The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-06-23
FUTURE OF THE .iORsE.
1t VIII Cease to he n Drudge o.
Beast of Burden.

Beast of BURDEN.
There was a time when the wlry
thoroughbred of English bre -ding, and
perhaps the Arabian barb We're looked
to as the surcst means of improving
the common stock of horse flesh. Con-
sui General Judd reports from Austria
Hungary that the American trotter is
now the favoritc breed in use for i'm
proving the native blood. If Austria.
Hungary cannot do better than to come
to America for this purpose it argues
well for the superiority Of the trotter.
AS a beast Of speed the distinctive trot-
ter is an example Of modern evolution.
1t is not many years since a speed Of
three minutes for a mile was reckoned
good ut Il trotting gait. Now there
is hardly a farmers son in the country
that does not w a colt that "can
clip a mile in three minutes and not
turn Il hair" at least so the young
nan says. A speed of two minutes is
not only possible, but probable in the
immediate future, and the time may
be not far off wlLan the American
horse can trOt alongside the best Derby
runner.
With the constant inroads Of machin-
cry on the field of the horses useful
hess, Il change is coming in the evolu-
ton ri the animal. Already electricity
supplaIts the old horse cars, and no
one is sorry. One need have no SYM
pathy for the overburdened fluid Oh
a hard grade. An electric van for par
Gel delivery is now working in London,
and is said to be cheaper than horse
power. Promises have already been
made by II inventors of electric plows
and feasible plans for freight and
produce tramways across the country
on roads E,.herto traversed only by the
aid Of the :.rrse or mule are suggested.
The cl!: Fashioned horsepower for run
ming Incidental machinery is giving
place to the coming powc"."
The canning horse is to be less and
less q issast of heavy burden. Many
places there are where horses will
continue to drag heavy loads Of q ne
cessity. The handsome draft horse IS
not yet entirely to be dispensed with.
But pleasure driving will continue to
give IL motive for the Improvement
Of the trotting horse. The bicycle
takes the place of q few saddle horses,
perhaps, but the majority of cyclers
care for Il horse just as much as be-
fore the silent steed came into being.
Many of them ~ a wheel who could
not W a horse. but the wheel, even
II built ar Two, is not 80 agreeable
after ali IS holding tie lines behind
a slossy-coatHd. housekeeping horse.
Electric motors for carriages are talked
Of, but they will be very expensive for
a long time yet, and until their pro-
fciency is somewhat advanced from the
present stage q man even with q balky
horse would be less helpless in case Of
accident.
The noble. intelligent horse will not
be lost sight of in the advance of civil
izatio1. Relief from the heavier duties
will leave tho more energy for driving,
of which every. American citizen Of
means and leisure is fond. Whatever
question there. may be as to the moral
ity or advantages Of horse racing, the
improvement Of the trotter has made
the animal more serviceable for the
legitimate use Of man. X any one be-
lievcs that the interest in the horse is
to give Place before the inroads of
electricity, let him attend some great
''horse convention" and note the atten-
ton paid to the splendid specimens Of
endurance and intelligence there on ex-
hibition.