Went into the Medicine Business. 



"I had a liniment which I called 'Keystone Liniment,' and every- 

 body wanted it, so that started me into the medicine business. I used 

 to travel around the country with a minstrel band to attract a crowd, 

 and then sell my medicine. One day a man told me that a circus was 

 going to sell out. I bought some of their horses. Lauretta, the 

 Arabian mother of Jim, was one of them." 



A few years later Beautiful Jim Key was foaled, and the interesting 

 story of the years of patient work in teaching him is told elsewhere. 



Few men have seen as much varied life as has Dr. Key, and few 

 men have done as much good. It is said that the doctor is worth close 

 onto a hundred thousand dollars, but his love for Jim is so strong that 

 he prefers to travel around with him rather than live in ease. 



Mr. Rogers, who bought Jim, and pays Dr. Key a large salary, 

 says he is the most faithful man he ever met. "I would trust him with 

 all I have as I would myself." 



The years of patience it took to teach this wonderful horse are only 

 to be equalled by the horse's nearly human intelligence. It has been 

 said that Beautiful Jim Key is a missionary to his kind. Surely Dr. 

 Key has proven that kindness and patience will accomplish much more 

 than force. He even sleeps by the horse, whose life is so wrapped in 

 his own, and in whom he takes such a pride. 



Mayor Dudley of Nashville relates the following incident in regard 

 to Dr. Wm. Key when he was exhibiting Jim Key at Sam Jones' Tab- 

 ernacle in Nashville. It is a clipping from the Nashville American: 



While looking over a list of appointments which Mayor Dudley has 

 ahead, and which will consequently have to be broken, he came across 

 one in which he was down for a speech at the opening performance 

 Monday of Jim Key, the celebrated horse which will be exhibited at the 

 Tabernacle under the auspices of the local Humane Society. 



Pays His Master's Mortgagfe. 



"I regret very much that I cannot fill that engagement," said Mayor 

 Dudley to the reporter today, "but I have written Gov. McMillin 

 and asked him to take my place on the programme. 



Outside of the good accomplished by the exhibition, presenting as 

 it does an object lesson of what kindness will do when directed toward 

 animals," continued the 'Mayor, "a feeling of sentiment actuates me. 

 You may not know it, but Dr. Jim Key, the colored man who trained 

 the horse and who still has him in charge, and I were boys together 

 in Bedford County. The Doctor was a slave then and his master ran 

 a tanyard about four miles from my father's home. I often went to the 

 tanyard and there met Dr. Key, as he afterward became known. He 

 was always respectful and gentlemanly, and I learned to like the little 

 fellow. 



"At the breaking out of the war his young master joined the Con- 

 federate army, and Jim went with him, remaining throughout the 

 period of hostilities. Upon returning home the tanyard and almost 

 everything else belonging to the family was found destroyed. Jim went 

 to work, however, and in a few years he succeeded in paying ofY a 

 mortgage of $S,ooo which hung over his master's home. So you can 

 see why I feel kindly disposed toward Jim and any enterprise with 

 which he is connected. I hope the people of Nashville will give the 

 performances the support which they so richly deserve," concluded 

 the Mayor. 



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