HOW TO KNOW HIM. 69 



conduct of certain people, who, by slurs and innuendoes 

 and misrepresentations, seek to bring into popular 

 disgrace the most delightful and elevating branch of 

 American agriculture, — the breeding and training of 

 fine horses. Such behavior is both disgraceful to them- 

 selves, and, so far as it has any influence upon the 

 public, hurtful to the best interests of the country. As 

 a branch of business, it represents an enormous amount 

 of capital, as the national statistics show, — of capital, 

 too, contributing actively, year by year, to the commer- 

 cial prosperity of the land, and also largely and directly 

 to the health and happiness of its inhabitants. From 

 the settlement of the country, the horse has been 

 intimately and honorably associated with our social and 

 religious life, as he has also most potentially contributed 

 to the development of its trade and commerce. With- 

 out the assistance of the noble animal these thoughtless 

 people persist in associating with gamblers and jockeys, 

 our religious congregations could never have been as- 

 sembled sabbath by sabbath in the churches, nor our 

 political gatherings held, nor, as we all realize in view 

 of the revelation of the last winter, during the epizootic 

 season, could our business enterprises have been carried 

 out. Why an animal so noble by nature, and useful to 

 us all, should be singled out for reprobation, or to en- 

 gage in his propagation and training be stigmatized as a 

 low and vulgar pursuit, passes my comprehension. For 

 one, I acknowledge a debt of gratitude to those, who 

 by importation of blooded animals, or careful attention 



