The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-07-14

oners of Pennsylvania driving their
spike by word of command. I worked
at the principle until I reduced the
theory to a science, knowing the
horse had the most acute hearing Of
any Of the animal creation, and the
greatest memory, not excepting man,
for a man frequently forgets-a horse
never does. In short, I 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 mar 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 superfluous. Perhaps his
most wonderful achievement was the
ascension and d~escension 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 a regular at
tendant during the days Of the One
Horse Show, and being also a per-
sonal friend of the Colonel, his adj
miration for the jester was very sin
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 a frst-class groom, JEFF
Posey, from Daniel Van Wonder, a
butcher in Cincinnati, whose skill as
a horseman vas unsurpassed, but he
gracefully shared the honors with
Wilson Turner, who took his place
when Posey eventually became nan
ger 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 it can be truly stated, he vas
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 ill 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 Borrowing 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 a mile long, was one
of the most remarkable tributes yer
paid to n 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.
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.
Gently patented by a Missouri nan
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