New-York tribune., 1907-06-04
A PEACEFUL OLD AGE.
IF Public Is Kind old City Horses
WiU Hare q Refuge.

Now IS the time for people who love horses, and
who admire the four footed veterans Of the Fire
and Police and Street Cleaning departments OF
greater New York, 10 show their feeling in a way
that counts. AS has been announced. the State
Legislature has passed the bill empowering the
commissioners of the various city departments TO
transfer the Vornout horses the custody of the
Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty TO Animals
instead of having them sold auction. as hereto
fore. The society intends 10 have farm some
where Long Island-a farm with plenty Of past
Urage where the horses that have spent their
strength in the city's service can pass peaceful
old age and eat the clover of honorable retirement
Nothing is lacking in this plan but the money
needed TO buy the farm. The society will try TO
raise the money by appeals 20 the public, so it is
up TO horse lovers to do their part
We cannot attempt TO take OF ali the
horses condemned by the departments unit for
use," William K Horton, general manager of the
society. said Tribune reporter yesterday THAT
would require a much larger farm than shall
be able 70 buy Only the other day the Brooklyn
section Of the Street Cleaning Department sold
seventy horses at auction. But can take some
OF thern-the veterans the special pets of the de-
partments and the most oecrepit specimens. We
can begin in small way, and enlarge the farm
gradually get funds But II viii take some
money TO buy a small farm and to erect the
necessary buildings A stock farm already equipped
with barns IS what would like, but that would
be too expensive for Us"
A home and hospital for horses. much like the
planned by the New York Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty TO Animals has been in ex-
istence for three years in Stow Mass 1t is called
Red Acre Farm, and IL opened in a very modest
way. with old black horse a patient and
guest Now there twenty horses there, all old,
some lame. but beautifully cared for. Red Acre
Farm is the custodian of the wornCut fire horses
of Boston. it also comes 10 the rescue Of pri-
equine citizens in their need. Some of the
horses taken there are so far gone that the only
thing 10 do is 10 put them out of their misery
@I-es
bought and humanely killed thirty-seven poor old
g horses that were slowly dying of disease or Of
starvation. Whenever horse can be doctored up,
however. that IS done. There is hospital where
sick horses treated, sores bandaged and sur
gical operations performed Every horse that
comes to the farm must pess probation in the hos
disease. If a horse is found 10 be sound enough
TO work, il is lent 10 the farmers in the neigh
Aeek 5s al , - {1 oI - , ~ go i @ \ s - @
in the stables and pastures of Red Acre Farm.
Former Inspector Adam Cross Of the New York
Punch because he eoud not 5 bear to see that ga
liant old police horse hawked off to spend the rem
nant of his years dragging some hucksters cart
around. wanted the city to establish farm where @
Tb9e Teporer thai he Believed the horses u could
be made at least self-supporting on such farm.
They could certainly do enough light work to
raise their own fodder, he said, so the only ex-
pense would be the initial cost Of buying the farm
y tb e boTses nv or 11bo has lrnon NJ ,ae ne "a a
horses and the police horses and seen how faith
ful and intelligent they are must hate to them
Ructioned off any old huckster who raise a
few dollars TO buy Why, there horses on
the police force that know we'll man, bet
ger than most men, how to stop runaway, and
risk their lives doing 1T"
If the city will not establish home for its dis
abled equine servants. at least 1t has been made
possible for the people, through the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty TO Animals. 10 do il. Few
men end certainly few women know the things
ehat are done by Jockeys who traffic in broken
down horses, giandered horses sick horses. dying
horses, who dosed and stimulated. pamed off
ignorant purchasers, or 70 some fellow who
pays the two three dollars charged for the sake
Of the few weeks months service TO he wrung
out Of the horse before il drops. That IS proba-
bly, the fate toward which the condemned horses
OF the city started when they auctioned
OF, and it really does not just the fate for
q horse that has made record with fire
engine or helped regulate the city's traffic or
even for a horse that has his level best in
carting away the ctys garbage.
The woman's Auxiliary Of the Society for the
ested in this new plan. and, that the work
horse parade is off its hands. it is going do
what IL can raise money the home for worn
out horses.