Henry Bergh. 



n 



liberal means and appears to have been 

 seduced away from this dry study of the 

 law by a desire to travel. At any rate, on 

 resigning his studies he embarked on an 

 European tour which extended over five 

 years. While still young he married Miss 

 Taylor, a young lady of English parents, and 

 set out with her on a long course of travels 

 over Europe and the East, until wanting 

 rest, they settled for a time in the beauti- 

 ful Rhineland, the ancient home of his 

 family, where he employed his leisure time 

 in literary pursuits with more or less success. 

 One of his productions, " Love's Alterna- 

 tions," was very favorably received, but he 

 aimed at dramatizing his conceptions, and 

 wrote a number of plays which were con- 

 demned by unappreciative stage managers. 



Returning to New York in 1861 he ac- 

 cepted the appointment of Secretary of 

 Legation at St, Petersburg under Cassius 

 M. Clay, and from this he was promoted 

 to the post of Vice-Consul, but he sought 

 relief from his official duties in 1864, and 

 returned to America animated by an in- 

 domitable determination to establish a so- 

 ciety for the prevention of cruelty to 

 animals on the model of that already re- 

 cently established in England under the 

 auspices of the Earl of Harrowby, whose 

 acquaintance he made in the interval be- 

 tween the resignation of his official ap- 

 pointment and his return to America. He 

 was forty-one years old when he entered 

 upon the life work which has won him a 

 nation's respect and admiration. 



The first year after his return to his na- 

 tive land was spent in maturing his plans for 

 the establishment of a society for the pre- 

 vention of cruelty to animals, and for the 

 suppression of the "cruelists," as he called 

 those who ill-treated the dumb beasts, call- 

 ing attention to the subject by numerous 

 lectures. The plea for justice and mercy 

 to animals was so novel, among a people 

 whose code of morality embodied the pro- 

 vision " that every man had a right to do 



as he liked with his own," that Henry 

 Bergh was opposed as a crank and fanatic, 

 and his personal peculiarities and char- 

 acteristics subjected to ridicule. But 

 Henry Bergh was essentially a man of his 

 age, his humanitarian sentiments were the 

 product of nineteenth century civilization 

 and softening of manners, and in giving 

 expression to them he but formulated ideas, 

 which called forth a sympathetic response 

 from thousands in whose breasts similar 

 ideas were already rudely shaping them- 

 selves. He accordingly found numerous 

 supporters, and a society was formed, which 

 by his indomitable energy and personal 

 influence at Albany he succeeded in get- 

 ting incorporated on the 10th of April, 1866. 



He and his wife immediately conveyed 

 valuable property to the society; others 

 came forward with contributions, the best 

 public opinion was enlisted in behalf of 

 the reformers, branch societies were rapid- 

 ly established in other States and Terri- 

 tories, and the movement led by one man 

 soon proved itself a complete success. 



Louis Bonard, a Parisian, bequeathed a 

 hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the 

 parent society, which has never been in 

 need of funds. 



The society soon made its power felt. 

 Laws were enacted making cruelty to ani- 

 mals of all classes an offense, and Henry 

 Bergh, who had been made president of 

 the society, was empowered by the At- 

 torney-General of the State, and District- 

 Attorney of the city, to represent them in 

 all cases of this class. The society had the 

 administration of the law in its own hands, 

 and it soon began to be whispered among 

 the hackmen and drivers of all sorts that 

 the eccentric looking Henry Bergh was 

 "the law and the gospel also in the city 

 of New York." 



Indomitable courage was necessary to 

 the enforcement of the laws prohibiting 

 cock fighting, rat baiting, dog fighting and 

 other brutal sports, but Henry Bergh en- 



