The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-25
EXPRESS HORSES.


hundred drivers. There two distinct branches Of
this businesss the city express and the foreign and
domestic express. The city express is limited in
comparison with the other branch, and has not been
in operation more than seven years. There are at
present about dozen persons engaged in it, but it
offers such favorable inducements that in the course
of few years the number will most probably be
doubled. The work is very light, and the horses
not consequently so strong or so valuable as those
owned by foreign express companies. The average
value OF each animal is seventyve dollars, and the
weekly cost of keeping him three dollars and half
The total number is about forty besides which there
are twenty belonging to citizens of Brooklyn who
are said to be doing thriving business in this city
As our calculations, however are confined to those
owned in New York, we have not included them in
our estimate. The wagons are as valuable as the
horses, costing seventyfive dollars each, and the
harnesses are worth twenty-five dollars set. Twenty
animal, in the course Of which he will make from
fifty to one hundred stoppages. The load consists of
multitudinous variety OF articles which are gene.
rally too light for carts and which are carried by eX-
eraby less cost and with more safety, than they
could be conveyed by any other vehicle. The year.
ly expense of shoeng city express horse is about
twenty dollars, or more than onefOurth Of his value
The disparity between these two items is caused not
only by the distance which he goes over daily, but
also by the rate at which he travels, for it is fact
that one horse will not wear out pair Of shoes by
walking SO soon as another will BY trottng or gal
Looping over the same space It is not fair either,
to compare the cost Of keeping horse with the
amount paid for him, as there are many which
realize in one year more than four times the price
at which they were Sold As an instance of
this we will take the horses employed on the city
railroads. The labor of city express horse is
valued at nine dollars week, which, after deduct
ing the expense Of his food, stabling, and shoeing,
leaves balance Of little over two hundred and
sixty dollars. The amount paid to drivers some of
whom are boys not than eighteen years old, is
estimated at two hundred and ten dollars week,
each wagon. The subjoned table comprises in
brief space the statistics presented in the forego-
ing account Of city express horses
Total value Of forty horses. .............S3,00 900
Weekly expense OF stablng Observation-Disclosures. $l40
Yearly expense of shOeing.. ............... $500
Number OF miles travelled daily. ............ 500
Aggregate weekly value of their labor $3.50
Number Of men employed in driven them. 35
Total amount Of their weekly wages. ,....... 500
Number of pounds OF iron consumed yearly in
sn0elng OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Z,fZO
aotai vaIue OF wagons. ................'..x z'oao
Total value Of harness. ................ 81 600
press companies of which there are near fifty in the
city, are different class of animals from those
owned by the city express men. They are very
handsome, and inferior in appearance and quality to
horse is estimated at two hundred and fifty dollars,
but there are some that could not be bought for
thousand. The expressmen take particular care Of
them, paying five dollars week for the stabling
alone. TO make a handsome turn out, in fact, ap
pears to be a part Of their ambition. The drivers
are quite stylish in their manner Of driving, and APP
pear to regard it more as a matter OF amusement
than as q means Of procuring subsistence. The
majority of the horses used in the business arc from
Vermont, and said to be Of the celebrated Nor
gan family. Those who are enabled to keep fifteen
or twenty are particularly careful OF them, and do
not allow any one horse to remain in harness more
than half day before he is relieved To this judi
cious treatment is in great fdegree owing their
general good condition. and the very few deaths
which occur among them, in comparison with horses
employed IN other occupations. A gentleman in the
express business told that out of twenty horses
belonging to one company only one Of the number
died in three years. Each horse travels about fifteen
miles day, and wears out set Of shoes every month
The number Of wagons is one hundred and forty the
aggregate value OF which, estimating each one at
hundred and eighty dollars, is about twenty-five
thousand dollars. The harness alone costs nine
thousand and the total value of the horses is sixty
five thousand. The drivers receive average salary
Of thirtyf dollars month, some getting forty and
Total value Of horses. .$65 900
Weekly expense of stabling ............ 1900
Yearly expense of shoeing. ............... $1,000
Number of miles travelled daily. .....,..... $4,000
Aggregate weekly value of their labor. 49,. $3 100
Number Of men employed in driving them. Sl4O
Total amount of their monthly wages. .... $1,000
in shoeinr' NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I5 600
Total value Of wagons ........$ 1926 900
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