518 PERSONAL EXPEKIENCE. 



A notoriously vicious horse was brought into the ring, and 

 in less than thirty minutes was trotting in harness, as gentle as 

 though he had always been a family horse, and this, too, without 

 throwing or harsh treatment. Mr. Magner, standing on the axle 

 of a pair of wheels, drove the horse about the ring by the tail, no 

 sign of ill-temper being manifested. — Frank Leslies Weekly. 



The panic of '73 compelled me to again change my 

 method of doing business ; and now commenced one of the 

 most laborious periods of my life. The people of large 

 centers becoming pecuniarily embarrassed, I was compelled 

 to avoid such towns, and confine my efforts almost wholly 

 to the smaller country towns, where I could reach the 

 farmers more easily. 



The belief was general among the people, that, back of 

 my open efforts, there was a considerable degree of hum- 

 bug, which, if they joined my class, they felt bound, if 

 possible, to find out and expose. No matter how thorough 

 the instructions, the measure of their satisfaction would be 

 determined only in the subjection and driving before them 

 of the most vicious and dangerous horses that could be 

 found. These difficulties can be better understood when it 

 is stated that the time for instruction was necessarily 

 limited to from two to three hours ; and that I was 

 frequently compelled to teach classes in unsuitably small, 

 inconvenient places. 



This made it not only extremely difficult, but dangerous, 

 to make the necessary experiments even upon ordinary 

 cases ; and when compelled to take in hand a horse of an 

 exceptionally vicious or dangerous character, while sur- 

 rounded by a crowd of men in such a small place, the 

 greatest care .was needed to guard against accident; for 

 should a horse resist or break away, there was liability of 

 its resulting in serious harm. This was most to be 

 apprehended in handling wild, kicking colts and horses. 

 Though I never had any serious accident from such causes, 



