The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-19
IN PALACE CARS.
How the Equine Aristocrats Travel
on the Railroads.
UNDESIRABLE PASSENGERS UNDER
ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

| Horses are Easily Frightened, and some
Have Even Gone Mad with Fear
Safeguards Against Injury-The Mod
ern Horse Coach and the Old Box Car.
In thes3 days of universal railway
transportation horses, as we'll as every
thing and every body else. make frequent
| journeys by rail. Popular racehorses.
| like st ,r actors, are obliged to travel ex-
press in order to fulfill their engagements.
and sometimes have their private car; this
when they are famous winners at races;
while multi millionaires who pride them
selves upon their teams, take them, as a
matter Of course, with the rest OF their
establishment from Chicago to Newport,
or to California, ard back again.
NeverIess the shipment of horses Is
always attended with more or less risk;
therefore neither railroad nor express
companies make any effort to solicit such
passengers. They take them to accommo-
date the public and place their charges
sufficiently high to cover all risks, not
withstanding the fact that for stock sent
by freight the railroad companies disclaim
all response bility. TIE usual price OF the
transportation of horse by freight IS
about twice as much as the cost of first
class passenger ticket for the same dis
lance; nor does this include anything bs
yond the bare transportation; for every
thing else, including the man who Is re-
CURED to accompany the horse, and who
the shipper must engage, an extra
charge is made.
Express companies do considerable
business III the carriage of racehorses,
where time is all important and expense
is not considered. In this case stalls for
the horse and berths for the attendant
stablemer are fitted UP in the rear OF the
baggage car, and men and horses journey
on the fast express passenger trains. No
additional charge is made for the atten,
dants. and orders are telegraphed ahead
to the stations at which the train stops,
on schedule, for proyender ETC., SO that
it may be all ready to be put on board as
soon as the train slackens its speed
HORSES BAD TRAVELLERS.
The chief difficulty in the transporta-
ton of horses is their extreme nervous
mess, No matter how well broken a horss
may be. he is almost sure to be alarmed
at whatever is unfamiliar to him. Often
when he has been badly frightened by a
locomotive he never entirely gets over
his terror of it, although, usually, expert
ence renders him accustomed to the sight,
and to what is still more alarming, the
noise.
Some noted racehorses are old cam
paigners and will board train and travel
from one point to another with the cool
ness and self possession of experienced
travellers. But horse on his first trip by
rail is almost certain to be terrified by the
racket and The strange motion. Some
are driven absolutely frantic with fear,
and narrowing stories are told OF horses
which have actually gone mad from terror
on the road; such cases as these last are,
| however, rare. Therefore, it is OF the ut'
most importance that when horse
makes a trip by rail some one whom ne
/
can quiet his tremors and soothe and
| tranouilize him in case of necessity, rs
one does frightened child. Moreover.
there is always the danger of injury to
the animal beyond that of fright and the
ordinary risk of railroad accidents, A
horse travels standing; the sudden stop
page of the train, the jolting Of the cars
as O long freight train rounds a sharp
curve in the track, not to mention the
possibility that one car may bump INTO
another; jar caused by one of these COM
mon occurrences or in any of dozen
other sways, may throw him violently
against the side of his stall, or still worse
to the floor, breaking his leg or injuring
him internally past remedy.
COMFORTS FOR FINE STOCK.
Great improvements have of late been
made in stock cars. The so-called palace
stock cars of today are railway stables
we'll lighted and ventilated, with zinc
managers which can be emptied, cleaned,
and filled from outside, without disturb.
| ing the occupant of the stall; and with
l SllQlUG utOE5 WulOl u1lOW Uu0 easy 60
rangement of bedding for the night.
| Different are these cars for fine stock from
the box cars into which cattle were form
erly crowded as many as the car could
hold. Box cars are still used on the con-
tinent of Europe, not only for stock. Tut
also for military transportation and the
| tourist in France or Germany often sees
freight cars marked, not only with their
tonnage, but also with their capacity in
men and horses.
When several horses, II "string," as II
is called in racing parlance, are to DC
shipped from one point to another, the
safest plan, next to sending them by ex'
press, which is always best If one can
afford it, as well as the least expensive
in the long run, is TO charter paiace
stock car for the horses and caboose ZOE