Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-31
special Correspondence OF the Herald
Thc Horse Epidemic in Boston.

BosToN. Mass, Oct 2G.
Fditor Rut1and Herald This may
well be called a gloomy Saturday 1t
h;r, raiurd steadily all day In the fore
noon the milk wagons came in with
hlauketcd horses, and occasionally a
street car drawn by four horses, instead
IT two, could he seen on Washington
street, but aside from these, there was
scarcely a horse in sight except those
sick in the stables. Business is para
lived, and every one is talking 'horse. "
Never before was the necessity and
importance of this useful animal so full
~ appreciated in Boston. 1t is impOssi-
ale for wholesale houses to fill their or
Icr from country merchants, for the
reason that the goods cannot be deliver
rd at the depots until the horses recover
from their sickness, or a substitute is
provided. Oxen were used some to-day.
ana will probably be substituted for
horses next week, unless the latter
rapidly improve and are able to work.
Messrs Jordan, Marsh & Co., delivered
tn cir goods to-day with OK teams. and
after business hours several persons con-
nected with that house, and invited
guests fronf other business houses in
that vicinity, r7de upon their merchan-
disc wagon, behin,1 oxen, to their home
at the Commonwealth Hotel.
But all were not as fortunate as this
entcrprising business firm. There were
not oxen enough to supply the demand,
and therefore man power was necessari-
ly substituted. Hand carts and wheel
barrows were at a premium, the price
Of the former being one dollar per hour,
and ready takers at that, for all in mar
ket. Parcels of moderate size were con-
veyed in the arms and upon tho shout
ders of men. Where heavy articles were
to be moved, they were placed on wag-
ons, and drawn by men, in several in
stances. One of the finest "Pull-man
expresses, - of this kind, was from the
mandatory of Messrs. Mason & Ham
lin. A wagon load of organs was drawn
by some twenty-five men from their es-
Enlistment in Cambridge direct to a YES
sci lying at Long Wharf
1t is said that,horses cannot be had for
funeral professions, to draw the remains
Of the dead to the cemetery, and that in
one instance to-day funeral took place
on fremont street and the hearse was
drawn from thence to Forest Hill Gem
etery by men, because horses could not
be obtained.
The fire department of the city, APP
prehensive that fire might occur and
the horses belonging to the department
ibe sick and unable to draw the steamers
10 the fire, issued an order, day or two
since, directing those who might have
an engine in charge and no horses to
draw it, to go into the streets and take
any horse thBt might be found and press
it into service of the department. This
did very we'll as long as horses were to
be found upon the streets, but the ext
gcncies of the case seemed to demand a
new order. A meeting was accordingly
holden to-day at the City Hall and it was
decided to increase the man force of the
fire department so much as to be able to
take hose carriages and fire extinguishers
TO fires without the aid of horses. Axe
men and rakemen were also instructed
to take their axes and rakes home with
them and carry them directly to the fires
when called upon.
Provisions were also made that only
the hosemen and hose, with the extin-
guishers, should go to fire at the first
alarm but if a second alarm was given,
land this was only to be done when the
fire was in the upper portions of the
building, beyond the reach of the hose
or extinguishers) a sufficient force of
men should be summoned to draw the
steam ers to the fire. for which service
each volunteer" should receive one dol
lar The police were also instRucted to
spring their rattles and cry fire III case of
alarm in the night, and give the number
o. the box nearest the fire. 1t may be
era flying to some, who would enforce
Sunn,ay laws, to be informed that no
horse cars or omnibusses will run In the
city tomorrow. Very few cases thus
far have proved fatal in this city, these
being generally where the horses have
been bled or d0ctored. The people are
encouraged with the belief that the dis
ease will not generally prove fatal, but