The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-03-01
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The question OF obtaining cavalry horses
il evidently becoming . subject OF very
considerable moment 10 the national gov
ernmsnt. n the Quarsermaster General has
written 10 Msj W. Chambers, Uncle Sans
venerable ,lock inspector. for fall report
on the quality Of the horses tha, are nov
purchased for the service, and any sugges.
tions which would be valuable Tor the
government, TO adopt that ], may be pro-
yided With good class OF cavalry horses.
There 10 no mao in the government service
or out Of II Who is so able 10 speak intelli-
gently on this subject as Maj Chambers,
for be has been in the government employ
over thirty years, and his chief duty dur
ing that long period has been the inspeo-
ton Of horses and mules. From bis extend
ed observations be has not only become
expert in detecting the good or bad points
OF an animal At sight but having watched
the development Of various breeds thai
have been introduced into the country dur
| ing bis time, and noted the changes that
the infusion Of foreign blood has caused
| in the character OF American horses. the
Major is thoroughly competent to make
truthful comparison between the cavalry
horse OF TO day and those which the troops
rode ia support of Sherman's banners on
their march to the sea.
'Ah !" said the Major, we could not get
such = loi Of horses together now IN sii
months time. They are not to be bad.
The country is not producing that hind oil
stock nov. Before the war snd Tor years
after farmers used to breed general uiility
horses. good for the saddle, the pillow, or
the carriage, lively trotiers, too, that could
pull a good load Of corn ont OF mud holes
Those we're the hind Of horses, but the
stock is about run out
There we're great many Morgans among
them, but dent believe that there IL a
Morgan horse west OF the Mississippi to
dsy, There may be some in Vermont
That state is the home OF the Morgan horse.
The breed acquired its name from Justin
Morgan. the owner Of Vermont stallion
that proved to be a superior horse, and
from that animal the stock originated. The
farmers used to cross the Morgans with
Black Hawk stock, and the result was a
! splendid all-round horse OF medium size.
That stock could not be beat for cavalry
purposes. The cross with common mares
was about right to obtrip the best kind oil
hardy compact. close built horses OF about
10 hands high. A great point in that class
of horses was their intelligence; they were
trsctable, quick OF movement, seeming to
comprehend what man wanted, and were
resdily trained for anything. Horse sense
is as good q thing in horses head as in
a mans skull, but the horses do not seem
to have as much brains as they used to-
Up to five years ago there was no trouble
10 getting all the cavalry horses needed on
this market.
No, chimed in Joel Thomas, sub-con
tractor, who is now furnishing tho army
with $50 cavalry horses. l used to CONF
here and buy fifty head day for the cav
airy service, and now think l am doing
remarkably well il pick up carload
week that will pass inspection. The horse'
, l buy are to be inspected at Fort Scott o.
" Lesyenw orih, and the time was when
man could buy 100 head of first class cav
: airy horses within radius OF 10 miles
Kansas City inside week. but now 1t i
very different There are more horses II
J that region than there ever we're before
but they are not the right build; they ar
too big and awkward and they are no
:. built to carry q man IN the saddle. Durlnl
the past two months have visited ell thu
! little towns around Kansas City Missouri
u and Kansas within circuit OF 100 miles
9 and when got to place where dozel
horses we're waiting for purchaser ther
J, was not more than one or two out OF tn
lot that would meet the requirements
found it very expensive getting enoug
horses together to fill my contract, SO
gaze up the idea Of finding them in coun
try towns, and have come here to ST. Loui
where plenty OF horses are to be found.
Yes, resumed Maj Chambers, it is jus
as Mr.. Thomas says; there are more horse
in the country than ever before, but tie
ar. not the right kind. The stock "
wsut has run out There has been to
R much imported draft blood Infused int
the native stock during the last hive yeart
The cross OF native mares with stallion
. weighing from 1910 to 1000 pounds ba
been too sharp, aud The fesnlt is class
lubberly horses With nothing to cbaractei
ize them but big heads aud broad feet
The result would probably not have bee
80 bad had the mares been larger, but tbei
average weight is only from 800 to l00t
and the indifferent noDdfscript colts Is dn
solely to the ponderous sirts aud compars
lively small dams have long since bee
. aware that it requires fully six months I
acslimatize q cavalry horse aud tit bin
properly for frontier service. EIpeiiepc
a has proved beyond doubt that the GOV
eminent gets DO nse Of its cavalry horse
I under six months. And that fact induces
4 me 10 recon mend TO the Qnsftermaste
Generala new system Of providing csyalr.
horses. The government bias reservation
OF 80, 900 acres Of land near Fort Reno, i
one OF the finest corn aud grass producing