Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-15
THE sTREEr cAR NIULEs.
The Lash vigorously Applied Both BY
Stablemen and Drivers.

To the Editor Of The Gazette.
For long time the patrons
Of the Fort Worth Street Car
company have had their feelings
grated upon by the cruelties praeticed
by the drivers and stablemen Of ,hi.
company, and many uncomplue
tary remarks have been indulged ia OF
a company that would authorize o.
permit such conduct TO go on appH
emily without any fear OF reproof ut
the part of the employees.
have been Il patron Of the Taylor stree
line for several months and though 1
have hoped that there would be an inn
provement in the treatment OF the
faithful animals / have not only been
disappointed, but the abuse has iu-
creased since the extension OF the line
to the Santa Fe railroad. Can the
ompaDy think that 1t will not work
itself injury In the minds of humaneiy
disposed patrons, who will gladly show
their disapproval of such disregard of
their feelings by withdrawing their
patronage as soon ms an
opportunity is afforded? AS
an Indication that the drivers
are acting under instructions / would
mention that the severe use of the lash
is liable to occur at any and all parts of
the route thus indicating that Lney are
not afraid OF reproof. The drivers
are provided with long, heavy whips,
which are used to the best advantage,
which In countless numbers of In
stances is applied by the driver with
all the force he can muster, and IL
demonstrated with he will say the
mule Is lazy. II il useless 10 say that
mule not overworked would stand
such unmerciful lashings without
smashing things up. The fact is the
mules are overworked; they have been
driven singly so long TO those heavy,
old style cars, which doubtless run
heavier than the new and improved
styles do Ii Is IA crying shame in a
country where horse flesh Is so plen-
tiful and cheap that company should
be so miserly as TO require one mule
to draw the burden that
ought never to be drawn
by less than two. Thus the animal Is
broken down in half the time he
should he and the driver even after he
has lashed him into run seems TO
feel IL his duty to keep up his-I
might almost say -blood-curdling APP
plications of the lash for fear the ami.
NAL might slaoken his pace u little.
Can not the company see that It's
stock IL more injured by these three
or four half mile runs under the whip
than all the balance of the trip? /
would call the attention of the
company to one particular case
OF needless and senseless abuse
of its stock which / was wit
ness to very lately. A very much
jaded mule driven single to one of the
before mentioned old cars got stuck on a
curve for moment; IL would have been
but moment had the driver manip-
ulated the lines gently and spoken en-
couragingly to the mule; but instead,
the instant the wheels choked he fell
to beating him with such death-deal.
ing blows that the animal really lost
time in getting the car started, as in
his ilinches he lost good part of the
force he was giving to his work. ! do
sincerely hope that the company will
take steps to check these very frequent
occurrences of cruelty 10 it's live stock,
and thereby save the abuse of the feel
lngs Of many of Its patrons who are
now compelled to sit quietly by and
witness what makes them feel like
saying, 81 will not ride on these cars
again.
The stablemen who make the
changes at the tree station seem to
take great pleasure in showing how
heartlessly they can handle the ami
mails, and the least possible provoca-
ton Is visited with very severe pun
ishment in the way of Jerks ON their
mouths or kicks In the side. If
mule happens To move II few inches
ahead OF the point at which II was in
tended he should stop he is thrown
back by several jaw-breaking down
ward movements of strong arm at
either end of his bits, or by the Jerk
Ing back In like manner on the lines,
the man using all the force that Is In
him. In fact one seldom If ever sees
any gentle handling here but on
the contrary brutal force. Would
it not be well for a certain promi
nent stakeholder of the company who
has the name of doing great deal for
the credit of the city To see to Ii that Il
does not get the name of being the
worst city In the Union ON its street
ear mules.
IL is high time that all humanely
disposed persons should show their
contempt of such semi. barbarous con-
duet and through the drivers reach
the company.
There are few II any cities of the
North where such conduct on the part
of company or drivers would be per-
mitted for n single day.
A PATRON.
Fort Worth to Houston via fhe q