402 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JS:j;Ea!,-1813. 



Judge Taylor tif Alabama, recently sent the 

 following coniinunicatinn to the editor of the Mo- 

 bile Advcrtisi>r. It is of an interesting character. 

 Mr. Langdon, the editor in introducing it to his 

 readers says, that every fact stated can be corro- 

 borated by hundreds of the most voracious citi- 

 zens. Bnt we presume that the statement will not 

 be donbted-^-as fncls of n n1ore Citraordinary cha- 

 racter, well attested, illustrating the sagacity of 

 iho horse, have, from time to time, been laid be- 

 fore the pnblic. — And the cow, too, has not been 

 backward in vindicating her claims to the exercise 

 of reason. Not long ago, a " well authenticated" 

 tale was told, of a cow, which, being thirsty, and 

 no water in the throDgh, took the pump-handle be- 

 tween her horns, vi'orkcd it with astonishing dex- 

 terity and success — insomuch, that she filled the 

 trough and quenched her thirst ! — Bos. J\lrr. Jour. 



CAN A HORSE REASON ? 

 C. C. Langdon — My purpose is not to discuss 

 the question at the head of this article, bnt to sub- 

 mit some facts fur the speculation of those who 

 may be cnrious in such matters. As you are 

 aware, I own a horse called John, hat for several 

 years has not only amused, but astonished the pub- 

 lic, by his various feats of intelligence and sagac- 

 ity. 



Every body knows John, and if he is seen, as he 

 ofterr is, in a buggy, and no one in it, walking, 

 trotting or galloping througli the most crowded 

 streets, threading his way among carriages and 

 drays, no citizen offers to stop him, but if a stran- 

 ger attempts it, ho only excites a laugh, and is 

 asked how lonj he has been in the city. I have 

 witnessed some amusing scenes of this kind at the 

 expense of some one's good ink7itio)is. 



It is proper, I should state, that for the last 

 seven years, with the e.\ception of the past and 

 present winters, I have resided about two and a 

 half miles from the city. I penerally come to 

 town evf'ry day about eleven or twelve o'clock. I 

 frequently drive to town and back without touch- 

 ing the rein. If I come down St. Francis street, 

 lie is certain lo stop at the Waverley, with.out any 

 thing being said to iiim, and as soon as I gel out, 

 he will start in a trot or gallop, and stop at the 

 Corinthian. If I come down Dauphin street, he 

 will go directly to the Post OfKce, where he will 

 Btop until I gel out, when he will wheel across the 

 street ind remain there in his opinion, a reasona- 

 ble time ■,' — if he wants water, he will go to a 

 pump, and from one to another, until he finds a 

 friend to pump it for him, when he will return. 



John is also a general fivorite. The " Free- 

 ttom" of the city, was long since presented to him 

 )n a buggy I He is therefore, not confined to ajiy 

 particular street, but goes where he likes, in pur- 

 suit of me or his own amusenu'nt. He will some- 

 times go to Walter street, and then to Commerce, 

 where, with excellent taste iiid judgment, he will 

 sample bales of hay nn the side-wulk ; but unlike 

 the cotton samplers, he was never known to fill a 

 bag and carry it off on his back. He not only 

 knows me from others, but can distinguish my 

 voice from all others, as may be easily proved. 

 Hundreds of persons may pa-s him daily without 

 attracting from him any particular notice. If I 

 come toward him when his head is turned from nie, 

 and h.nppen to be talking at the time, although 

 from his tight check ruin the motion may be difli- 

 ciilt and painful, he will turn his head round, rest- 

 ing it against his side, » itli his eye, which then 



exhibits a peculiar tremulous motion, fixed on me 

 until I pass. If he then desires to go home, he 

 will rai.se his head, point his ears, and start after 

 me, stepping loftily and keeping me in view. Al- 

 though a spirited animal, nothing " frightens him 

 from his propriety :" in fact, he "dares do all that 

 may become a" — horse. It is a fact quite noto- 

 rious, that he will go about the city in pursuit of 

 me ; it is equally so that experiments have been 

 made to induce him to leave me, by turning him up 

 the street leading to the country, bnt alter turning 

 a block or two he would invariably come back. 

 There are many instances of gentlemen having dri- 

 ven him lo their residences in different parts of the 

 city, and turned him loose to come back, and I am 

 informed that some bets have been pocketed on 

 such performances. I had a standing bet for some 

 years, that I would send him to the market or the 

 post office, or any house or point that might be de- 

 signated, and that he would return safely with the 

 buggy. No one doubted he would do it. 



But a (evf months since, I sent him from my 

 house across the country to the spring hill road, 

 and up that roail a distance of a mile, to the house 

 of a friend, although he had not been there for 

 more than a year. I have often sent him on er- 

 ranils of a similar character. I have only to go 

 with him and show him a place, and he never for- 

 gets it. He is perfectly under command of my 

 voice. I speak to him as I would to a servant, and 

 that he understands many things I say to hiin, is 

 proved by the fact that he obeys me. In harness 

 or out of it, he follows me about like a dog. He 

 stands in no fear of me, and has no cause, for al- 

 though I may sometimes scold him, I have never 

 struck him, as I believe, in the seven years and a 

 half I have owned him. He therefore does noth- 

 ing from fear, but every thing from kindness. 



It is getting quite late — two or three o'clock — I 

 must have gone up the street. He turns up Royal 

 street ; and stopping a short time at the Literary 

 Depot and several other places, he goes to the 

 Waverley. There is no use in going further in 

 this direction, for he knows I seldom go above th;:t 

 point. He becomes uneasy; turns b.ick and goes 

 down the street as fir as the Court House. He 

 turns again, much excited ; his ear'i thrown back, 

 his neck arched, his nostrils flattened, and starts 

 into a fast trot. As he passes the Mansion House, 

 he is in a round gallop, wildly throwing his head 

 from one side of the street to the other. If he sees 

 me he will stop, or come to me. I get into the 

 carriage, and without saying a word to him, or 

 touching the rein, he takes up the first street lead- 

 ing lo our house. Here is a narrow lane leading 

 to the gale, and lo make a clean turn through it, it 

 is necessary to keep to the right, near the fence. 

 John knows it, and stops at the proper point; I get 

 out, open the gate and pass through. He wheels 

 short round, describing a quarter circle, and sees 

 all is right before him — the gate is narrow, there 

 being but five or s\k inches to spare between the 

 wheel and the post. John knows it, and in more 

 than five hundred times passing through that gate, 

 he has not touched the post more than three or four 

 times ; but when he happens to do so, he will im- 

 mediately back, sheer off of his own accord, and 

 pass througli — never failing in his second attempt. 

 There are tnany instances of having locked his 

 wheels with other cnrriages, when eiuleavoring to 

 gel a good shade, and disengaging himself in a si- 

 milar nrjnner, and which have been noticed by Gen- 

 eral T. D. W. and others. But for the oddity of 



it I certainly should not use either rein or bridle. 

 In going to the city, or back, but especially at 

 night, I would trust him sooner than a professed 

 watchman. Not the slightest injury has ever oc- 

 curred to the carriage by any fault of his. 



But he has also a mode of communicating his 

 wishes and wants, by signs, looks and actions, 

 which is as perfectly comprehensible by me, as if 

 expressed in the plainest language spoken by man. 

 He not only uses language to express his ideas, 

 emotions, &c., but he has clearly invented that lan- 

 guage himself, as I think I shall prove. A portion 

 of the year, the stable being left open for thai pur- 

 pose, John is allowed lo come to the house and 

 kitchen when he likes. About twelve o'clock one 

 light night, I heard a heavy knocking at the kitchen 

 door. The Unocking continued so loud, that I got 

 up and went to the window, when I found that it 

 was John creating the disturbance. His hind feet 

 were on the ground and his fore feet on the upper 

 step. Lifting his foot, he would strike the point 

 ofhis hoof against the door ten or fifteen limes, re- 

 peating it every few minutes. From many other 

 feats of his sagacity, I was well convinced of his 

 object. I called up the servant and charged him 

 with neglecting to feed the horse, but he stoutly 

 denied the chirge. It is certain I did not believe 

 him. But the same thing happened several times 

 afterwards, and I had as often called up the ser- 

 vant, who still asserted the horse had been fed. 

 One day I happened to hear the old negro talking 

 to the sorvunt in the kitchen, laughing heartily, 

 and repeating, "John won't lie, and master knows 

 it." A laugh. "He believes John and won't be- 

 lieve me." Another laugh. "I won't tell any 

 more lies about feeding John. It's no use." They 

 all laugh ; and I laugh. When he wants water he 

 goes to the well, and knock against the curb or the 

 water tub in the same manner. 



Of late years, the servant gets up at the earliest 

 knocking, for he knows that no sleep is to be had 

 on the premises until John's demands are complied 

 with. I often direct that he should not be fed in 

 the morning, for the purpose of inducing him to 

 adopt some other mode of communicating his wish- 

 es. After exhau-iling his patience in his usual ef- 

 forts, he would come to the house and walk by the 

 door, stepping short and quick, and wheeling ab- 

 ruptly round. After practising in this manner for 

 some time, he would give one of the quearest 

 squeals I ever heard, as much resembling the yell 

 of a Choctaw, as any thing else, although he can 

 if he likes, squeal in English. In November last, 

 Mr. H. of C — , who ivas at my house, desired to 

 witness some of John's performances. After per- 

 forming several feats I have related, and we had 

 gone into the house, the house servant came to mn 

 and said John would not let her go to the kitchen. 

 We went out on the gallery, and saw that John 

 had planleil his heels directly opposite to the kitch- 

 en door, looking very savagely. I ordered the 

 girl to drive him away, which she attempted to do 

 with a stick. But no, John would not move an 

 inch. With his head near the ground, his ears 

 backed, stamping violently and shaking his head, 

 he bid defiance. All this I knew was merely for 

 effect. 1 knew ho would not injured the least of 

 living things. I then told the girl lo go lo the 

 well and draw him water. As soon as she started 

 in that direction, he threw off his theatrical char- 

 acter and followed her, looking pleased and high- 

 ly gratified at the success of Ins ingenious experi- 

 ment. I will relate one feat of a different charac- 



