Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-12

F. B., Stratford, Conn.,, writes: 81
have bay mare, about eleven years old,
kind and gentle, one Of the best workers
/ ever saw, but only fair on the road,
being chunky animal. The only thing
against hes is that when / meet an auto.
mobile on the country roads she stops
and does her best to turn around, and
sometimes rears up. If she would only
60 ahead, / would be able to hold her,
as she has tender mouth. have own.
ed her since last July. My use for a
horse consists in cultivating berries,
taking same to market town, and going
back and forth from the shop where
work. Now, l hate to part with her,
because know it will be hard matter
to get horse as true in all kinds OF
harness as she is. She will pull heavier
load than any horse around weighing
$50 pounds more than she does. Her
weight is about 1850. My object in
writing to you is this. Can you offer
any idea how could break her of being
afraid of automobiles? / have q great
deal of faith in your suggestions, and
would be pleased to hear from you in re-
gard to this matter"
You are in the same fix that probably
fifty thousand other people are in who
own horses. The automobile is simply
an abominable nuisance on the country
highways; one hundred thousand people
will testify to that, yet the autos are
here and are likely to stay. Whether
they are to become of practical utility
OF not remains to be seen. But the all
wise Creator, all along these years, has
seen fit TO allow on earth goodly num-
Der of people with lots of money, and
many of them with an inadequate sup
ply of brains. Some people with both
brains and money will own automobiles,
and many with very few brains and con-
siderable money will own automobiles.
When it comes to their use the one with
auto as to avoid the soaring of horses
and danger to life, while the fellow in
human form with few brains will en-
danger the lives and limbs of people.
All that common people, whose money
mainly built the roads, can do, will be to
see that the laws as enacted by our
various legislatures are not violated by
the half idiots with respectable parent
age. The true gentleman will obey the
law while running his auto on the road,
and we need have no fear of his doing
us serious harm, as he will obey the law
in keeping within the speed limit and
will stop his machine when he sees there
is danger of frightening horses. As to
the other fellow, we will have to treat
him for what he is. When he dis0beys
the law, cause his arrest; or, when he
won't stop his machine, serve him as one
of the Supreme Court judges is said to
have done when he got out Of his car
riage and used some pebbles the size of
hens eggs, following the unwritten law,
think it can we'll be called, in protect
ing his life and the lives Of his family.
Regarding your mare, were she mine
would try to get her accustomed to the
autos. II you could spare her for a
week, send her to the city or town, and
have some good horseman drive her
daily on the streets where she will see
autos in all kinds of form. A favorite
mare of my own who was very much
afraid of autos have, by using her care
fully around with them, got so she cares
little about them. Try it with yours,
and il you are not a nervous man think
you will succeed. A nervous driver
makes a nervous horse while cool
headed man will generally control a
nervous horse.-C. D. Smead in Tribune
Farmer.