Angell, George Thorndyke

George Thorndyke (1823-1909), a noted friend of dumb animals. He was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts. He died in Boston. He was graduated at Dartmouth in 1846. He was educated as a lawyer, but gave his life to the prevention of cruelty to animals. He founded the American Humane Educational Society and distributed leaflets by the million. In 1866 he established the periodical known as Our Dumb Animals. He gave wide currency to Black Beauty, Anna Sewall's famous plea for kindliness to horses. He traveled widely, and was instrumental in forming over 70,000 juvenile Bands of Mercy. Mr. Angell was a zealous reformer, but he was also a man of force, character, and sincerity. His work amounted to something. His funeral was a striking one. In the long procession that moved from Copley Square to Mount Auburn were thirty splendid work horses with shining coats and polished hoofs. They wore nothing but bridles, to which were fastened black rosettes. The ring of their shoes on the asphalt pavement was a fitting requiem for their lifelong friend. See Bergh; Black Beauty