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AFTER THE COWBOYS.
THEIR HORSE RACE TO BE STOPPED.
Illinois Human Society Taking Steps to Prevent the Cruel 700-Mile Run Proposed to Be Made From Chadron to Chicago.
President Shortall in behald of the Illinois Humane Society is determined that the 700-mile road race between cowboys from Chadron, Neb., to Chicago, shall not be ridden.
The race was first announced about three months ago. The enterprise is said to have been conceived in the fertile brain of a well-known showman who has spent much of his life in the west. Out on the plains horseflesh is cheap. Not much attention is paid to the comfort or discomfort of animals. The
present scheme was undertaken, however, with regard to the ultimate result upon the unfortunate beasts who should be forced to participate. The plan intended a contest between about 300 cowboys, each to ride two horses alternately. Each cowboy would lead one horse by the bridle while he rode the other. What shows more plainly from the minds of the originators of the enterprise is the condition imposed upon each contestant that he must finish the race with the same horse he started out wiht. He couldn't ride the first two horses to death and then kill two more, and continue the slaughter indefinitely until he reached the goal.
This strange frontier idea of preserving the lives of two horses only to make them last throughout a 700-mile race did not coincide with President Shortall's theories of humane treatment of animals. No sooner did he hear of this intended race last March than he decided that such a cruel exhibition must be stopped. The fair fame of America must not be sullied by the disgraceful scenes of brutality that marked the race run from Berlin to Vienna last year. America at that time led the whole civilized world in its protests against the cruel disregard of dumb beasts' sufferings that were markedly displayed in that contest. Yet that race was only 300 miles long, while the distance from Chadron to Chicago is more than twice as far. President Shortall recognized the nature of the cowboy, who seldom is willfully guilty of an act of mean cruelty, but simply does not stop to think. That no possible means of averting the contest might be left untried Mr. Shortall sent last week to Secretary Weir a letter of warning, and pointed out that such a race would be in direct violation of the law of Illinois.
What Mr. Shortall Wrote.
Here is the letter:
THE ILLINOIS HUMANE SOCIETY, CHICAGO, MAY 27, 1893. - Respectively requested to be read to those contemplating the long distance race between CHADRON and CHICAGO. HARVEY WEIR, SECRETARY, CHADRON, NEB. DEAR SIR - May I ask you attention to the following law: "Whoever shall be guilty of cruelty to any animal in any of the ways mentioned in this section shall be fined not less than $3 nor more than $200. viz.: First. By overloading, overdriving, overworking, cruelly beating, torturing, tormenting, mutilating or cruelly killing any animal of causing or knowing allowing the sme to be done." REVD. State. Ill. Crim Code, cheaper88, div. 1, sec. 78. See also city ordinances (Chicago, 1880), sec. 2,199, in which the same law is enacted.
Well known verterinary surgeons state to me, and will testify if necessary, that it is not postable to make a contest of endurance and speed between horses for fifty miles - much less 700- continuously without the infliction of great suffering upon the contesting animals. When this fifty miles is increased to 700, it appears to this civilization of ours to be most cruel and intolerable. But when, as it is reported, in the present proposed race from Chadron to Chicago the result to be attained by the contesting men is a little eclat and $1,500, all this long procession of struggle, agony and death not only appears most unjustifiable, but it clearly demands the enforcement, to the uttermost, of the laws violted.
Such violation of law being from hour to hour, arrest after arrest of the same individual can and will be made. I may also add that all conspirators in and abettors of such violation of law will be arrested, as found, and punished equally with the principals.
And now having discussed the legal side, may I venture a word of pleading upon the moral side of the case. The long-distance race, run last summer between Berlin and Vienna - a matter of, I believe, some 300 miles - in which many noble animals were ridden to death, has aroused a feeling of indignation thorughout the civilized world - Engliand, France, America, universally; Germany and Austria as far as they openly dared - and when it was declared to some news papers, some months ago, the protest against it was expressed with most impressive and enphatic force- that our country, claiming to lead the way in huanities, should never be disgracedby such a spectacle. These are the words, and this society has been called upon by nearly ever state in teh union to interfere.
Now, I bet of you, gentlemen, to listen to this voice, no matter whether you know it to be right or deem it to be wrong. Give up this race, like kind gentlemen and good citizens - it is easy for men who are brave and manly to withdraw from a false position - and come to us, see our great epitome of the civilization of the age, in such a way that we can welcome you, shake hands with you and admire you. Yours truly,
JOHN G. SHORTALL
President Illinois Humane Society
Hundreds of Protests Against the Race.
President Shotall consented last night to add other information to the remarks contained in his letter.
"The Letter which I spent to Nebraska last week," he said, "was the outcome of hunreds of communicaitons which I have received since the race was first announced from every part of the union. Everybody interested in precenting this unjust contest from being run has written to the Illinois Humane society to stop it. Chadron is a small frontier town on the very border of Nebraska. Its position on the river bank, right opposite Iowa, has practically removed the race fromt eh jurisdiction of the Nebraska Humane society. The only ones that are left to cope with the proposed contest are the Iowa societies and our own. One of my first steps was to place myself in communicaiton with the humane society of Des Moines. I have written several times to President Thomas F. Gatchell of that organizaiton,
NOT FINSIHED
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present scheme was undertaken, however, with regard to the ultimate result upon the unfortunate beasts who should be forced to participate. The plan intended a contest between about 300 cowboys, each to ride two horses alternately. Each cowboy would lead one horse by the bridle while he rode the other. What shows more plainly than anything else that cruelty was farthest from the minds of the originators of the enterprise is the condition imposed upon each contestant that he must finish the race with the same horses he started out with. He couldn't ride the first two horses to death and then kill two more, and continue the slaughter indefinitely until he reached the goal.
This strange frontier idea of preserving the lives of two horses only to make them last throughout a 700-mile race did not coincide with President Shortall's theories of humane treatment of animals. No sooner did he hear of the intended race last March than he decided that such a cruel exhibition must be stopped. The fair fame of America must not be sullied by the disgraceful scenes of brutality that marked the race run from Berlin to Vienna last year. America at that time led the whole civilized world in its protests against the cruel disregard of dumb beasts' sufferings that were markedly displayed in that contest. Yet that race was only 300 miles long, while the distance from Chadron to Chicago is more than twice as far. President Shortall recognized the nature of the cowboy, who seldom is willfully guilty of an act of mean cruelty, but simply does not stop to think. That no possible means of averting the contest might be left untried Mr. Shortall sent last week to Secretary Weir a letter of warning, and pointed out that such a race would be in direct violation of the law of Illinois.
What Mr. Shortall Wrote.
Here is the letter:
THE ILLINOIS HUMANE SOCIETY, CHICAGO, MAY 27, 1893.--RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED TO BE READ TO THOSE CONTEMPLATING THE LONG DISTANCE RACE BETWEEN CHADRON AND CHICAGO. HARVEY WEIR, SECRETARY, CHADRON, NEB. DEAR SIR:--May I ask your attention to the following law: "Whoever shall be guilty of cruelty to any animal in any of the ways mentioned in this section shall be fined not less than $3 nor more than $200, viz.: First. By overloading, overdriving, overworking, cruelly beating, torturing, tormenting, mutilating or cruelly killing any animal or causing or knowingly allowing the same to be done." Revd. Stats. Ill. Crim. Code, chapter 38, div. 1, sec. 78. See also city ordinances (Chicago, 1890), sec. 2,199 in which the same law is enacted.
Well known veterinary surgeons state to me, and will testify if necessary, that is not possible to make a contest of endurance and speed between horses for fifty miles--much less 700-- continuously without the infliction of great suffering upon the contesting animals. When this fifty miles is increased to 700, it appears to this civilization of ours to be most cruel and intolerable. But when, as it is reported, in the present proposed race from Chadron to Chcago the result to be attained by the contesting men is a little eclat and $1,500, all this long procession of struggle, agony and death not only appears most unjustifiable, but it clearly demands the enforcement, to the uttermost, of the laws violated.
Such violation of law being from hour to hour, arrest after arrest of the same individual can and will be made. I may also add that all conspirators in and abettors of such violation of law will be arrested, as found, and punished equally with the principals.
And now having discussed the legal side, may I venture a word of pleading upon the moral side of the case. The long-distance race, run last summer between Berlin and Vienna--a matter of, I believe, some 300 miles--in which many noble animals were ridden to death, has aroused a feeling of indignation throughout the civilized world--England, France, America, universally; Germany and Austria as far as they openly dared--and when it was declared in some newspapers, some months ago, that a similar race was contemplated here, the protest against it was expressed with most impressive and emphatic force--that our country, claiming to lead the way in the humanities, should never be disgraced by such a spectacle. These are the words, and this society has been called upon by nearly every state in in the union to interfere.
Now, I beg of you, gentlemen, to listen to this voice, no matter whether you know it to be right or deem it to be wrong. Give up this race, like kind gentlemen and good citizens--it is easy for men who are brave and manly to withdraw from a false position-- and come to us, see our great epitome of the civilization of the age, in such a way that we can welcome you, shake hands with you and admire you. Yours truly,
JOHN G. SHORTALL, President Illinois Humane Society.
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Hundreds of Protests Against the Race.
President Shortall consented last night to add other information to the remarks contained in his letter.
"The letter which I sent to Nebraska last week," he said, "was the outcome of hundreds of communications which I have received since the race was first announced from every part of the union. Everybody interested in preventing this unjust contest from being run has written to the Illinois Humane society to stop it. Chadron is a small frontier town on the very border of Nebraska. Its position on the river bank, right opposite Iowa, has practically removed the race from the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Humane Society. The only ones that are left to cope with the proposed contest are the Iowa societies and our own. One of my first steps was to place myself in communication with the humane society of Des Moines. I have written several times to President Thomas F. Gatchell of that organization, and am assured of its hearty co-operation in case the race is started. The other humane societies of Iowa are also actively engaged in preparing for the race. The Illinois society will have agents stationed all across the states of Iowa and Illinois, from Chadron to Chicago. If the warning which I tried to couch in mild terms in my letter to Secretary Weir is not obeyed, then we shall assuredly make good the alternative offered, and call in the strong arm of the law to see that the statutes are not ruthlessly violated. We can and shall have the riders arrested every hour or oftener. As often as bailed they will be rearrested.
Thinks the Race Will Not Be Started.
"But all these measures are not simply precautionary. I really have no expectation that the race will be started. Besides showing the intended riders that they won't be allowed to finish the race, even if they have the hardihood to start upon such an infamous course, our society has been hard at work upon the organizers and all connected with the scheme. We have shown them that such a race would redound a thousand times more to their harm than to their credit. And they well know that every one of them who is in even the slightest way responsible for that cruel race of 700 miles will be followed and prosecuted by our society unremittingly and unsparingly to the furthermost limits of the law.
"The cowboys, we firmly believe, will also be willing to resign from the race. The date of the race has been postponed three times. It was originally set for June 13, then for June 18 and the present date is June 23. We expect the ignominious contest will be declared off. The cowboys are fast being made to realize that the winner will gain no glory, while his $1,500 would be eaten up ten times over in court fines. Why, in the Berlin-Vienna race residents along the route closed their doors and pulled down the shades as the shameful spectacle dragged past. Cowboys want applause, not hisses. No, the race will never be run. If the cowboys will run from Chastron to Chicago on their own legs, instead of the poor horses, I should be much better pleased."