LIFE SKETCH. 3 1 



noted and successful veterinary surgeon, did not re- 

 main up long, and on the first of August I was on the 

 road again, going to Catasauqua and Slatington 

 among the Germans, and thence to Hazleton and 

 Ashland, into the great coal district through Potts- 

 ville, Mackinaw City, Shamokin, and Minersville. 

 This trip was very pleasant as well as interesting, for 

 I went down into the mines and was filled with won- 

 der and astonishment at the immensity of the under- 

 ground work. Reading, Pa., was my next stopping- 

 place, where I gave exhibitions in the opera-house be- 

 longing to John Michler, afterwards known in connec- 

 tion with the Equine Paradox. At this place I ac- 

 complished the unheard-of feat of taking twelve vicious 

 horses up an entire flight of stairs into the opera-house 

 and handling them all in one evening, with only some 

 " green" help. Among these horses was one known 

 as Little Mary, with a record of 2.22. 



From Reading I went to Lancaster, and through 

 several towns to Chambersburg, making headquarters 

 at Miller's Hotel. Owing to urgent requests, I allowed 

 myself to depart from the rule I had adopted, to not 

 handle any mule, by consenting, after considerable 

 importuning, to subdue a particularly vicious brute, 

 well-known throughout the neighborhood. I suc- 

 ceeded completely, contrary even to my own expecta- 

 tions; but while removing the straps from the brute, 

 turning my back for an instant, it seized me by the 

 arm and carried meat least fifteen feet. After recov- 

 ering from fainting caused by the pain inflicted by the 

 teeth of this vicious animal, I was obliged, almost alone, 

 to remove the cord from her head. In this disabled 

 condition I was obliged to drive fifteen miles to Ship- 

 pensburg, arriving at two o'clock in the morning, 

 where I was laid up for three weeks. At this place 



