Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-24
BILL Ie DEAD
Atlantic Exprsoa HorsA No. IneeaIiS
gent in Augusta Dice Tuesday
MOrnjna. 9

Morning. 4
A bit of news that waD c3zU0AkD@
Tuesday morning On water strsse and
which carried with it q feeling Of gen.
eral regret was that old Bill. the hia
white horse which had for the paaE II
years been q familiar spectacle On the
city streets a. he performed his daily
task Of furnishing the motive power fer
an express team. first for Hoyt'A latey1
the Hoyt-Tarbox and lastly the AtlantiuA
was no more. that he had that moInina3
as the Count OF Monte Cristo would ny.i
ceased to exist. A. nearly - ID
known Bills age was about q yaarsf
and his demise followed . short ataaclGS
Of Indigestion. .-F
Bill was without doubt the best kupwm
horse in town and without doubt tho
most knowing one. and while he could
not speak he had stored away in THAI.
wise old head of his an amount Of
knowledge shared by but very few Of
his kind, and he was constantly givinB;
evidence in his mute way Of things that
The knew and remembered. And it was,
this. together with his dignif1ed bearing;
his gentleness Of disposition and tho
| faithful performance Of his duties that
WIZ Aoi tHS Va Ill WIN
knew him. ;.
Or Bilfs Gntecedents but little iS
known. except that he was a Western
horse which fact is attested by the let
ter ''S'' which was branded into his skim,
but that he was no horse OF low degree
vas shown by the rare amount Of inv
te!ligence which he possessed. He was
brought from Reckland by Henry F.
! Cv,,,,, %
| to the late Samuel Currier of Hallowell
| That gentleman essayed to drive Bill
double but the animal proved altogeth-
| er too frisky for the purpose and Mr..
Currier sold him to 0. r. wellman OF
this city and that gentleman sold him
later to Mr.. White. Bill was at that
| time about nine years old. After hias
purchase by Mr.. White Bill at one TINA
put in about three years in Boston, but
was returned to Augusta, here he had
| since remained y
! When Bill once made a friend he never
forgot him or her, nor did he forget anya
| favors he received at their hands, often-l
times in the way of some dainty in thu
eatable line which appealed to his taste
I-doughnuts or cookies. for instance. and
sometimes this memory on BilYs part
J "Ouiu al d way WIN MS Only
schedule Of duty, and to the annoyance.
| of his driver. But Bill wanted what ha.
wanted and when he wanted II. He used
TO have regular places where he received
handout. and one Of these was at the
residence OF Fred Hall. Is Bangor street.
Mr.. Hall has first and last handled Bin.
a great deal. and Mrs Hall had for a.
long time been a friend Of the horse. ana
\
doughnuts, etc. which no received at her
hands. !
| The result of this was that It waa
impossible to leave Bill anywhere in the
vicinity without his making a dash foH
the Hall homestead for a feed On ar
irving there he would rap on thu Doors
step with one hoof until the lady Of the
house responded and gave him his cus-
tomary lunch. Another place which hs
had on his calling list was the Hayes
restaurant at the west end Of the Ksn-l
nebec bridge. This is Just across thu
square from the Atlantic express ofica-s
and when Bill craved douShnut hi
would walk over to the restaurant and
wait until someone inside would brina
him bite, and then he would go quietly
back and resume his stand in front Of!
| the express Office. !
Bill knew the company's customas onl
j Water street and would make his rounAss
and stop at the different places without
n word from the driver It was by his;
deeds and his everyday display Of inteni-i
gence that the horse became a genasnN
pet, and many are they who viii be sor-
~ to learn tina. he has finished his
work which he did SO well and will long;
miss him from the street.