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PROF. D. M. BRISTOL'S

PROF. D. M. BRISTOL,

lOSB WELL-EA.KNED TITLE, THE KiNG EdUCATOK OF THE
BBUTE MIND, IS UNDISPUTED.

^g— a CONSISTING OFig^-F^ .

lATED HORSES, PONIES AND MULES.

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4 FEW facts in relation to the Liatory of the horae would, we
m^ think, be an appropriate introduction to onr theme. Among
Y^ all animals tliat grace thia fair creation the horae atandd
■V I ^ forth pre-eminent. From the earliest dawn of history tbo
horse has been clothed with the attributes of might, majesty
and dominion. Although man was given " dominion over all
the beasts of the field," it was only after long acquaintance and
trial that the horse was subdued to his will. At first he was only
driven, and that before a war chariot in battle. Later he was ridden
in battle, and also in the chase ; but it is only in times compara-
tively modern that the horse was degraded into a beast of burden,
that position being formerly filled by the ox and the ass. The Chal-
deans were the first horsemen, and afterward the Medes and Per-
sians became renowned for their horsemanship. So rich in equine
wealth did the latter nation become that one author speaks of no
less than 150,000 horses feeding at one time on a vast plain near the
Caspian Sea. The very name Peresh is a Hebrew and Chaldeao
T»ord, signifying horseman.

His beautiful and sublime description in Job' is familiar to all:
** Hast thou given to the horse strength ? Hast thou clothed his neck
with thunder ? The glory of his nostrils is terrible 1 He swalloweth
the ground with fierceness and rage ; he saith among the trumpets
Ha, ha ! And he smelleth the battle afar off!"

Tliia description is the very enthusiasm of admiration, and we
have- in Shakespeare a reflex of this which is no less striking for itH
sublimity and poetry than for its similarity in language and simile :
" It is a beast for Pei-seus ; he is pure air and fire, and the dull
elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in
patient stillness while his rider mounts him. He bounds from the
earth as if his entrails were hairs ; when I stride him I soar, I am a
hawk ; he trots the air— the earth rings wlicn he touchea it ; the

basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Herme*.
His neigh is like the bidding of a monarch— and his countenance
enforcoflt homage."— JETenr*/ V.

In Shakespeare's poem of Venus and Adonis, we have a pen
photograph of a perfect steed, which is as remarkable for accuracy
and detail, as for beauty and brevity.

Look, when a painter would surpass the life

In limning out a well-proportioned steed,
His art with nature's workmanship at strife,

As if the dead the living should exceed,
So did this horse excel a common one,
In shape, in color, courage, pace and bone.

Round hoof d, short jointed, fetlocks shag and lon^,

Broad breast, full eye, small head, and nostril wide,
High chest, short ears, straight legs, and passing strong,
Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttock, tender hide ;
Look, what a horse should have lie did not lack.

Horses seem to be sensible of pride, and it is recorded by Plutarch
thftt Bucephalus, the renowned horse of Alexander the Great, when
once caparisoned would let no one approach him but his royal
master. Many instances of the remarkable attachment of horses
for their masters and mistresses, and vice versa, are on record, but
we only have space to record ooe. Lord Raglan's white pony,
which that commander rode before Sebastopoi, was &een to mount
the steps of a palatial residence and enter the hall through the open
door, and was there met and embraced by Lady Fitzroy Somerset,
the daughter of the noble earl— who lavished the pony with kisses.
Horses seem capable of much chivalrous feeling toward the
weaker sex It has been said, let the wildest and fiercest Arabian
be mounted by a woman, and you wiU«8uddenly see him grow mild
and gentle as a lamb.

The above applies to our clown mule Denver ; this mule has been
taught among other comical tricks to permit no one to sit on his
back. Imagine our surprise when at Ford's Opera Houie, at the
conclusion of the performance the ladies and children were invited
lo the ajage, and before the attendants w( ro awuro of it, two little

mieeee had mounted Denver's back and were having a pleasant ride'
the little mule evidently realizing thai they were children. We
had always admired Denver, but since his gentle behavior on this
occasion we love him

We say these horses do everything but talk; indeed it is a ques-
tion if they haven't a way of conveying their ideas one to another.
One almost comes to believe this when he becomes acquainted with
this wonderful school, for wher. one of their number's name is called^
fts they stand in line on the stage, should the animal be slow in an-
swering the others in various ways tell him to go, proving that his
name is known to all the others, although without the power of
speech. No intelligent human being can come away after once
seeing them without being convinced that they are reasoning crea-
tures. Will some of my readers explain how, when a horse is told
to squeal that she immediately obeys the command, if she doeen*^
iinderstand what is said to her, and when told to squeal louder,
she does so ? I mention this as one of the innumerable tricks done
by these graduates of Prof. Bristol's school.

We have frequently been asked why we remain so long in a place.
Our answer is this, in no place that we have exhibited have we
failed to draw the same people again and again, because they be-
come more interested It is m fact astonishing i and while it per-
haps is far more entertaining than most plays seen, it is instrnotive.
This new system convinces us that we have never thoroughly un-
derstood the horse, We have already referred to the Arabian
eteed as believed to be the true horse. You will not think so after
reading the description of this school's performances f As hard as
it may be to believe, you will be convinced on seeing one enter-
tainment, and will say it is wonderful The idea of a mule ringing
a bell to call a class to school ; the horse scholars running along
to the school-house, carrying in their mouths baskets, slates and
iunches ; and let me here mention the fact that almost any of these
horses will eat pie, cake, lunch or the food' eaten. by their human
friends, Eagle being very fond of sandwiches. \\^at do you think
of a muJe cracking a whip, another assisting the Professor to

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remove his coat, another to carry it out, hang it up ? The idea of a
horse telling the month, day of the week, and hour of the day

Oh ! you don't believe it. Well, come and see and be convinced.
Then see them swing their teacher, then themselves, jump over
each other, teeter, play soldier, do a military drill equal to a squad
of soldiers, churn, ring bells in imitation of the '■' Swiss bell-
ringers." Well there is no doubt that it is hard to believe. The
idea of a horse telling colors, opening a draw, taking from it silver
or paper money in turn, as requested by the Professor. You
say the latter you have seen in Barnum's Circus. Here let me say
ifyou have seen this, as performed by these wonderful equines we
will forfeit the school. We picture one churning, one carrying
warm water in a tea kettle for the churner's use, another makin- a
rocking-horse of himself, Denver rocking in his chair, having a
lunch with his teacher, ringing the bell when he thinks the Pro-
fessor has had his share of the bottle, shakes his teacher's arm so
that it is impossible for him to drink ; then think of several of the
school jumping a rope, and apparently enjoying it like so many
children ; catching a ball, rolling barrels, boxes, kc, about the
school-house. The entertainment lasts about two hours, and the
like has never been seen. We have, at this writing, exhibited at
Pord'3 Grand Opera House, in Baltimore, three (3) weeks, to the
greatest crowds ever seen in the house, and Mr. Ford is offe'rinfr us
every inducement to remain three weeks longer. It has been'the
same at every place we have exhibited. The Buffalo times said :
" The Educated Horses at the Couri Street Theatre are packing the
house where Margaret Mather and Janauschek failed to draw."

The Arabian is not the only true horse. Prof. Bristol proves
to us conclusively that the American horse is capable of acquir-
ing as finished an education as the equine of any portion of the
globe ; also that its hybrid, deemed the most stubborn of the
brute creation the " genus mule," can be taught. In evidence of
the fact, we 's^W your special attention to the numberiess novel
feats performed by blind Ruth the Solemn, and Denver the Clown.
If, after seeing this most extraordinary school of ''mind-endowed,

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reason-gifted ' animals, you are not convinced of the reasoning
powers of the horse we woiil '. like yonr explanation. The question
is often asked, " Why did the Professor educate a blind animal?"
The answer is simply this, to'convince yoii that the mule under-
stands what is said to them when the idea is properly conveyed by
one whom they know and trust. This of course takes time, patience
and a peculiar talent, as exemplhied in Prof. Bristol.

J. M. Lewis, a successful and well-known business man of Mich-
igan, is associated with Prof. Bristol, and is well known as the
owner of some of our fastest horses. Messrs. Lewis & Bristol were
engaged in the business of training and dealing in fine horses, when
Mr. W. C. Coup heard of them, and after a few visits succeeded
in arranging with them for a term of years tor a tour of this coun-
try and Europe. The success of the exhibition has been wonderful
wherever it has been exhibited.

We haven't space in .this little pamphlet to describe one-halt of
the wonderful things performed by this school of educated animals,
but invite you to come and see', be convinced, amused, astonished
and entertained ; at the same time encourage this remarlcable man
in his good work- At Cincinnati, after the performance, he was
publicly thanked by the members of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals.

W. C. COUP,

Director

Mr. W. C. Coup being no longer connected with this attraction the
management will be under the personal direction of J. M. Lew s.

LEWIS & BRISTOL.

" These wonderful horses," endorsed by the entire press of Boston
as being the most remarkable exhibition of Horse Sense ever given.

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PROF. D. M. BRISTOL.

The most remarkable man in his system of education yet known
was bom on his father's farm near the present city of Flint, Mich-
igan, December 25th, 1849. He developed his love for the horse at
the early age of 10 years, his father being the owner of a number of
valuable horses and a splendid stock farm. The Professor was edu-
cated at Hillsdale College, in his native State. We are sorry w«
have so little space to devote to his early life ; suffice it to say his
whole mind seemed to be devoted to the horse during his vacations,
his horse being his constant companion. On one occasion his
iather came suddenly upon him on the bank of a stream in a
wooded pasture, accompanied by his favorite colt, his pastime be-
ing then to try to teach the animal to hold a fishing-rod, a feat so
ably accomplished by the clown Denver, of the present school.
His father reprimanded him severely for loss of time in such (to
him) silly employment, but nothing coiild persuade the boy Deloss
from spending his time with his father's horses, appearing to be
determined to teach them seeming impossible tricks. On one of
these vacations he taught bis colt to drive without reins, simply
by the motion of the whip. This mode has since been imperfectly
copied by a few horse trainers, the secret undoubtedly originating
with Prof. BristoL The father little knew w'.at his seemingly
useless boy would accomplish in after years, evidently being instru-
mental in introducing an entirely new method in making man's
best and most useful friend (the horse) comprehend and obey the
wishes of his master without the use of whip or cruel treatment.

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PROF. BRISTOL,

Having twenty-five years' experience in the study and management
of colts, awkward, nervous and vicious horses, while teaching this
theory throughout the United States and Canada he gained hosts of
friends and accomplished an entire revolution in the humane treat-
ment of the horse. He is the inventor of the Bristol Bit, which has
ten different changes for the vices and habits to which horses are
addicted. It does not irritate the mouth. He is the author of
Bristol's Illustrated Horsemanship, a book of 135 pages, well
written, with sixty-seven illustrations. It explains the uses of his
bit and contains the latest and most humane, practical and scientific
system known to the world, as by it horses are educated, not
exhausted, as by other theories where the animal is whipped, hopped
about on three legs, thrown and drugged and whirled, which tends
to exhaust for the time only and frequently ruining the disposition
and ambition of the animal. His books and bits may be had at the
box office of the theatre, or by calling on him when in your city, or
by enclosing $1.00 to D. M. Bristol, Battle Creek, Mich.

PROF. D. M. BRISTOL'S

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CONSISTING OF

LEWIS & BRISTOL'S

Phenomenal Etjmes.

For dates and time of tliis, the most remark-
able £xliil)itioii of this or any age, see
Nenvspapers, Small Bills, Etc.

"The finest tribute to success was paid last Saturday, when
scores of carriages and a multitude of cars conveyed to the Opera
House thousands of ladies and children, and the thoroughfaren
leading there were radiant with youth and beautiful womanhood.
The audience, in itself, was prettier than a picture — every seat,
every aisle, filled with applauding admirers of the admirable show.'
—BdUimore JDaUy Sun, Tuesday, May 12th,