Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-08
LOO CAR HORSES
FED AND HOUSED AND CARED Foa
UNDER ONE ROOF.
Keeping Them in Conditfon-How Car
Horses Are Injured-The Average Loss
Per week-1he stabies-Pur-
chase e Animals.
New Yak Tribune. |


~Hi, there, shouted gruff voice A re-
porter moved to one side and a team Of
| horses were driven into the main depot u
the Third venue Surface Railroad COM
pany. "A lean comes in and goes out
every two minutes" said John F. Waller,
the compants foreman.
"On each day in the yearP queried the re-
porter.
"No," was the answer, "but in seasons like
this When we are at our busiest team
goes out and comes in every thirty seconds
The company own about 2, 100 "head of
cattle"-to use the technical term-but 400
of them are required for its other stables
Mr. Waller has made a study OF the horse,
and is able to tell by glancing at an an
imal whether or not it is i'll
condition Il laughed said he.
Hwhen an old horse doctor told ms
years ago that he could tell the
condition OF a horse by looking at him l
have since discovered that the old Vet knew
what he was talking about II you spend
your days and often your nights, for years,
among horses and keep your eyes half open
you can't help understanding them Tn
have much in common with the human
family. The old horses, for instauce, never
take kindly at first to a new horse and will
kick at him when they get a chance As
soon as the stranger begins to feel at home
the kicking stops, because he has plucked up
spirit enough to kick back. They often fight
over their feed. The horse first served is
looked upon with feelings of envy by those
that have to wait a little longer They
seldom kick any of the men, except IL a
man happens to pass close to their heels with
box of feed. Then they sometimes attempt
to kick. There is one man in the stable who
had his head almost kicked of last year.
Two horses were fighting. One made ter
rible kick with his hind feet just as the man
was passing. One Of the feet struck him in
the face and dashed him up against stall.
No, the queerest part Of the business was
that he didn't dien
The stable occupies three stories Of the
huge building, which covers q square. The
descent to the floor below the grade of the
street Is as deep as the ascent to the floor
above the ground, but the horses manage to
make the trips without accident Each
horse, or rather each pair Of horses, for
every horse has mate, is expected to work
three hours per day. A team which starts
from Harlem makes one round trip, daily
II an accident happens to horse while on
duty the driver informs the foreman Of 1t,
"iOh ehc ablcHudHl II Q
driver fails to do this and the negligence is
discovered, the company has no further use
for him The best possible care is taken of
the stock for obvious reasons
Car horses are injured in a variety Of
ways. They run the greatest risk during the
hottest part Of the summer and the coldest Of
winter. These two periods aggregate about
four and half months. The month of Sep
for 1t,or ka-,
for car horses. An intensely warm term
came on the heels OF a cool period, and tha
result was the prostration of large numbsr
OF car-horses in this city as well as in many
other parts of the country. Leaving in
tensely hot and cold weather out Of the oues-
lion, the most perilous season for the car
horse is dry, windy weather The cobbls
stones over which he travels are then a.
smooth as polished glass Not particle Of
any foreign substance can get foothold on
them, and the sharply-shod hoof will slip
from them with the same ease
as the human foot will slide OF
the smooth side Of banana skin.
Some of the roadbeds offer even more
than the usual facilities for accidents Of this
nature. They are constructed on the shape
Of a watershed, sloping from the center to
the tracks On these the car horse has
hard time indeed in wintry and windy
weather Comparatively few accidents hap
pen in wet weather. Unless they happen to
break limb, only q small percentage Of
horses which slip and fall suffer permanent
injury. With rest and care they generally
recover from sprains and strains Out Of
LOO horses the Third avenue company loses
but one week, according to its foreman.
The latter has ninety-three hostlers under his
eye, besides large number Of men employed
In other capacities Each hostler is expected
to groom twenty horses per day, and TO feed
and bed them.
The tables are as clean as 1t Is possible to
keep them. The horses are In keeping with
their surroundings. Horses are purchased
at all seasons, but the best are bought in ths
fall Tie seller is willing to take much less
at the beginning than at the end of winter.
The company has a standing price Of t155
Some splendid specimens Of horse flesh have
been bought for this figure. Gray Is the
color preferred. Horses Of this color are
said to suffer less from the heat than blacks
and bays From eight to ten horses are
used In snow sweeper, and one
team possessed by the company attract much
attention as they rattle through the avenue
The ten grays whirl the huge sweepar
along as if it were light road wagon Sew
eral Of these horses stand seventeen hands
high. Every new purchase is subject to an
attack of pinkeye. This is attributed to
change of climate and surroundings Most
Of the horses come from the west and they
are found to require from q week to two
weeks to obtain their sea legs" 1t is com.
mon opinion that the lot of the car horse h
not a happy one. In comparison with thu
fate of large number Of horses which re-
ceivs but little sympathy, the car horse is to
be greatly envied. He is not oyerworked;
be is well fed, well housed and is seldom ILL.,
.--sated with impunity.