk on his knees. After
each Lesson, lasting ten hours, August
got carrots. Patrons Of the. riding school
who saw the trainer at work were aston
ished when they saw August perform
all his newly learned stunts on satur-
day. His beauty and clevernese won the
heart Of q young woman pupil Of the
school and she offered II 900 for him. Mel;
vile said be was worth at least -, 800 and
that he did not believe the Hippodrome
would part with him ct any price:
Within few Yssk August viii mako .
public appearante. Clarke paid tho bst
On 6AkuSdAy.--