IN MAINE. 489 



been very interesting, and have satisfactorily demonstrated his 

 ability to bring the most unmanageable horses entirely under his 

 control. 



"An innocent colt, fresh from the country, was introduced, 

 and in a few minutes acted the part of a well-trained horse ; then 

 came a spirited mare, whose stubbornness was not so readily but 

 no less surely overcome ; an old stager, which had for years defied 

 every farrier in the county, but after five minutes' training stood 

 quiet as a lamb while his feet were handled and hammered in 

 true blacksmith style ; a splendid animal, whose principal fault 

 seemed to be unusual fright at the sight of an umbrella, in a very 

 short space of time stood unmoved as one of these articles was 

 placed before him and moved about his body, and when at last it 

 was held above and dropped upon his head, he" appeared to regard 

 it with far more of complacency than fear ; a puller on the bit 

 was beaten at his own game, and yielded handsomely. 



" Whatever the tricks and eccentricities of which the animals 

 brought forward were guilty, they found more than their match 

 in the horse-tamer, who did not in a single instance let a horse 

 pass out of his hands till he could truthfully say, ' I have you, 

 sir.' He was asked to test his skill still further on a vicious mule 

 which was brought in and turned loose in the ring. He was in- 

 deed a villainous fellow, and not at all agreeable in his manners, 

 refusing to be bridled or handled, and meeting every one who 

 approached him with an undesirable display of his heels ; but in 

 less than fifteen minutes his whole demeanor was changed, and he 

 remained perfectly quiet while he was again and again haltered, 

 mounted on all sides, and handled from head to foot, and finally 

 was led out perfectly submissive. The change was wonderful, and 

 called forth great applause. 



" These exhibitions are, as we learn, foreign to Mr. Magner's 

 custom and general purpose, which is, not to exhibit feats in 

 horsemanship, but to make the people practically acquainted with 

 his system, and thereby create increased interest in raising and 

 managing horses. He is soon to start out into the towns of this 

 State, and we hope farmers and horsemen will give him all the 

 attention which his theory and his success merit." Portland 

 (Me.) Transcript, 1864. 



" Mr. Magner, whose equestrian feats have excited the wonder 

 of our citizens, has left the city in order to fulfill numerous en- 

 gagements in the country. It is very fortunate for him that this 

 is not an age when men are executed for witchcraft. Had he 

 lived in Salem in 1692, and exhibited, as he has here, his power 

 over refractory horses, he would have been hanged, as sure as fate, 

 for a wizard. Indeed, we are not certain that he docs not prac- 



