Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-03-25
MUSIC HATH POWER"
Antoinette lie Brun Inspires Horses
to Heroic Effort by Singing
Opera Arias.


Do animals understand and apprc-
ciatc music? Madame Antoinette lie
Brun, who will appear with her grand
opera company at :he Grand opera
house Tuesday mig t. March 80, says
that they do-at least that horses do
and that she has the witnesses to
prove it.
when we were p,aying at New Or
leans few weeks a"o," Madame lie
Brun said. 1--WE decided to drive out
to the new racing park. the City Club,
one afternoon. Having plenty of time
we engaged a queer looking spring
wagon that struck our fancy.
"When we had gone about mile
we got into a mud hole: one of the
horses slipped and went down-and
there We were. The horses wouldn't
get up. but the drivers temper did.
He was of French ancestry, and the
excitement of the situation got Nie
gan to curse and pound his horses
disgustingly. couldn't stand it.
Finally l said:
"'Let me take the reins.' and took
them. I'm going to sing to Them ]
said.
"'Mon dieu,' exclaimed the driver,
what you know about horses?'
al know a lot more than you can
guess l answered hotly. My father
raised the best race horses in north
ern Indiana-if l am an opera sing
err And then ! began on the 'Rohe-
"'I dreamt that dwelt in marble
halls
The horse that was down stopped
foundering about. and the other
horse pricked up his ears"
with the vassals and serfs at my
side / continued.
The fallen horse cast an inquiring
And of all those assembled with
in those walls that was the joy and
the pride sang.
The fallen horse got up. 'Sacrc
bleu!' said the Frcnchman under his
breath. ] sang on cluckling at the
horses between words:
had riches too great to count;
could boast Of a high ancestral fame.
But I also dreamt-whieh charmed
me most-that you loved me still the
same-'Get ap. and the horses moved
on.
"'Tcte dc mon porev almost shout
ed the driver as | handed back the
reins. We hadn't gone far before
he began to be openly skeptieal about
my performance. 1t was an acci-
dent, he insisted. They have no ear
for singing.
About this time We got into sand
on that wrctchcd road and down
over the reins without a
struggle. i
suggested Mr.. La Valle who. with
Mr.. Huffman was on the back seat.
So started up The Last Rose OF
Summer
"'Tis the last rose of summer left
blooming alone ! sang. The horses
looked reproachfully at each other as
gently jerked on the reins. NO
flower of her kingdom; no rosebud
in sight sang I. Get out of this.
Again the fallen horse got to his
feet.
"'To reflect back her bushes The
horses settled into their harness.
'Sacre nomr exclaimed the driver.
"'Or give sigh for sigh-get ap.
and away VIC went. never to stop un-
til we got to the park.
'Diablc noir! Nine. diablc! You
are a witchi' cried the almost frantic
driver as we dismissed him. No one
mas ever DeeH aoie 10 40 tnat 10 my
horses before and he whipped up
and disappeared in his own dust tow
ard New Orleans. and we never saw
him again.
81 had just repeated an experiment
I had often successfully made when
my father ran a stock farm near In
dianapolis. one which many horscmen
are familiar with. My witnesses.
Ask Mr.. La Valic or Nc. Huffman.
They arc still with me. We could
have pulled coal wagon out of the
hole with the grand opera trio"