The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-12-22
BIG BUTCHER WAGONS.
Mammoth Horses Of Some OF Chi
cago's Packing Houses.
The Teams When Passing Through the
Streets Present Very Imposing spec
tacis and Are Objects Of Com
stAot Admiration.

Chicago mas one of the largest
wagons in the world 1t has been as
serted that there is none as large else
where. The builders Of the mammoth
wagon, however, make no such claim
for it, but are justly proud Of the prod
uct of their skill.
This wagon is the property Of Nelson,
Morris 6r Co, the packers, and was
built in the car shops under the super
vision of Mr.. Hit The massive springs
and axles used in its construction are
about the size Of those on cars, and can
sustain fifteen tons This would have
been good car load few years ago,
but cars, as well as wagons, have been
increased in size and capacity, and the
car load of to-day is somewhat larger.
The ordinary two-horse wagon has
capacity of about six thousand five
hundred pounds; four and one-half
times this load could be carried by this
giant wagon. II is uniform in color
with the other wagons belonging to
the company, having a yellow gear
and maroon box As the wheel team is
the only one that can pull backward a
powerful brake is necessary for use in
stopping and on grades.
The wagon is, of necessity, of the
'cut-undern type, as this is the only
form that can be 'cramped" sufficiently
to permit the lead horses to be brought
into use when backing. Its weight is
six thousand one hundred pounds. As
occasion requires, either six or eight
handsome roam horses draw this wagon,
making an imposing display
n Il 81. L. 4
in the Morris stables. says that great
care was necessary in selecting the ami
mails used in the lead teams Anyone
who watches these horses threading
their way along crowded street viii
see that they must have high grade
of intelligence to enable them to per
form their work No whip is needed
with such horses; they know their
drivers voice and obey immediate
ly. They have broad foreheads, intel
ligent eyes and all the marks that &c
to indicate equine sagacity.
The eight horses and wagon weigh
about eight tons and. together with
the harnesses, are worth something
over i've thousan nd dollars. Roam horse:
! were selected partly because there wers
great many of that color already il
the stable and partially because theI
were considered harder and better abli
to stand the work required of then
than horses of other colors-
The majority OF the packers favo
horses Of certain eclors, but in Armour
81 Co.'S stable no such rule prevails, ex
cept in the case of their large wagon
for which eight eoal-blaeA Norman
horses were selected. The capacity o
this wagon is about eighteen thousan,
pounds Like all the Armour wagons
it is painted bright yellow. The oox
wagon has been adopted TO avoid th
injury that is frequently done the uea
hy the stake wagons
The Armour barn accommodate
about twoshrndre5 horses and IS one Q
the largest in the city. Oats have bee
rather high lately and wheat has bee
fed 20 the horses for several months
The employees about this barn say thz
the results have been in every wa,
: satisfactory and that other stables ~
adopting this system They claim that
although wheat costs mere. q 5uSas
Will go twice as far with horses as
bushel OF oats. and hence il Is ehesps
TO feed The horses. they say, are gel
ting fat and are doing far better tina
they did on cats. Men not eounecte
/, with the sta BILE. however. intimate tha
: the fact that Mr.. Armour is triti
long" on certain grades CT wheat rs
: some connection with his discovery {
its good qualities as horse-fcoi.
Swift & Co.'S stable contains, with
: very few exceptions, nothing but gra
horses
:. An exception, in this respect, is thei
six-horse wagon. for which thre
: sorrel and three gray horses were +,
lected 1t capacity is sixteen thousan
: pounds The colors used are red an
:. yellow.
!, The colors adopted by the Libby, NJ
Neill & Libby stables are red rur
ming gear with deep-green box. Thi
firms large wagon is drawn by 81
/, roam horses that average sixteen hun
n dred pounds apiece-the heaviest sly
. horse team in the city. This wago
! can carry a load of twelve tons
f Preference is shown to roam, ches,
/ nut and gray horses. They are all Q
e the Percheron variety, that hard
! breed that, it is said, partly owes it
r development TO the necessity that wa
S felt during medieval times for
e horse powerful enough to carry thos
V animated fortresses, Knights in armoi
o al WANT TO. KISS PAPA"