Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-05
See Paris and Die
Can Be Applied to Horses

ness is undoubtedly tinctured with the
knowledge that 1t is a good business
investment, but that is not to the point.
10 certain extent public opinion
restraints excessive cruelty on the
streets, but within the stables 1t is
powerless. There horses are packed In
20 tightly that there is not an
arms breadth between them. The
ground is strewn with rotting peat, peat
being cheaper. than straw. In one cor
ner Is a trough filled with filthy. stag
nant water. Only horses which have
been used are fed, the others are at the
mercy of the groons who sometimes
throw them bits of refuse. When the
time for feeding comes, the neighing OF
the animals is so deafening. that people
living. In the neighborhood complain.
Countess Pin do In Gueriyere, the IT,
tied woman who became a cabby, there
by winning such newspaper notoriety.
says that when a certain Mr.. Bixio was
president of the board of directors of
one Of the largest companies, expert
mcnts We're made which have few
equals in the annals OF refined torture.
An old horse was shut in a paddock and
fed with a mixture of wood shavings
chemically reduced to n paste. The anil
NAL was forced to circle round the pad
dock for hours weighed down with
special harness which registered the di-
sestive process. The idea was to SEQ
how far the nourishlng elements of the
feed could be suppressed without killing
the animals or producing serious in
hammation. The countess does not say
whether the wood shaving diet was
ever adopted. Probably the company
concluded that after all horses fed on
hay and oats produced a better average
of work,
TYPICAL INCIDENT.
An incident reported some time ago
In the papers shows to what an extent
this undertaking is carried, A horse
fell in one of tho thoroughfares and
refused to move even under the re-
peated lash Of the cabby's whip A
crowd gathered round. One quick
witted bystander hurried to a. store
nearby and returned with a measure of
oats. The spent animal dsvoured it
eagerly and strengthened, went on its
way. hamilton was the only reason for
this collapse.
All OF the 10000 cabs (rnost of them
taNimeters) are owned either by big
companies presided over by a board of
directors or by petite loueurs" tsmal
proprietors). The largest company, the
Compagnie Generate, has over 5000
cabs and three times as many horses
iii its 20 stables y altered all over the
city. The 'tpetits loueurss" seldom dis
pose of more tllan % OF lUU CABS. Ihe
cocher must put down $40 before he Is
received into any company, big or lit
tie. These entrance dues" are sup
posed to cover certain expenses that
the company is put to--the traditional
boiled leather hat which all cabbies
must wear. the lap robe, etc. and a
| certain sum is kept In case the novice
infringes some law and his company
owner must stand the legal costs. AS
matter Of fact, these charges are es-
| tin,ated much higher than they really
| are Each time he changes companies
he must pay this Initial fee and none OF
! 1t Is ever refunded,
TIPS FOR STABLE HELP.
His stay depends largely on tho good
will of the chef de depot who is the
| intermediary between the cabby and
| the company owner. Many astute cab
| bies make friends with this formidable
| parsonage, but this friendship costs
| them dear, meaning constant tips. III
addition. there are many other obliga-
| tory tips. such as fees to the groom
| who bitches UP (the cocher IS not al
| lowed 10 do tfis), Az the cabby is u.s.
ualiy too tired TO unlitch (this privilege
| is granted HIND another fee must be
| counted. In ell he must reckon on
| spending q. franc day for extras, The
| average net earnings eco per cent of
\ the taximeter receipts together with
| the tips) are $40, though they mount