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

The number Of horses owned by milkmen who do
business in this city is computed at twelve hun
dred Some Of these are valued at one hundred and
fifty dollars; but the average price does not exceed
one hundred. The principal occupation in which
they are employed is the distribution Of milk
throughout the city, and in this work they travel
distance Of twelve thousand miles, which is an
average of ten. miles a day to each horse. OF the
milk wagons there are about ten hundred each of
which is valued at eighty dollars-the harness cost
ing twenty We have given the average worth of
each vehicle, but there are many worth twenty and
thirty dollars more. The disproportion between the
number OF horses and wagons is accounted for by the
fact that some wagons SO large that two horses
required to draw them. The drivers number about
thousand, and the average daily wages OF each is
dollar day. In this we include all who sell pure
and adulterated milk, of which those engaged in
the sale Of the latter kind form large majority.
The horses employed in the business arc,
as general thing, OF an inferior descrip-
ton, and some are not worth more sthan
from fifty to seventy-hve dollars. As the labor is
very light horses Of great strength are not required,
and the quality Of the animal, therefore, depends
more upon the taste and means of the owner than
upon necessity, as is the case with those engaged in
the trucking business in-which large and strong
horses are indispensable. They have respite from
work during the whole week, milk being as neces-
sary on Sunday as any other day. In this respect
they are not unlike the horses employed on the city
railroads, which differ from them only in having
more laborious work on that day. A milkman's
horse will wear ont set OF shoes once every month
making the annual expense Of shoeing fifteen dollars
We should not omit to state here that the horse
shoers have joined in the recent movement among
the trades for increased prices and will not shoe
horse now for less than dollar anda half set. In
the estimate of the aggregate cost of shoeing we
have made our calculations on the price for
snerly paid. The value Of the labor of each
horse f. about seven dollars week. and
the expense of his stabling three dollars. From
this we should think that they -ery spare eaters
or their owners are remarkably economical as the
cost of feeding them is less than the expense Of keep
ing any other class of horses EXCEPT the miserable
creatures that we occasionally attached to clam
and apple carts They are principally raised in this
State and New Jersey anda considerable proportionis
recruited from the ranks Of broken Down stagers and
hacks In the following table W. hxe presented the
total value Of the horses owned by miakmen, and
such other tatisteg considered OF Consequence
to those interested in the horse trad Of the city
Total value of 200 horses 100, 900
Weekly eypense OF fabIing - $4,000
Yearly expense Of shoeng ........... sis 900
Number Of miles travelled daily ....... l2,lO 700
Aggregate weekly value Of their laior $40 =
Number Of men employed in driving them ,0o0
Iotal amount Of weekly wages. ...... $1,000 /
Number Of pounds OF iron consumed yearly
in shoene ...................I.'..,. $1,000
Io'ai value Of milk wagons ...4.#....... $50 600
Total yalueof harnesses .........o,... $4,000