The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-04-25
WONDERFUL THINKING HORSES
or ELBERfYELD.
stallion Hans Upset Even Nractcr-
inck's Notions OF AniwaI Psycl,oI-
ogy.
(Mauricc Macterlinck, In the Metro
politan.)

politan.)
Some 20 years ago there lived in
Ecriin an old misanthrope named
Wiiheim von Osten. He was a man
with small private income. a little
eccentric in his ways and oDsessed
by one idea-the intelligence OF ami
mails. He began by undertaking the
education OF horse that gave him
no very definite results. But, in 1900.
he became the owner OF a Russian
stallion, which, under the name of
Hans, to which was soon added the
Homeric and well-earned prefix of
kluge, or Wise, was destined to upset
all our notions of animal psychology
and to raise questions that rank
among the most unexpected and the
most absorbing problems which man
has yet encountered.
a wcll-to-do Elberfeld manufacture
er. Herr Krall. had taken n great in
tercst i'm Won Osten's labors and, dur
ing the latter years of tho old mans
life. had eagerly followed and even on
occasion directed the education of the
wonderful stallion. Won Osten left
kluge Hans to him by will; on his
own side. Krall had bought two Arab
stations, Muhamed and Zarif, whose
prowcss soon surpassed that OF the pi-
oDeer.
He talks to them long and tcnderly,
as father might talk to his children;
and we have the strange feeling that
they listen to all that he says and
understand 1t. II they appear not to
grasp an explanation or a demonstra- :
tion. nc will begin ii all over again,
analyze 1t, paraphrase ii 10 times in
succession, with the patience Of n
mother. And so their progress has
been incomparably swiftcr and more
astounding that that of old Hans.
Within fortnight of the first lesson.
Muhamed did simple little addition
and substraction sums quite correctly.
lie had learned to distinguished the
tens from the units. striking the lat
ter with his right foot and former
with his left. lie knew the meaning
OF the symbols. plus and minus. -Four
days later. he was beginning null
tiplication and division. In four
months time. he knew how TO ex-
tract square and cubic roots; and, soon
after. he learned to spell and read by
means of the conventional alphabet
devised by Krall
AS we were leaving the stable after
seeing the trained horses OF Elber-
field. Herr Krall, their owner and
teacher. said:
1T Is "a pity that you did not see
Iarif i'm one of his better moods lie
is sometimes more startling than Mu-
named and has given me two or three
surprises than seem incredible. One
morning. for instance. / came to the
S'apIe ana was preparing to give him
ms lesson in arithmetic He was no
S""her IN front or the spring board
'""h nc began TO stamp with his foot.
let him alone and was astoundcd 20
"e'r "noie sentence. an absolutely
"""'"" sentence, come letter by let
ter from his hoof: Albert has beaten
tianschen, was what he said to me
that day. Another time. wrote down
from his dictation. Hanschcn has hit =
ten Naina Like "a child seeing its
father after an absence. he felt tho
need tn inform me Of The little doinrs
"f ih" stable; he provided me with
the artless chronicle Of a bumIlo and
uneventful life"