Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28
MEETS AN OLD ''nAs BEEN"
SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH ALSO

All Of Which Il 70 Prove That the
Horse World Suffers Like
tho Man World.
During the late bliz. whom airs of tho
arctic bit through our 0vercoats and
polar bears at the Zoo cried aloud for
ear NUNS, met an old horse standing
by the curb and spoke to him." said Col.
Jim 6muthers to Q Star reporter. The
colonel was standing In one Of those
places more or less familiar to some
Newspaper readers. where mirrors sparkle
with convtvial reflections. where pictures
OF nymDhs ill-clad against winter blasts
blush upon the walls. where q mahogany
counter with . gilded- rail 1t its base
extends tho length Of the apartment. and
behind which . gentleman In . white
duck jacket against . glittering back
ground OF TASKS, PITFALLS and drinking
vessels Of queer form frequently in
quires Whats yoursr'
Il was attracted to tho old horse" con-
tinued Col Smuthers. because Of his
knew that he was a 1has-been' horse. He
was almost as down and out as some
men OF my acquaintance. He was gray
about the eyes and muxxle. for old age
puts Its mark on horses as 1t does on
men. His coat was shaggy, his name
matted. his ears Topped and his shoes
worn out His harness. broken In many
places. was PATCHED with twine and wire.
An old bed quilt scantily covered his
back. Behind him was the wagon-an
ash wagon. It was q pathetic picture.
The Horse Talks Back.
Il said to the old horse. Poor horse,
life is not clover field to you,' ana the
old horse said to me:
Mans inhumanity to man IS nothing
to mans inhumanity to horse. I have
worked industriousiy since my early colt
hood days. i have come to doubt the
copybook phrase that work brings wealth.
i have been abstemious. l have never
smoked cigarettes. chewed tobacco, guz-
zied booze, nor had the collie from gor-
ma ndtzing green corn. / sometimes fear
that virtue does not always bring its own
reward. / never took a peck Of oats
or fodder, nor coveted the blanket Of any
other horse, yet l would feign believe
that honesty Is the best policy. 1 am
patient as you can see. / am standing
here unhitched and you perceive that my
overcoat Is not thick enough to keep on
flies In summer. 1 am obedient to the
commands whoa and 'gid-ap.' Yet. meek
am am. have never inherited the earth
] have no title even to a bit of pasture.
! have worked hard in the public service.
j have hauled over loads of brick from
the Virginia kilns and sand from the
James creek dumpe-an for the upbuld-
ing Of this beautiful capital 1 fear that
cities are as ungrateful as republics. l
have done the state some service. / have
hauled loads of coal In winter and ice
in summer. and occasionally they were
full-weight loads. Yet, do those patrons
i have served remember me with a lump
OF sugar. an apple or a carrot? Not
so you can notice 1t! Now l am re-
duced to hauling ashes. about as unprof-
table work as a horse can engage in.
] tell you. old sport Gov. Wilson Is not
the first man to throw down a friend.
The price of oats. hay and corn has been
put up by the food trust, and despite
the building activity in this city and the
vogue of the auto, my stall rent is higher
than IL used to be. You don't see any
bald-headed millionaires founding, uni
yersities for horses or garrulous philan-
thropists loading US up with libraries
:" Cheer up. old horse l said to him,
patting him on his scraggy crest and rub
troubles. Everybody who owns a house
has not paid for 1t and everybody who
runs an automobile doesn't own 1t. You
should not give way to such insurgency
Some alfalfa statesman will certainly pro-
pose government ownership of horses and
then you can all eat out of the public
crib-maybe. I agree with you that the
world Is going to the dogs and the auto
ing machines, tight skirts, ding-a-ling
hats. moving picture shows and all that
may mean progress, but a good deal Of 1t
Ia fake progress. 1t was a good old world
stead of cafes. and when wholesome
woodcuts Of Dexter. Goidsmith's Maid,
Sayer. Heenan and Jem Mace, Jenny Lind
and Edwin Forrest embellished the room
instead OF tawdry statuary and libels on
the female form divine
Happy Days Long Ago.
'.'Well do I remember them happy
days said tho old horse as he stamped
on the icy pavement to warm his hoofs
and cooked the other ear. In those days
golden days-I was a carriage horse,
and. even II do say it myself. was con-
sidered something Of q high stopper. /
have hauled some Of the old swells of
Washington and have taken them home
safely when they could have gotten home
in no other way. Some OF the descend
ants OF those dear old swells are riding
in automobiles today. but most Of them
are walking. Some OF them are spawned
CALLED. sprung. cow-hocked and string
halt and as poor as i am. Some Of the
descendants Of tho men who used to curs
ny me, shoe me and make down my bed
at night now have the fastest cars and
the most lawless chauffeurs in the city.
OF course. they never recognize me.
nos mutamur in ills as Ovtd's old Dobbin
once remarked
Il get you. kid / said to the old
hoyse.
FIN those days, resumed the horse.
gentlemen in blue frock coats with vel
vet collars gathered in the Office of the
livery stable and settled off-hand the
most momentous questions of the day.
What gentleman now thinks Of sitting
around a garage? He would get grease
spots on his pants. In those days the
best merr discussed mile-heats. gaits and
action. Bud Doble's driving. the speed of
Flora Temple. the beauty of Lydia
Thompson and the tragedy of McCready
Now. what topics engage them? Carbu
retors. .magnetos. skid chains and SUCH
Just at this moment, the ashman, as
aged and decreptt AZ the horse. came
out Of q basement, dumped a can of ashes
I'm the rickety wagon. said gid-ap and
the old horse nodded farewell to me-
Colonel" said the crowd. 'what'n you
take?' and the gentleman In the white
duck Jacket took on an expectant look
the cash register smiled and Col. Jim
Sumthers said, THE same"