Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-23
''THE LAY OF THE LAST HORSE.

New York Journal: The time is ripe
for some poet with a bullying brow and a
kind heart to write The Lay of the Last
Horse for the day appropriate for the
piping of the lay of the last horse is
raw1n nigh apace. The compressed
air motor scheme in which Mr.. Croker
and young Mr.. Letter are interested, de-
signed to eliminate the horse as motive
power of trucks, is the last blow at the
usefulness of the patient equine. Be-
tween the bicycle and the motor the horse
is about as necessary to life in a great
city as is the yak or the hoo-hoo bird.
From present indications the ushering
IN OF the twentieth century will be co.
incident with the passing of the equine
and the combining of his sphere to oil
paintings, museums and the interior of
ohles of frankfurters for export to Ger
many. The rapid adoption Of electricity
as motive power on the street railways
of the city has already thrown on the
market so many horses that horscf1esh
on the hoof is now quoted at a figure that
would hardly cover the purchase price
OF a half-breed dachshund pup.
With the abolition of the morse as a
puller of trucks one may hope to see
people giving horses away. and the time
is in sight when the noble ANIMAL will
roam about like homeless dogs and cats
90 today, begging for something to eat.
About the only use that can De found
Tor a horse then will be to make a house
mold pet out of him, and this is out Of the
question in a city of fats like New York.
1t is with feelings of regret that the
people see the horse passing away, but
the feeling of regret is somewhat smoth-
cred in the possibilities arising trcm the
spread of motor propulsion. The French
man has given us the motor bicycle, and
m~echanlcal genluSes are working on
schemes to build small platforms upon
which a man may stand, and by the turn
of a crank mote himself along the street
instead of walking. One forgets the fin
ish of the horse in the contemplation Of
the imaginary spectacle of Broadway
pavements paced with people whizzlng
along on rollers and steering themselves
by turning a wheel.
The passing of the horse furnishes op-
portunity for reflection. 1t is a far
reaching question affecting many men.
What is going to become of the norse-
shoers? Not every horseshoer can nc-
come a successful pugilist. What will be
the finish of the hay, grain and chopped
feed men who cater to the inner wants of
that noble animal, the horse? With no
market for their wares they muSt per-
force be compelled to go out of Business.
What is going to become of the farmers
hay crop and oat crop, and what will be
done with the costly livery stables? To a
student of economics the driving of the
horse out CT the life of the country is
fraught with great opportunities for
study.
And, speaking of hay and horses, there
is one thing that reconciles us to the
passing of the horse. 1t will ultimately
result in the passing of the hay crop, ana
it is hoped that this will eventually re-
suit in the passing of the song writer who
thinks 1t necessary to put something
about the smell of the new mown hay
in every farmyard ballad he turns out.
Should this come to pass it alone will
compensate for the elimination Of the
horse.