The Washington times., 1906-05-10
ASPHALT STREETS
LAME THE HORSES
Business Men Point Out
Cause of the Evil.
MANY Hailed TO COURT
Humane Society's Officers Busy Swear
ing Out Warrants for Owners of
i.f Injured Animals

Almost every day some business man
or hrm receives notice from an officer
Of the Humane Society TO so TO some
police station and deposit collateral 10
appear in the Police Court the next
day TO answer the charge OF cruelty
TO animals And this alleged cruelty
In almost every case is driving a lame
horse. Business men OF Washington.
those who require the use OF many
horses and wagons, say that the lame
ress IN horses is caused by the asDbaIt
pavements. and Is not due TO over
work or neglect OF the animals bv the
drivers.
II we had macadamlzed streets for
our horses YOU would seldom or never
see horse go lame while pulling a
wagon, said John II. Magruder. the
well-known Connecticut avenue busi-
ness man who had an experience with
the officers Of the Humane SocNety on
Tuesday. THE asphalt and the cob
biestone streets do more damage 10
our horses than one would imagine.
Lameness Wears Of.
1t is P common thing for n horse
that is worked steady every day 10
leave the stable in the morning n little
lame but after pulling an hour or
A
the business man IS liable to be hailed
into court by an officer of the Humane
Society and charged with cruelty 10
animals. But as a rule the business
man cannot afford TO take time 10 go
20 court 10 make a statement OF fact
that would show that neither he nor
his driver is cruel To the horse. and
so the business man forfeits a five-dol-
lar collateral. and that ends the Incl
dent
The horse question Is one that gives
us deep concern. for IL is source OF
almost constant annoyance. Not so very
long ago / purchased a team OF large
handsome horses. but within less than
three months the hard streets knocked
them out That is. they went lame so
that they could not be worked. / dis
posed or them for a mere song. so to
speak, 10 a gentleman who lives in
the country. Later / made inquiry
about the animals and was informed
that the lameness had entirely disap-
peared and that they were the finest
horses he had on his place.
This IS just a sample of nv exDeri-
ence and 1 do not hesitate to say that
you viii find that this is the expert
ence OF others.
RAeN-N NauSE Va kAuEllT.
TITS the asphalt street that causes
cruelty TO the horses" continued Mr..
Nfagruder. In wet weather it's a com
mon occurrence TO see horses slip and
slide on the asphalt here on Connect
cut avenue. And just after the streets
are sprinkled you will see the same
Thing If we had macadamized streets,
like they have in Burlington, Vt. you
would not see horses slipping and fall
ing 70 the street, nor would you see
sound horses go lame from ordinary
hauling. Nor would owners OF auto
mobiles meet with so many accidents to
their machines as are now daily report-
ed. To change the streets would not
cost so much, nor would II prove ex-
pensive TO keep them in repair"
officers Of the W. 5. Knox Express
Co.. Littlefield Alvord < Co. Mer-
chants Transfer Co, and others gave
opinions TO the same effect, that the
asphalt was hard on horses. and was
he cause of lameness. The merchants
re positive in their instructions TO the
rivers concerning the care and comfort
Z the horses. for the loss Of a horses
erVlce is the loss of so much money.
lany firms have an emergency servt.--,.
nat is. If a horse goes lame the driver
communicates by phone with the man
ger and fresh animal is Immediately
urried to take the place of the dis
)led one.
But this does not stop the swearing
II Of a warrant by Humane Society
GENT. charging the owner Of the lamed
prse with cruelty TO that animal. And
g answer 20 the warrant is the for
St as a rule, OF s. collateral left at
V station house for appearance in the
slice Court