Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-03-20
STREET CAR HORSES.

STREET CAR HORSES.
Where They Arc Bought and How They
I Are Patched Up and Worn Oa..
II should not have thought it wolfe
have paid to work cripples," I remarked
70 the driver of Third avenue car on
which rode down town a few evenings
since. referred to the near horses
hind legs, one of which was ornamented
With huge flannel bandage, while the
other foot seemed in the dim light
SWOLLEN to an abnormal size, and to be
parting from the leg at the hook.
'He's not lame," returned the driver
afably. 'That's boot he's got on his
near foot. He's had quarter crack
and the thrush, too, but he came out of
the hospital a week ago, and it don't
seem to trouble him much. This road
don't work no lame horses Jest as soon
as they show any signs of weakness
they are sent to the hospital and the
best veterinary surgeons in the country
patches 'em up"
ways we'll filed" I suggested.
"Why, of course it u.s." said the
driver. "This works Terrible hard on
a horse, mainly because of these cursed
stones. Our teams don't have very
long trips, and they're not pushed hard
either, but the stones wear 'em out in q
few years"
Show long does horse last at this
work." inquired.
'Three years, about" was the reply.
'Some of 'em go on for five years with
patching up, but that's the extreme
length of time that they will pull cars.
When they have been about two years
at the work their feet get so sore that
they have to be turned out The COM
pany has q stock farm in the country
where they are taken, their hoofs are
pared, and after running around awhile
on the soft ground they get hard and fit
to come back to the stones again for a
time"
Where do railroad horses como
from?" I asked.
mostly from the West" said the
driver, "But they buy horses all over" "
mo. there are not many really sound
horses coming into car stables. The
buyer in the West takes carload oil
horses, and, after picking out few
good, sound, business horses, selects q
lot Of good horses with just some trihe
wrong with them, which he calls
''streeters," and sends them on to the
city for the car companies. Then a lot
Of horses are picked up cheap because
they have some small ailment or blem-
ish which the veterinaries succeed in
curing. They build 'em up, as you
might say, as good as sound 'uns.''
''How are the green young Western
horses broken into car work?" was the
next query, and the driver half sighed
as he replied: "Why, right here in the
cars. Haven't you ever noticed team
working with pole in addition to the
traces? We always work a green horse
with an old one, and the pole keeps
him straight and prevents him kicking
over very bad. But it's tough job
sometimes. Green horses are awful
scared of the elevated road. They'll
keep looking up and staring all around
to find out where the noise comes from,
and sometimes they'll just stand still
and shiver with fright"
"How long does it take to get them
used to it?"
"Oh, about two weeks. A car horse
ought to be pretty handy at the end Of
that time It'll take 'em six weeks OF
two months to know the bell, but after
that they'll obey the bell quicker than
green driver. You'll see new man
fail to put the brake on quick enough
sometimes when the bell rings, but hi.
nd yes will stop and the car will rur
right up on 'em. Horses are Quick
enough to learn, but guess their days
are nearly over. Electricity is bound
to do away with them."-N. Y. Tele
gram.
Now in the Sprinr of the Year.