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PADDY IS A HORSE OF WISDOM. Not a Racer, but Has Gifts in Other Ways of Entertainment. Captain Ford, of Engine 40, housed in West Sixty-eighth street, between Broadway and AmsterdMin avenue, declares that Paddy is the most intellectual hor e in the fire department. Paddy is one of the trio that draw the engine, and incidentally it may be mentioned that Pngiiie 40 is one of the heaviest in the city. Paddy is n bay. and in appearance is like any other fire horse, but in his eyes there is a knowing look you dont often see in a horse. He knows as much about fire duty as ;,ny of the firemen attached to the company, and somehow he manages to reach his place ahead of the other two horses whenever the gong sounds an alarm. He stands under his collar in exactly the same spot on each occasion, and it is never necessary for the firemen to take hold of his halter or slap his sides in order to move him to one side or the other so that his harness will drop over his back. It wan these traits that first attracted tiie attention of the tiremen to Paddy, but later on they found that he had a good memory, also, and it was only necessary to show him a thing once or twice in order to impress it on Paddys mind. The firemen spent lots of their spare time in teaching the horse tricks, until now he is able to go through all of them without hesitation. Paddy is always obliging and ready to put forth his best efforts, and many a lump of sugar has been slipped to him as a reward for his services as an entertainer. Paddy has been taught to follow the firemen arouid the stable. All that is neeessarv to attract Caddys attention is to call him by name, snap your fingers a few times, and the horse will follow you around the stable as if he were a dog instead of a horse. Another thing which Paddy has learned is to loosen his chain in his stall. Paddy will run his mouth over tiie chain until he encounters the end to which the clasp is attached, then with his teeth he manages to loosen it and the chain drops. Paddys Manner of Bowing. Paddy never bothers with the chain unless he is n-quested to loosen it by one of the firemen. Tin u when this little trick is successfully accomplished Padiiy will lower and raise his" head three or four times. This action is intended for a hVW to the spectators. Another trick which Paddy has learned is to remove a handkerchief from the back pocket of the trousers of a fireman. The end of the handkerchief is left protruding from the pocket. The hetea will extract it with his teeth, and with his left fore foot he will dig a little pocket in the straw bedding in his stall. Then he will place the stolen handkerchief in this straw pocket and with the same foot hi- will cover up the handkerchief. If the fireman from whose pocket Paddy extracted the handkerchief misses it. and accuses Paddy of taking it. then the horse will turn his head around to the rear, pretending that he is ignorant of the fact that the fireman is speaking to him. Sometimes the fireman pretends that he does not know that his handkerchief has been removed. Paddy will wait for fully fifteen minutes to see whether the fireman is coming back to look for the handkerchief. If Caddy thinks that there is no joke about the matter, he will dig up the straw covering the handkerchief with his fore foot and push it out in front of his stall as far as he can. Then he will wait until someone picks it up. The firemen have taught him to neigh whenever he is thirsty, aid Paddy makes good use of this knowledge. There are times when he will te:ise the firemen by neitihing. and when one of them brings him a pall of water he refuses to drink any. Paddy intends it for a joke. YVhen Paddy is requested to shake hands he extends his right fore foot. If you want him to extend his left fare feat, all that is necessary for you to do is to ask him to shake with his left foot.— New York Sun.
