The sun., 1908-07-05

fifty times, until he begins to learn what
is expected of him.
up to this time the gong hasn't been
rung, and now the driver sets out to make
him und erstand that when the gong rings
he 10 expected to move. A man is posted
at each side Of the stall and one at every
other avenue of escape. The driver gets
behind him with q whip and when the gong
rings and the stall chain drops he gives the
horse a cut over the flank with the whip.
This is 30 unexpected that the animal
gives a snort and jumps forward. He looks
both ways but there is a man On guari who
raises his ilaIld The horse sees that there
is no place he can go except right under
the harness where he has been led all the
time. He goes there and the man in front
clamps the collar around his neck before
he can make another move.
at may be necessary to persuade the
horse to move by means OF the whip across
the flank few times, but inside Of day
any green horse can be thoroughly trained
30 that the next morning at the stroke Of
the gong he will take his place as promptly
as O veteran. This one days training in
creases the value Of the horse just about
500. The city buys most OF the Fire De-
partment horses at $3.50 each.
THE training seems to change the entire
appearance OF the horses face. When
you look at the average horse OF the sort
that goes into this business you find that
the face is almost expressionless. Just
look at old Dick over there. There is
great deal more expression in his face than
there is in tine faces OF a lot OF men that
know in the department, and you almost
feel that when you speak to him he will
! answer you.
"There Ia no animal that learns tricks
| quicker than the fire horse, and he usually
does It without any coaching. There isn't
a horse in this house that hasn't at some
| time or other gone back there to the sink and
turned on the water himself after coming
in from a run. The only thing they don't
I'm that respect they are a good deal
like a dog we had in one Of the companies
to which l was attached. Whenever
| meal time came around and the dog was
overlooked he tised to carry his tin plate
| out and lay it down In front OF the captain.
l never knew him to carry 1t back when
he got through eating.
4One of the tricks the horses learn fret
Is to remind the drivers II they don't get
their oats exactly on schedule time. IL
sometimes happens at night that the watch
man will do7e of and forget the horses.
| Then they will begin to kick the sides OF
I! the stall with all their might.
AOne Of our horses here Is a regular graft
horse, and We always say that he got In
the Police Department. Whenever any enc
passes anywhere near his stall he reaches
! as far out as ne can and opens mis- mouth
| and works his upper lip as II asking the
passerby u he can't dig up lump OF
sugar for him.
sThis horse Is not only CRATER but a
common thief az we'll. At night he is not
fastened In his stall and he makes 1t point
to lick up his own oats, which are merely
poured on the floor, as quickly as possible
and then he scouts around the stalls help
ing the other horses eat their oats.
Instinct may have a good deal to do
with 1t, but It is nevertheless true that a
fire horse seldom steps on q child In the
street, although there are many narrow
escapes. One of the most remarkable
horses In that respect that ever knew
Of was horse that used to pull my buggy
He could oovcr two miles through the city
streets In six minutes.
| aOne day when he was going at that rate
boy jumped of a car just In front Of him.
He leaped to one side and just as his feet
neared the ground another little street
urohin rolled right In front Of him. The
horse jumped In the opposite direction, and
didn't Craze either boy even. mn
-One Of the amusing stories that have
heard about fire horses, and happen tc
know that it IL true, concerns g team ths'
was purchased by tho city from volunteer
COMPANY on Staten Island when the de-
partment was established there. Tho ohiei
In charge OF Staten Island was astonished