The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-02

Jt the chiefs of battalions, with motive
power. IL is hard work, too. Horses, no
matter how strong and hardy, suffer fro
Z, despite he care thNtiS taken of them.
The hor es are all picked, but they seldom
re ofary us /. n4e wurk after tive years
ervice. They are selected by experts from
among the best horses that are to re found
1t the Bulls Head horse market, the chief
orse market of tho United States The
lorses selected come mainly from the west.
requires some skill to pick ou' horses for
lse in the fire department. Big and clumsy
lorses are of no use. But the morse must lie
ipeedv and strong The horses selected are
sually a out sixteen hands high. weighing
from 1900 to 1850 pounds, and their ages
ange from to & years. Younger horses
are not strong enough to drag heavy fire
engines, and older ones are too old to train.
As soon as the horse is ought he is sent to
chool, and DR. Shea, who is in charge of
his institution, says that in his opinio
Iorses and boys are very much alike and
must be managed in very much the same
manner But DR.. Shea believes in kind.
"s " rn"aNs to get control of his pupil
and teach them.
d, 10 -....4, us how quickly these young
orses learn what it is necessary forthem TO
inow before they can be put TO work. The
en- who handle them know their business
thoroughly, and are in love with it. Under
heir careful handling the green horse I'M
.erstands his duties in little more tina" q
qonth No whip is used in this school The
first test is that which establishes ie sound
less of the animals wind. Then he il put
4 his stall. He is led backward and for
yard to where the harness hangs until he
'ecOmes used to the engine, and till he also
becomes accustomed to duckiag or lower
ing his head to get it into the collar
When he accolnplishes his task well. he is
80.
and is patted and made much of. He is
next taught TO rush to his place in front of
he engine at the clane of the gong When
he becomes expert ut his his education is
comDleta and heis ready for seiious work
and a week later can run to a fire as well as
the most acknowledging veteran
There are always a dozen horses being
put througl their PAGES at this sch col, which
is constantly becoming more and more of a
necessity. These horses cost about 500
each, and af-,r their five years they are DIS
posed of to street veidlers or cartmen f,r
any sum from $50 ID $50 These horses
are SO we'll TAUGHT that thew never FORGET
cir training. 1t IS not an uncomulon
thing when a fire engine dashes througa
the streets of New York TO see some dilspi-
dated-lo locking mao attached To some buck-
star's WAGON prick mn his ears and io1a IL
The racs to the scene of tho fire. II is an
old aud broken down ire-horse. who can
not forget the stirring DAYS whom he helped
draw a = engine It is The same spirit that
led broken-down hunters to ioin In the hunt
at the sound Of the cry of the hounds
There are some wonderful horses in the
New York fire department. but the cham
pions are Joe and "Charley. - the splendid
team that are attached to engine COMPANY
seventeen. in Chambers street. These were
the prize WHINE at the Worlds Fair, at
She American Institute in 1885. and thew
ara still the champions They are the two
most famous schoia, 5 ever turned out from
New Works school. Joe is the champion Of
champions, and be eatertains many visitors
VINO come daily to admire his inteilige ce.
joe is roam. and a handsome one. too. His
mate. Charley. is a BAY. and this team can
drag heavy fire engine over the ground
faster than any team in the United States
and probably in the world. At the Worl 5
Fair. where they won the medal which they
still hold. they were tried on a dash OF IS
feet & incces. They made three tests, one
at 10 clock in the moruiae, another OF ?
O'Clock in the afternoon, and vet another at
o'clock in the evening.
The time ior the frs, dash Yves | 81 seconds,
for the second % seconds, and for the last
two seconds. The intelligence of these
horses is simply remarkable. Chief Shaw
of London could scarcely believe mat they
could do what was said of them until it was
done before bis own eyes Even then it was