Prof. O. S. Pratt:
We, the members of your class, formed in the town of Picton, are unwilling to allow you to take your leave without warmly expressing the great satisfaction that has been ours since your arrival among us. Your plain, lucid and highly interesting lectures, combined with your gentlemanly deportment, has been such as to leave a lasting and beneficial impression on our memories. Your manner of handling vicious and untutored horses has been highly gratifying to us, and the rapid progress made by you clearly proves the superiority of your system. Your book, so replete with instructions, illustrating what we have seen practically demonstrated, will, we believe, greatly benefit us in the practice of your system in future years.
Believe us, dear sir, to bespeak for you unequaled success in your future efforts.
Yours, etc., etc.,
- G. Striker, M. P. P.,
- E. Louks, Rector of Picton.
- A. M. Kerr, Bank Agent.
- Fred. White, Teller.
- Bidwell Way, Ed. “New Nation.”
- J. H. Allen, Mayor,
- J. F. Ingsoll, M. D.,
- Colin Gearing, Merchant.
- R. A. Norman,
- G. E. Vandusen,
- Richard Lake, Hotel Keeper.
- M. Clark, Merchant,
- And one hundred and twenty others.
After forming classes in several places in the old loyal county of Prince Edward, and meeting with good success, I crossed the beautiful waters of the Bay of Quintie, arriving at the town of Napanee about the first of June, 1875. There I formed a class of one hundred. Pursuing my journey, I traveled north and west, exhibiting at many places, until I reached the town of Peterborough, where I remained a short time, and formed a class of one hundred members. Departing thence, I visited many towns and villages, forming classes in each, on my way to Lindsay, at which place I enrolled the names of seventy-eight members.
From Lindsay I went to Fenelon Falls, quite a newly-erected town, yet I found many there to whom my visit was a pleasure, as I soon obtained a class of some sixty members.
Passing on westward, I continued to meet with success, forming classes in some few small villages until, on the 9th of September, I entered the beautiful town of Barrie. There I found warm friends, and many lovers of the horse, who met me cordially, and gave me a class of one hundred and thirty-five members.
I next shaped my course northward, to the old town of Penetanguishine, on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. The larger portion of the inhabitants are French Canadians, many of whom are unable to speak our language. I was informed by some of the old inhabitants that the town was first settled a century ago; but, notwithstanding this, their progress has been slow, as at present the population is but about one thousand. My class in this place numbered about seventy persons, who seemed highly pleased with my system of educating the horse.