The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-10
BUYER OF OLD CAR HORSES.
When They Are Not Really Used Up
They Turn Out Well.

There is often a query in the minds of the
officials of such street railways as are still
operated by horsepower as to what becomes
of the horses which are worn out annually
by the hard usuage they endure and sold for
nominal figure, says the New York Tribune
The number of such horses, though constant
ly decreasing as electricity becomes more
universally substituted for motive power is
still in the thousands. Many are sold for
their hides and others to tallow and soap
men, or to meet even less noble ends. But
it remained for Manhattan Islander to dis
cover along this line that the ability to con-
vert one collar into two without recourse to
the populistic method Is not confined to the
inhabitants of his own borough.
An official of one Of the local street rail-
ways was. cycling with a party of friends
through the interior of the state, purpose
ly avoiding the lines Of railroads. with q
view Of seeing what there was new to be seen.
They had halted during the heat of the day
at farmhouse. six miles from the nearest
railroad, in a locality whare such papers as
are read come but once a week. While en-
joying that delight Of every urban cyclist a
cool draught from a country we'll, they fell
into conversation with the head of the house
and the owner of the farm. The average New
York farmer no longer looks upon a cyclist
as stranger from far country, for the
column in his weekly paper devoted to the
wheel has made him more or less familiar
with those vital issues of the day-the ques-
lions of makes" and ''gears"-and he Will
often end a conversation by proposing to
show his ability to ride, proposition which
it is not always expedient for the owner of
the wheel to entertain.
While they were COMPRISING the attention Of
an official was attracted to team of horses
standing harnessed in the edooryard. There
was something about their rugged and homely
physiques which seemed strangely familiar.
They were elephantine as compared with the
other horses he had abserVed in the neigh
borhood. Stepping uprto them for closer
inspection. he stopped down. and there.
branded on their forehoofs were the familiar
initials of his own company.
The farmer had observed his look Of sur
prise and was prepared when he exclaimed:
How in the name of goodness did those horses
ever come out here?"
Recognize them, do you?" replied the
owner.
Il should say 1 did," exclaimed the official.
and we have 500 more there with that brand on
them down in the city,
well" replied the farmer. chose old
horses of yours are about the only thing 1
have been able to make cent out Of in the
last few years. / have nephew down in the
city who knows the difference between a
horse that is played out for good and one
that only needs rest He buys me about two
dozen of your horses every spring. and you
know he doesn't have to pay much for them
about $40 to $40. He buys them that are all
sound except their feet'Aperhaps It's corns
or cracked hoofs, caused by too many months
trav Aiug on the stone streets without let
up. Your folks can't afford to feed them until
they get well, so you. sell them for what you
can get" ,.,p9,,.. ar ~s
He sends them to me and turn them out
to pasture. where they have chance to lie
down in the shade and get some fat on their
bones. Treadtng on the solft ground. their
feet get well again, and they are sound rs a
dollar You wouldn't know them for the
same animals. Then 1 sell them at good
margin.
There is always good demand for them.
They make the best kind of horses for haul
ing from the cheese factories to the railroads
or from the station to the villages. No horses
around here can touch them on the straight
draw. The stage men like them, for they
can travel all day without getting tired. They
aren't so good about farm work. as they are
run on a snag either the gang or the harness
or the pillow has to give in; the horse never
does"
And five New Workers., as they rode out of
the yard after bidding him goodbye, decided
that not all the brains of the state are lodged
in the metropolis.