The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-01
WANT FIRE. HORSES
 AT A TOURNAMENT
NATIONAL MEET OF FIRE ENGINE HORSES AT ST. LOUIS, AND CHIEF MULLEN HAS TEAM HE DESIRES TO oEND.

An effort is being made to get Chief of the Fire Department Mullin to send a team of horses to the National Bremen g tournament to be held at the St. Louis exposition August 24-2S. during the week of the horse show.
 The chief has team which has been connected with the fire department for more than fifteen years, and he is think ing of sending this team merely as an example of the wonderful vitality of the horses, and their fine condition after sucn long service. The team has been in the department ever since Birmingham had a paid department
 Letters have been written here asking the chief to send the team and with it hose wagon The chief also has a crack wagon crew he would like to send to be compared with those from other places
 The object of this tournament is to get the stock raisers of the country to com mence breeding particular horse for fire department service. These horses are hard to secure and the demand for them is great. The following letter to the chief will explain the case entirely:
 Chief Mullin:
 My Dear Sir: The National Firemen' s association of the United States desires to heartily cooperate with the officers of the Universal exposition in their most commendable endeavor to assemble at the worlds fair an exhibit of the finest speci- mems of firemen's horses in use in Ameri- can cities.
 The horse breeders of the country can best be reached through an exhibition of the desired type of horses for the fire mems use at the worlds fair and all the fire departments having exceptionally good horses of the desired type are ear- nestly requested to make entries with Col Charles F. Mills, chief of the department of live stock, St. Louis, Mo, on or before Juy 16, 1904.
 The prize list of the exposition describes the fireman's horse as follows:
 "The work required of horse best suited to fire departmen service necessi- tates almost human intelligence. Such a horse must be well bred. sound in every particular, quick to observe prompt and willing to respond to every call, and as we'll ambitious to discharge his numerous and unusual duties under constantly differing surroundings. In selection, the first requisites are evidence of tracta- bility, good feet and legs, with bone and hoofs of the best texture; a short, strong pdch' ana well propOrtloneu lore and hind quarters well covered with firm, elastic muscle. The hose carriage horse should weigh 1450 to 1900 pounds. and the engine and truck horses up to 1850 pounds.
 ''The typical fire department horse should possess not only intelligence, strength. activity speed, endurance, style and finish. but have feet, pasterns, legs and muscular development that equip him for the most arluous service on hard and uneven pavements or streets deep with mud"
 In order to give the widest publicity to this very important matter in which all firemens are interested you are requested to have the enclosed arsicla published on complimentary account in the daily pa pers of your city Very truly yours,
 B. F STAYMATES. Director of Firemens Contests, Worlds
 Fair