(Bck> t ol (B^fiazxxot^/i^. THE PROFESSOR. - - Geo. Bartholomew A Knight Errant^ ..... Chevalikr A Rea8onei\ from the Pacer Family ^ - M. Prince The Head of tlve Church., hut no jumper^ - Pope IX ASamgeChief from Lower California, ■ - Mustang An Aanne Judge of the Crimirud Court, - - Judge A Whole Constellation ..... Draco 'The llainiltonian, tliat takes a Itand, - - Brutus How cun you explain it ? . . . . . Caesar I'oo Ijizy for anything, and no jump, - - - Jim As Awkward as Comical, .... Bucephalus An Arabian Maiden., just too cute, - - jVEiss Nellie A Sx)ani»h Beauty, full of fire, - - - Miss Sprite The Graceful, Daughter of her Sire, - Miss Abdali^h A Broncho Queen, in love, ... Miss- Tjeauty A Sylph from Fairy Land, - - - Miss Petite The King of Goatland, icith his hi tree, - - - Mars The King's Attendant, with his goatee, - - Jupiter SEE PROGRAMME ON BACK COVER. iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiyifliilllliril\WlllP?«i^WS^^f/fllflfS>^ fcc 'IS 1^ o (A o 03 ^ • •• •• C) t^ 'so- le 0 V) S 'd o ^ C) 0 1 0^ •• •• > 1 •H u :S- 5^ .. .. 0 w 5$ f ^^: 0 ^ ISSIO DUE] tf 0 INTRODUCTORY. The points deserving special mention, and which we de- sire to impress upon the minds of the audience that they may the better understand the marked peculiar features so pleasingly presented in the Paradox, are as follows: The School at Play is a work of art out-vying nature and worthy of studious attention. In this scene, talcing from it the laughable and grotesque, is found a most rare and beautiful picture. No herd of wild horses perfectly natural in all their movements, could be more graceful or more artistic in their plaj^ful antics. For a troupe of horses to appear on the stage is entirely novel ; but for them to be entirely free from all restraining influence un- der such circumstances is wonderful almost beyond belief. The Leap-Fkog calls out many features of great inter- est outside of the astonishingly intelligent feats performed. It is unnatural for one horse to jump over another, but it is much more astonishing for the troupe as a whole to insist upon a negligent member doing his part of the performance promptly, plainly proving that they understaHd the duties of each other as well as their own, In the use of. the Telephone to communicate with the horses in some of their acts, is proved that they obey the word of command, not from fear, but from an intelligent desire to obey the will of their kind teacher. In proof of this intelligence, we have to assert that the horses whose minds have been trained are enabled to grasp new ideas in a few days that formerly took them months to understand. It IS impossible to give all the fine points in this intro- ductory, forthe whole exhibit is full of them; but one thing in particular is worthy of special attention : in the Battle, the Equine Soldiers loose their identity entering into the spirit of the stirring scene with all the grim enthusiasm of veterans. They are truly grand in this wonderful act enthusing the soul of the most careless. -:K-(:- "A paradox ! A paradox ! ! A most enchanting paradox !" " A school of horses ? I never heard of such a thing." " Tarned loose upon the stage ? It is extraordi- nary.'* "Without bridle or rein, obeying every command, with the precision of soldiers! Come now, this is too much ! I don't believe it !" And yet it is true. I realize all your doubts dear reader. It is a wondrous thing, even in this age of wonders, but the reality is more wonderful than your imagination can paint it : much more wonderful ! No wizzard of old ever clauned to possess such power over the spirits of the air as the wonderful educator of these dumb friends ex- ercises over this school of equines and goats They do everything but talk, even doing this in a way all their own— a sort of equine pantomine, lully as expressive as any language could be. Ihose who have witnessed their performance manv times always find something new, so expressive so astonishing, that they go away feeling sure that some wizzard-hke power is possessed by the teacher, enabling him to mesmerize them, if you please, so that they obey his behests. Let me assure you, such is not the case. He is 4 The Equine Paradox. simply their friend, thoroughly understanding their natures, and working upon their powers of percep- tion, and understanding, in a way, all his own? bringing about results astonishing to you, and yet possible to any student of his peculiar school. " Was his system a discovery ?" Yes; such a discovery as the student makes who searches after truth. It was a conclusion, rather than a discovery. Not based upon the laws of evolution, as set down by Darwin, but based upon those sublime truths as set forth in Holy Writ. It took years of patient labor to reach the present re- sults ; but, failure upon failure only led to more patient study and diligent researcli, until the laws governing his brute friends were discovered, and success attained. He found that horses could be EDUCATED LIKE CHILDREN, to understand and appreciate the value of spoken language as a medium for an intelhgent guide to all action, and about live years ago lie determined to practically illustrate his theory by putting it to a severe and scientific test. To this end he deter- mined upon selecting a group of horses of different breeds, temperaments and natural inclinations, that in the group all classes of horses would be repre- sented, proving thereby that, by means of his method of instruction, an}^ naturally intelligent horse could be educated to do not only the will oi his master, but, by the development of his natural faculties through education, accomplish things 6 The Equine Paradox. hitherto deemed incredible in a brute, indicating, in fact, an ability for reasoning that allied these animals to the human race itself. Animated by this large purpose, he selected fine specimens of the the Mustang, the Broncho and other of the native horses, as well as mixed breeds of noted pedigree; together with the thoroughbred Arabian Nellie, that is the peer of an}^ known horse for intelligence, beauty, and equine grace. With this stud he open- ed the school which for five years he has so patient- ly and perseveringly maintained, educating the horses with a view of presenting his system to the world by giving an exhibit of their intelligence upon the stage, thinking them entirely worthy of being classed among the most FINISHED OF ACTORS. Audubon, the great ornithologist, went through a similar experience, obtaining a never dying fame, as the result of his untiring patience and brilliant genius. Yet his labors belonged to the impracticable scientific, accomplishing good only by increasing our sources of knowledge. Professor Bartholomew takes a long step in advance of this, enhancing the value of our most cherished servant by placing him upon an intelligent footing — where he undoubtedly belongs — never dreamed of before. Why should it be necessary to pound, to beat, to restrain the horse. ' He is only too willing to fulfill your wishes. Feed him well, be kind to him, and lie will gladly do anything in The Eqmiie Paradox. 7 his power to aid you. Too long has orate himiamty out-bruted tlie brute, not spS If understood ? In this lies the Professor's success. His pudAs are so educated that they understand what fs re- qun-ed of them. Line upon I ne and precent ubc^i precept are instilled intJ their nunds^ ml" t "v — SltS"^*^"'^ the commands of ^:i^ meJt oflrw" '^^'^^Sf «ary to guide every move- he vo Id i + ■'' • ^' -',r* '■ =^'^d the horse of "Tol-i it •™™'^ w\ll simply be told to- lake the carriage round to 27 Wisconsin street hen go home to the stable, eat your Zner and il' turn for me at 5:30, sharp! Y^s. and Burtus tell abotu 2 o'dock !" '"'^ ''°''' '''" ^"^"^^ ^^ore, say as\et° vn! """P''* ^'°" ^^ ^^^''^^ ""« possible, for, Ked iv hk ,'^"''''"" °* T'^^* has been accom^ pj sued by th s new system of education. Youmav say, on receivmg this little book: ^ fools?" ''''"'"'^""''S^ ' ^0 «^«y take us for tisemenr''''Hr' "l *'"' ^1f ^ ^Iiis is an adver- to vo tl,» if'"*' .'"'}'^'^ ''''' °^'*e known TO you the results attained ? But in adrli tion to thrs, we emphatically assert 'that itt a The Equine Paradox. 9 truthful advertisement stating, in the plainest of language, the simple truth. If you believe what is said in this book, you will only believe the truth very modestly stated. Read what is said of us ; read what we say of ourselves, and believe it for it is the truth. We emphatically assert that no language can explain to you the wonderful Paradox that the Equine School asks you to witness and solve. You cannot help but laugh heartily, and you can not help but be delighted ; you cannot help but be astonished, wonderstruck, amazed, to go away with the desire to come again ; to tell all your acquaintances of the wonderful things you have seen, and urge them to go at once and see the as- tonishing exhibit. Perhaps it would be as well if I were to give a short biographical sketch of Prof. Bartholomew, for it is but natural that general interest should be aroused in regard to a man whose patient endeavor and diligent genius has placed the equine race upon a footing that belongs to it by right of their natural high intelligence: PROFESSOR GEORGE BARTHOLOMEW was born May 14th, 1833, in Erie county, N. Y. His father achieved an enviable local reputation as a subduer of fractious animals, and to this bent of his mind was due, no doubt, the life-labor and wonderful achievements of his son, George. Whilst .yet a boy, the subject of this sketch gave evidence 10 The Equine Paradox. of great power and marked genius in the handling of all kinds of domestic animals. The most frac- tious submitted to his mil, acknowledging in him a master mind. So great was his success, even in the beaten tracks, that he was led to make the breaking and subduing of horses a life study, and to more fully acquaint himself with all that pertained to his pro- fession, he started, in 1848, for the western plains, where the wild horse roamed in all his native free* dom. The termination of this journey found him in San Jose, at the head of San Francisco Bay, full of the gold fever. Two years in the mines cured him of the fever, and gave him means to renew his life-work with greater facilities, filling him mth a determination to let naught else distract his mind from his great ambition. Making his home in Oak- land, just opposite 'Frisco, he settled down as he thought for life. But great difficulties lay in his way, and ere his discovery of the S3'stem that has made him famous was made, many years had come and gone, each with its high and low tides. His life has been most romantic, and its record alone would create such an interest that if we were to give it in this connection, our real object would be lost sight of. Suffice it to say that his perfected scientific system which the Professor very aptly calls the PFERDE GARTEN, was reached ouly after years of diligent research and active labor, the first fruits of which are now given to the public in this won- The Equine Paradox. 11 derful exhibition. It was only after years o^ patient labor and study that he arrived at the conclusion that certain animals, and particu- larly the horse, possessed an intelligence which was subject to development, to a yet unknown de- gree, and that the severity once deemed essential to secure obedience was like the barbarism prac- ticed upon children of the African tribes, and only served to make more brutish the animals which were ignorantly made to suffer. Kitty f'atclies the Paradox Feve^t 12 The Equine Paradox. As a result of his life-work, we are enabled to-day, to reach out into the heretofore unknown,and what is yet before us can only be conjectured from what has been accomplished. But let us turn from the Professor to his equine scholars, and give a short description of their peculiarities and pedigrees: — Nellie is an Arabian mare of great beauty, and possessed of remarkable acuteness. She is a natural flirt, delighting the children and ladies with her pretty ways, and exciting their admiration by her graceful acting. The remark that she is " too cute for anything !" is a very common one, and true to life. Abd ALLAH is Arabian and ^lessenger, with great symetery of form and grace of motion. Her beau- tiful movements and intelligent actions make her a general favorite, though the Professor does not rank her as high in intelligence as — Cesar, a pure Hambletonian. He is very nerv- ous and restless, full of that fire which great men- tal powers give to man and brute. Some of his acts astonish the most scientific, and set them to considering as to whether the equine race is not fitted for yet greater advancement than the Profes- sor claims for it. To fesar we are indebted for the wonderful telephone scene, never given but to bring down the house with wild applause. Pope takes the lead in reasoning from cause to ef- fect, proving by his intelligence that the common American carriage horses possess more good horse- 14 The Equine Paradox. sense than many of their drivers. It is impossible to explain what he does from any other stand point than that of reasoning, from cause and effect, even as we do. Prince steps in and shares equal honors with him though not so thoroughly reliable, sometimes get- ting careiess and neghgently performing his duty. Mustang is the favorite among the boys, for he is full of odd pranks, in keeping with his wild na- ture. In 1876 he was the leader of a band of wild horses, roaming the broad prairies of New Mexico. Then he was savage chief, proud, defiant, and glorying in a seemingly untamable spirit. To- day he is the most obedient of scholars, delighting to exhibit his newly acquired knowledge. Awkward Bucephalus comes next in the list, being a Kentucky thoroughbred of great value, out- side of the exhibit. To see him is to laugh, but what he does is well done and always appreciated. Sprite and Beauty give evidence of their origin in many ways pleasant to witness. Sprite being a Spanish beauty, and Beauty a Broncho queen. Sprite is worthy of special mention, having merits in harmony with her name. In I.eap-Frog she is superb, vying with Mustang for encores. Beauty car- ries the comical goat not willingly but well. Chevalier, Draco, Petite and the Judge find their places in the ranks, each adding his mite to make the entertainment pleasant and interesting. Their performance is pecuHarly adapted to their The Equine Paradox. 15 different characteristics, malving the setting as charming as it is perfect. Brutus and Jim bring up the rear, but are grand in the MiHtary Drill, Avhere all join in to send you home astonished, wondering if what you have seen is not some vagary of the imagination — a dream that is with you in your waking sense. The Spanish Goats are mirth provoking, yet they excite your admiration, to a degree, astonish- ing one with their intelligence and cunning. THE MILITARY DRILL Is the grand feature of the exhibition. In it we find the truly wonderful, the marvelous beyond conception. No company of veteran soldiers ever were more perfect in performing intricate evolutions than are the equine enthusiasts of the Professor's school. THE BATTLE SCENE lifts the audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm, for in it, the school seems filled with inspiration of a high degree. Full of the excitement of wd:iat, to them, is a genuine battle, they get wdld with frenzy, doing their part with almost electrical rapidity and precision. They are wounded, killed, repulsed, victorious ! All joining in the elation of victory over a foe worthy of their steel. Finally, if you enjoy the laughable and grotesque, if you love the beau- ful, if you admire the elevating and the noble, join in and make one of the number that are endeavor- ing to solve the truly wonderful Equine Paradox. 16 The Equine Paradox. The Question is: — Is the Equine race capable of progressive intelligence! As we have known them who could say yes? As we see them in the Professor's school, who dare say, No? Sure it is that they do everything but talk, and no thinking mind can watch them as they give expression to their re- markable intelligence without saying: "It is in- credible, but I am forced to believe what I have seen/ The Humane Society everywhere endorse the Equine Paradox. Dreaming^ of tlie Paradox. Prot. Geo. Bartholomew. PART FIRST. 0 uc/ri-M t^e— 0 1 c^<^^tt<^. The Professor. The Equine School at Play. The Second Bell. Prince, the Monitor. Pope, the Delinquent. The Graces of Abdallah. Music Hath Charms. The School During Rea Csesar and the Telephone, The Equestrians From Coatland, Reasoning from Cause to Effect, Equine Statuary, Beatitifal, Siliculcus, Alss' PART SECOND. ^llit^ic G>ij. tftc 0rcfvc.>tra. THE DRILL OF THE AWKWARD S<; PART THIRD. THE BATTLE, THE VICTORY, Not to be believed until seen, when disbelief gives way to Wonder, Astonishmentand Enthusiastic Applause. ^ Cramer, Aikens & Cramer, Milwaukee.