Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-01
Price Four Cents.

Lawrence Murphy, formerly of Engine com pany 16; Thomas Clark, formerly of Engine company 3; and Patrick Haley, formerly of Engine company linen who have been
 picked out for their thorough knowledge of
 horses and their skill. They are nominaIly now members of Engine company 37. but on permanently detailed service. Thomas Clark is the only man in the department now who was appointed as a driver, he having joined it in 1865. His associates joined in 1871. They are not required to do any duty in an swerine alarms, or acting as messengers for the Building Bureau, or any other work away from their especial training business. It Is their duty, when horse IS sent to them, 'fo test his speed power of endurance and eye sight: see that he is free from hoof cracks or blenishes of any kind that he does not in CT that he has no vicious habits; that he Is always able, ready and willing to do his work, and sufficiently intelligent to learn it !; and to teach him to come to pole or shafts properly and promptly. He should be driven to the apparatus on walk at first, then st slow trot, then faster, then st the top of his speed"
 1t is not possible, AIr. Haley said, ito say how long it takes for horse to learn to come to the pole properly It all depends upon his intelligence and tractability. One horse will learn in few days what will take another weeks, and some horses never will, apparently, get 1t into their heads that there is any special reason for haste in coming to the pole, though they may fully understand what is expected of them when they are turned loose, and may do it in leisurely way, as if they were strolling out in front of 8 plough. This team now in training is a very promising one, has learned very promptly, and although only in our hands a few days, already comes to the pole quite creditably." As he spoke he touched the gong. Each horse started and raised his head, with the ears pointed forward. The gong struck ''1- 5-4." The horses listened as If counting the strokes of the bell, and then looked down at their hitching straps with seeming surprise that they were not set free to run to the pole. ''The first thing we do with horse when ve get him and have finished long and careful examination for physical defects and blemish- is to teach him to connect in his mind two things-the sound of the alarm bell and his getting to the pole of the apparatus. It is all the same whether we work him singly, for tender service, or in double team for engine duty. The bell is sounded, and we stand ready the instant his hitehing strap falls loose to lead him to the pole. or the shafts, as the case may be. We may have to do that fifty times before he has it duly impressed on his mind what his duty is the instant he is set free. Gradually we hurry him, always by gentle urging and encouragement, never by IaSQ1uR- 1Q a lELl6 Wull0 Q6 WILL 20 Dy Glul- self, without leading, at first in walk, then in leisurely trot, and finally with plunge and sudden halt at the pole, just as he will have to do in actual service. Then, if in all other respects he is all right, We deem his education complete, and he is drafted of on the first requisition to fill vacancy. See now how far this team has advanced toward The horses were freed, and instantly came out of their stalls to the pole, at an easy trot, urged behind by the voice of Mir. Clark. They took their places and stood steadily while the collars were being hauled down and snapped cn their necks.
 Every fair for only three or four days work'' MT. Haley continued ''but in week more they will do it in one sixth of the time. - The other respects of which I spoke comprise standing well for the harness and going well with the apparatus outside When we first get them they are generally tired out and in bad condition from travel, and we cannot urge them to their best performance then: but after we get them in proper trim We put them through their best paces, and they get to enjoy it seemingly. In week or two they go with rush, halt at the word of command like soldiers, wheel quickly and stand steadily that is, they do If they are the sort of horses we want. The object of our training is to accustom them to exactly what will be required of them in actual service. and the only thing we cannot give them in that direc- ton is the excitement of a fire, the shouts, smoke, rattle of machinery, sight of the crowd and all that. But we can tell pretty well whether horse has steadiness of char acter enough to stand all that placidly, and we aim to cultivate in them by kindness such confidence in men about them that in mo- ments of excitement the voice or presence of their driver will completely reassure them. It Is sometimes not easy to get them to stand well for the harness to be dropped on them and fastened, and, singularly enough, some of the old department horses, perfect in eve " other respect, have been the most obsti- nate in their objections to the new system, learning and submitting to it much less readi- ly than those that are freshly broken to en- zine service. Their principal difficulty seems to be in becoming accustomed to the unusual weight of the snap collar dropping suddenly on their necks Their education in this re- gard as we'll as in running with the appara- tus, must be completed by the companies to which they are assigned.
 ''Balky horses are a source of. considerable trouble Balkiness seems to be a whim, and old serviceable horses sometimes develop 1t long after they are used to the duty. Then they are brought here for training and we have to persuade the whim out of them. We don't try to drive it out by whipping or any other cruelty, but just by kindness and en- enlargement big sorrel horse, now with
 
 steady work to get him to the pole properly, just because he was balky, although he knew perfectly well what was wanted of him all the time. Biters and kickers, if we cannot break them of their bad habits, we have to reject. Such brute might lame or even kill a man and cause no end of trouble and delay in hitch ing up, and it will not do to take any chances on that sort of thing. We had one brown horse here, magnificent fellow physically, so fine that we gave him up very reluctantly but he was a perfect devil. Ordinarily horse will show that be means mischief by wick ed look in his eyes and the laying back Of hls ears, but that brown brute gave no such warming. He would point his ears straight forward, look as pleasant and innocent as a lamb, reach out and suddenly seize man with his teeth and shake him as dog would a rat and if he could not get chance to bite he would kick worse than mule- He shook Clark and me and came near kicking Murphy's brains out, and then we gave him up as a bad lot, He had a white face and three white feet, not good signs generally, some horsemen say. We aim to get horses sufficiently trained just as quickly as possible, in order to let the companies to which they are assigned have a chance to test and exam inc them thoroughly before the month of trial is up"
 President German says that every new horse that company gets goes through an examination even more critical after he goes to company quarters than either of those he had before. Then the fremer and all their friends in the neighborhood study his traits, and if there is defect or flaw about him 1t is sure to come out Hook and Ladder com pany changed horses forty times in success sion before the men were finally suited, and Engine company 14 was months ia finding the horse wanted.