Charles Henry Eaton and Herbert Williams Eaton Horse Tour account book, 1893-1894
Manuscripts
$500
This account book of Charles H. and Herbert W. Eaton is a record of expenses for a tour of Linus, an “Oregon Long-Haired Wonder” horse, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, to Augusta, Georgia, between July 7, 1893, and January 8, 1894. The expenditures are for Linus’ needs, transportation, advertising and costume items, practical needs of the touring persons, wages for unspecified work, telegrams and newspaper advertisements, and musicians.
They listed revenue as “cash” and “picture money” (presumably for the sale of photographs).
As always, primary sources inspire questions and inspire curiosity. Who is the man standing with Linus in the portrait? Charles? Herbert? The “Frank” who labored to care for him?
What can we discover about the logistics of transporting an animal like Linus, clearly very large as seen in the photo, with recorded payments for different modes of transport in the account book?
How was Linus treated or ill-treated as an animal in captivity? And of course, where does Linus’ story fit into the larger picture of horses, animal treatment, entertainment, business, sideshows and exhibitions, transportation, accouterments of fashion, and more in the late-19th-century United States?
Ribbons, flowers, nails & rope, bunting, and rental of a tent are among the expenditures for Linus in September 1893.
C. H. and H. W. Eaton documented revenue from the sale of pictures, likely including cabinet cards like that shown above.
The two items working in tandem give us a richer understanding of Linus’ world. In the photograph we can see the ribbons in Linus’ hair, while the account book gives us the cost of some of the horse’s ribbons.
Apart from touring profits, the account book specifically notes proceeds in the way of “picture money”—almost certainly, documentation of the sale of photographs much like or exactly like the Clements Library’s cabinet card.