The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-19
Campfire stories-No. 8.


Measure up to animals, boys! This
is my personal creed.
How many faults would a man cut
out If he would just remember not to
do anything an animal wouldn't do?
God gave human beings mind as a
higher power of creation-and we
abuse our power of reason. God gave
animals instinct-and they live up to
it implicitly. A horse may balk. but
he is on the level about it. There is
no deceit; he just balks. You know
exactly where he stands.
There is no human love and loyalty
to exceed that which an animal may
what good dogs do and have done.
don't care to have anything to do with
| man who doesn't like a dog. In
showing his loyalty and devotion to
man, the dog has shade the best of
other animals Did 1t ever occur to
you that man uses a horse but makes
a companion of dog2
My early boyhood on the Dakota
plains made me a lover of allanimals.
The horse and dog are my favorites.
naturally. 1 have never been without
one or the other as a companion.
After I left the stage for motion pic
lures l found / could crafty my life
long desires, so I didn't limit myself.
Altho my pinto pony is better
known than my other pets. because of
L
| in them all. 1 have an English bull
dog. Congo" who is almost Darwin's
| missing link in looks, but he won't
allow me to put my face within a foot
of his If / have had a drink of alcohol.
One of the finest things, that has
happened to me in my motion picture
| career is the opportunity to retire
many broken-down broncs to a we'll
deserved life of leisure. I have in
mind one 'Lizabeth," who doesn't
happen to be a bronze, but she will
| illustrate the point. "Lizabeth" is
| only high-powered mule.
In one of my latest pictures, 'Wag-
on Tracks" we were camped on the
Mojave desert, some 1875 miles from
Los Angeles. We had overlooked the
fact that We needed pack mule for
my use on the trail. In our outfit
there were thirty mule teams which
had been hired from the sales yards
| in the city. These mules are mostly
sold and used for grading camps.
1 picked out the mule that looked
the part. and in twenty minutes the
animal followed me around like a
faithful dog. Incidentally, the mule
, did some work in the picture that
rivaled the feats of my horse. We
named the mule Jupiter" at first
but we had to change it to "Lizabeth."
I might add that 'Lizabeth" is not
working any more.
In the old days of the west, in the
Dakota territory. a boy was taught to
! love animals. In those days a man
would be killed even quicker for abus-
| ing a horse than for stealing one.
Everybody knows what happened to
horse thieves-a necktie party.
Broke and afoot!"-this was. and
is. the greatest calamity that could
befall a cowman. A westerners love
for his horse amounts to religion. Yes
terday the horse was as necessary to
L
of commuter in New York. There
fore. folks who were raised in the
great west love and respect their four
footed friends.
But it wasn't only because horses
could be ridden that made men count
on them SO much. 1t was also because
| they could be depended on to be on
the job and faithful to their trust in
an emergency. If you and l could al
ways say this about ourselves, would
MT it be fine?
This may not appeal to you as being
much of an article, but it brings out
a point that is part of my faith, and
as I have said all 1 have to say, here
I quit.
Question Box-No. 8.
Most of the questions tina. 1 receive
regarding animals concern my pinto
pony, of course, because everybody
that knows me knows the pinto. But
a few of my boy friends must have
gained the idea that 1 maintain a zoo
or animal gardens at the studio, be-
cause letters daily inquire about ami
mails that 1 haven't the pleasure of
owning and I wouldn't know what to
do with them If l did.
This Is partly due to the fact that
my friends know of my love for all
four-footed animals, and partly due
to the use of many animals In my
motion picture productions that are
only hired" to work.
Imagine Bill Hart with an Australian
boxing kangaroo, or South American
ant-eater, or a pet rattlesnakei I've
used 'em In pictures, but they don't
belong to me. No, sir-rel I'd sure
like to own a few thousand acres OF
land where animals could live their