Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-03-23
DOGS AS DRAFT ANIMALS.
Ar. american Consul ugses That They
s. BE So Employed.

AN american consul SuESeatS That They
|. he So Employed.
In a report to the State Depart
ment, dated June 3, 1893, says the
Chicago Herald, Nicholas Smith,
American Consul at Liege, treats of
the dog as Il draft animal in Belgium.
The Consul prcsumes that thirty
years ago a dog in harness would have
excited IS much remark in Liege as
he would now in an American city.
But today the dog is no longer an
aristocratic loafer. Liege is a city of
great industurlal activity s,possess-
ing she largest mandatory of ma-
chimes and machinery in the world,
and employing as many horses as any
other town of its size in Europe, and
vet for every horse at least two dogs
are to be seen in harness on the
streets"
Of course. they are used only for
the lighter kinds Of traffic, and yet
their employment is greatly diversi-
fed. MI. Smith assures us that not
only the market gardener, but also
the butcher, the baker, the grocer.
the porter, the expressman-common
carriers of all kinds, indeed-engage
his services" And it is no trifing
service, either, that he renders. The
usual draft of an ordinary dog is
stated at 600 pounds, though a mas.
tiff often draws 1900 pounds. We
may infer that u good double dog
team can haul a ton, especially if his
master puts a shoulder to the vehicle
in emergencies.
Various things are said in favor of
making dogs earn their living in this
way. For O C thing, the expense of
feeding is small-5 or 6 cents a day
where the animals are .sboarded, "
while the maintenance of one or two
in a family costs practically moth
ing. For another thing, they have
no hoof' to clatter on the pavements
to the annoyance of sick or nervous
people. or to wear the pavemcnts out.
And again they do not litter the
streets like horses. and their use re.
duces the cost of cleaning as we'll as
repairs to Il minimum. And further,
they will cover a greater distance i'm
Il given time when stops are made
from house to house and haul a
heavier load in proportion to size. or
course, there is no outlay for shoes.
And finally, to omit items of minor
Importance, their industrial training
subdues their belligerent instincts
and completely cradicatcs their Sheep
killing propensity. In fact, it not
only makes them useful. buv also
quiet, civil and innocuous.
Consul Smith thinks it time for
Americans to take Il hint from the
Belgians and turn their hereditary
quadruped loafers to good account.
And just here he makes u little com.
putation to show us how much power
we have running to waste and aching
to he employed. Estimating the
canine population at 1000. 900 and
their average strength at 500 pounds,
which he regards as low, we have an
available force of 3, 500, 600, 900 pounds
now unemployed.
1t will take considerable time to
bring the mass of our dog population
into harness for various reasons. Per-
hapS half the animals are merely or
namcntal and untitled for service of
this kind. Many that are fit are
household pets and their owners will
never set them at work, and many
arc tooold to learn rev tricks readily.
But Il much greater obstacle. to tie
employment of dogs us draft animals
in this country is to be found in the
fact that most AMERICANS would look
npon the hauling Of dog loads as u
small and tritling business, quite be.
meath their dignity and out of accsrd
with their notions of an economical
use of their time.
Possibly, however, if a beginning
could he made the use of the dog rs a
beast of burden would be gradually
extended. For some lines of service
he is we'll adapted and he might come
to be pretty freely employed as OK
perience should open up for him new
fields of activity. But we may not
expect the gardener who has to haul
his 'struck" six or eight miles to the
Chicago market to employ dogs. He
wants an animal able to draw not
only the truck but himself, and get
over the ground fast enough to be in
good season in the market.