CURRYCOMB AND BRUSH COMBINED.--This is such a fine article for the
comfort of our animal friends that we cannot refrain from telling our
young readers about it.
[Illustration: Currycomb]
Many of you may have curried a horse, or stood by during the process,
and watched him shrug and twitch with pleasure as the little iron teeth
scratched his skin, and have seen his coat grow glossy and satiny as the
brush was applied as soon as the currying was over.
Now this operation is most delightful to a horse; it is to him what
taking a bath is to us; and properly done it makes him feel fresh and
vigorous and quite happy to do his master's work.
If it is not well done he feels restless and dirty, and the pores of his
skin become clogged, and the good horse gets sick.
Currying a horse is quite hard work, and lazy grooms do not like to do
it, and so they have invented a means of shirking the brushing which is
very unkind to the horse.
Every owner wishes to see his animals with glossy, shining coats, and so
bad grooms, to save the trouble of currying and brushing, will rub the
horse over with a cloth, dipped in kerosene. The coat will shine
beautifully, but the poor horse is made most uncomfortable.
The currycomb and brush prevents this wicked practice, by making the
cleaning of the horse so easy that it is not worth the laziest man's
while to oil the horse instead of currying him.
As you will see by the illustration, the currycomb has a dandruff brush
attached to its outer edge. As the comb is withdrawn the brush passes
over the skin that has been curried, brushes it clean of dandruff, and
makes it smooth and glossy. After one _good_ currying with this device
the nag is ready for harness, his coat sleek, shiny, and, above all,
clean.
You young people who are the happy owners of horses, must always make
sure that the gloss on your favorite's coat is the result of health and
cleanliness, and not kerosene.
* * * * *
CAR-STEP.--This excellent device is the invention of a young lady of
Pittsfield, Illinois.
Every one who has travelled in Pullman cars knows the discomfort of that
last step before you reach the ground. It is true that the porter is
always waiting with a little wooden stool on which you step from the
high car-step above, but for old people or lame people or nervous people
there is always the dread that they may miss the little stool, and be
tumbled over on the platform.
This invention is to prevent any such difficulty.
The steps of the Pullman cars can only be a certain length, and must not
jut out beyond the sides of the car, otherwise they would be liable to
be torn off when the oar passes through tunnels or narrow places. It is
therefore impossible to have them built any longer than they are at
present. The new invention, however, adds a step without going beyond
the proper limit.
[Illustration: Car-step]
It is done in this way: The step is made of iron, and is joined to the
regular wooden steps by strong rods. When the train is in motion the
extra step folds under the car-step. When the train stops the porter
touches a lever, and down comes the extra step, making the descent from
the car as easy as walking downstairs.
It is a fine invention, and we hope soon to see it used on all Pullman
cars.