The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-09
CASE JOHN BURROUGHS.
His Attention Is Directed to Recent I Performance of a Chicago Horse.

From the Chicago Inter- Ocean.
 It is a great pity that John Burroughs was not on hand Friday afternoon to see 8that police horse walking through the }north hallway of the city hall in search 3of his master. He would presumably have been able to deduce from the ami mal's action several conclusions that were proof positive to him that animals do not reason
 For John Burroughs as every one must know by this time, is the mouth piece of the instinct school of natural lists who shudder when the words men ital process are used in connection with animals. whether wild or domesticated. The naturalsts of this school hold that sIthe animal kingdom below man is ruled .by instinct solely. and ever since the mo- lmentus day when President Roosevelt 5gave out his blacklist of nature fakers" loom John has stood ready to whack any Treason" school naturalist over the head twith. the Big Stick.
 It appears that Mounted Police Ser geant Joseph Dubach called at the City Hall for d conference with Assistant Chief Schuetteer. He dismounted at the north entrance and left his horse Dick standing outside. By and by Dick made up his ! mind that his master was staying too { long and calmly walked into the building in search of him.
 
 Is behind an elevator, so it escaped Dick s attention. In this way the first office he ; investigated was that of Fire Marshal Horan. The outer room was temporarily deserted, so Dick went on to the depart ! ment of electricity, gently nosing open < the door and thrusting in his head. At this precise moment Sergeant Dubach ap- peared and led Dick outside.
 To the ordinary man it would seem as , if Dick had SpVRraI mental DrocpSSeS and used something that was near reason | that there is no use in splitting hairs E over it. Dom John, however, would un- E doubtedly hold 10 the contrary and would presumably argue about like this:
 Tn the first place, if Dick had any reason about him he would have known that horses are out of place in the city hall, and would have remained where his master left him instead of intruding as he did.
 Tn the second place, a reasoning anil mai would have known that a policeman would have had no business in the fire marshals office or in the electric depart ment, and would have gone direct to the police department. True, the horse had never been in the city hall before, but a reasoning animal would have inquired the way, or consulted the building di- rectory instead of opening every door that he came to.
 No, the horse was animated by mere Instinct. He may have smelled oats or hay-or thought he did-and walked in after them Or he may have thought that the building was a stable. Or he 5 may have belonged to an office-huntng z ward -heeler at some time.
 Anyway, l know the animal was not moved by anything akin to reason, be- cause down at my farm at Slabsde I have horse, and my horse has no men, tai processes whatever. Anyone who says that this policeman's horse has any reason in him had better look out or I'll have hi madded to the list of nature fakers.'
 In the meantime those who saw Dick s search for his master in the city hall have not the slightest doubt that the horse displayed both affection and reason. Men who are familiar with such animals as dogs and horses through long and in- innate association are sure that man has no monopoly of mental processes.