The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-06-22

from seeing In early times the wag-
oners of Pennsylvania driving their
spike by word of command | worked
at the principle until / reduced the
theory to science, knowing the
horse had the most acute hearing OF
any of the animal creation, and the
greatest memory, not excepting man,
for man frequently forgets-a horse
never does. In short, | worked on
the principle that we know the mean
Ing of words by their sound, and in
educating both horses demonstrated
that the horse is next to man in point
of instinct and intelligence
The feats of this famous animal
have been made so familiar to the
reader throughout the pages of this
biography proper, that further at
tempts to add anything of interest
would be superfuous Perhaps his
most wonderful achievement was the
ascension and descension of the stair
case, going up and down both back
ward and forward, in an almost per-
pendicular position, with a rubber
ball balanced between his ears-a
| feat no horse but him could ever be
| instructed to acquire He was par
excellence the premier performer Of
the circus world.
| Dr. Knox, from whom Colonel Rice
obtained Excelsior, was regular at
tendant during the days of the One
Horse Show, and being also per-
sonal friend of the Colonel, his adj
miration for the jester was very sim
cere, and his faith as to Excelsior's
ability was the result of an idea that
a horse bred in Kentucky, even
though he was unframed, must, under
any circumstances, win. Colonel Rice
secured first-class groom, Jeff
Posey, from Daniel Van Wonder, a
butcher in Cincinnati, whose skill as
a horseman was unsurpassed, but he
/ gracefully shared the honors with
| Wilson Turner, who took his place
when Posey eventually became man
ager of the stud. After coming in
possession of Excelsior, Colonel Rice
introduced the intelligent creature at
once into the ring, and he responded
so easily to the requirements imposed,
that 1t can be truly stated, he was
broken to his performing feats direct
ly under the eye of the public.
Excelsior died November II, 1878,
age twenty-eight years, at st. Louis,
Mo. Three days before his death,
Colonel Rice, who was compelled to
come East to fill an important engage.
ment, went to the stable of Jerry Ar
not, in st. Louis, where Excelsior,
who had been i'll for some time, was
being faithfully looked after Colonel
Rice called him out of his stall in
order to test his strength and discover
If he could be safely removed to New
York. Whining piteously, the thor
oughbred staggered with weakness as
he backed out towards his master and
placed his head on his shoulder, she'd
ding tears and quivering in a most
pitiable way. Colonel Rice sought to
console the sorrowing animal as he
led him back in his stall, but to no
avail. There were many prominent
people present who had come to visit
the sick horse, among whom were
Superintendent Talmage, of the Union
Pacific Railroad, and Mr.. Chas. Lucas,
the millionaire merchant of st. Louis.
All were visibly affected. His funeral,
which was nearly mile long, was one
of the most remarkable tributes ever
paid to one of his race, and still sur
wives in the memories of thousands
an enduring monument to his popu-
larity.-From THE Life of Dan
Rice" by Maria Ward Brown.
Endless Telephone Chain.
J At the recent election in Aurora,
ILL.,, the women were urged to form
an "endless telephone chain" each
woman pledging herself to call up
five male voters every day and urge
them to vote right. If it takes as
long to get people on the telephone
in Aurora as 1t often does in Massa-
chusetts, the women could have voted
themselves in half the time. Spring
field Republican.