Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-13
HORSES ARE
LITTLE USED
China has Not Yet Learned
Value of Mans Best
Friend

to an inquiry regarding horses in
China Wilbur T. Gracey, American
consul at Tsingtau, makes the follow
ing report:
The only places in China where
horses are used to any great extent
are Shanghai Tsingtau and Tientsin.
Australians, "walers,' so called,
because they originate in New South
Wales, are the most popular. These
horses are imported into Shanghai in
patches of from 20 to so, are well
taken care of on the voyage and ar
rive in excellent condition, and are put
into use within a couple of weeks after
arrival. They retail in Shanghai at
prices varying from $50 United States
currency to 5000, or even more in cases
of special breeds. They appear to
stand the climate fairly well, but are
not considered to be as strong or use
full as the China ponies, which are ma
tive to the plains of Manchuria and
Tibet.
Very Few American Horses.
Very few American horses are seen
on the Shanghai market, the reasons
given being that the long ocean voyage
is exceedingly trying on the animals,
that they are not as we'll cared for on
from Australia, and that they do not
appear to stand the enormous changes
in climate incident to the East. A GER
tain number of American horses have
come to China from Manila, but by
far the largest number of horses in
| Shanghai and Tientsin are of Austral-
ian origin. Tientsin has also a con-
siderable number of horses imported
from Germany, many being brought
there for use by the German troops
/ In 1900 at the time of the Boxes trou-
bles, and afterwards sold for general
use, and most of the horses in use at
Tsingtau are either of this kind or
Australians brought from Shanghai.
Uses to Which Horses Are Put.
In Shanghai, Tientsin, and Tsingtau
horses are used mostly for carriages.
but there is also a call for good Aus
| tralian or American saddle horses for
use in Picking, Hongkong and other
places where the roads are not sufh-
GENTLY good to allow of the use of
carriages. The animal generally in use
among foreigners in China and the
better class of Chinese for driving and
riding purposes is the China pony.
These come from the north overland
and can be bought at $50, or even less
in the northern ports, to $50 or more
in the southern ones, depending on the
demand and the distance from their
original homes. They are usually cap
tured in more or less wild state and
: tanned by the Chinese, most of those
! used by foreigners having first gene
through the hands of the mountaineers
for use as pack animals. In Shang-
hal they are used singly in harness,
and a very good China pony, broken to
carriage, will occasionally command
price as high as 5000 United States
currency.
Luxury Comes Too High.
In Tsingtau they are somewhat more
> expensive than in Shanghai, are driv-
en- in pairs. owing to the billy coun-
try, and a good pair occasionally costs
!. as much as a pair of Australians, say.
i. 5000, though the majority Of ponies
! would sell for about 800 or s125 for
: the pair. These ponies stand usually
a about IS hands or under. are very
e stockiIy built, stand the hot weather
e well, eat barley, bran and soft foods
$ never oats, and can be fed for very
Y much less than Australian or Ameri-
can horses.
American horses are more admired
e In China than Australians, and are
9 considered far superior to the China
ponies, so far as looks go, and would
be used more generally If they coult
: be secured at more reasonable prices
: than is now possible, Their use nov
= is confined almost entirely to the few
q rich Americans who have had then
. shipped out for their personal use b!
% friends at home