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Jim Key at the 1904 World's Fair
Beautiful Jim Key was a famous performing horse around the turn of the twentieth century.[1]His promoters claimed that the horse could read and write, make change with money, do arithmetic for "numbers below thirty,"[2] and cite Biblepassages "where the horse is mentioned."[3] His trainer, "Dr." William Key, was a former slave, a self-trained veterinarian, and a patent medicine salesman.[1] Key emphasized that he used only patience and kindness in teaching the horse, and never a whip.[4]
The horse became a celebrity thanks to the progressive promotion of A. R. Rogers. The horse performed at large venues from Atlantic City to Chicago.[1]
