The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-04-05
HORSES INCREASING
NOBLE ANIMAL Is NOT BEING
DRIVEN INTO OBLIVION.
More Now In United States Than Ever
Before and Their Value Also
Greater-Average Price
S95.64 Last Year.

During the discussion
in the senate the other day over al
amendment to the deficiency appro
priation bill which provided sl2, 00t
for automobiles for the use of Presi
dent Taft, Mr.. Bailey of Texas madt
a speech in defense of the horse. Ht
said, with other things, that electric
and steam motors were driving horses
out of existence.
Such remarks are often made BY
persons who are not aware of thu
facts. During the bicycle craze We
were frequently warned that horses
would soon become useless except fol
plowing and heavY hauling. When
electricity was applied to street car
service we heard the same prediction
and great deal of regret was ex
pressed that the nobest and most in
telligent of animals should be con
demned to pass into oblivion.
But the contrary has been the case
There are more horses in the Uni
ted States to-day than there ever were
before; they are worth more money
than they ever were before; they are
increasing in numbers and in value
notwithstanding the electric street
car, the motor wagons and omnibuseS
the bicycles. the automobiles and the
adoption of steam and electricity as a
motor power in farming and in every
business and trade that requires 10
comotion.
The number of horses in the United
States January 1, 1908, was 1922, 600
and they were worth a total of ST.,
SCI $50, 900. or an average of s93.4l
each. During the succeeding year,
ended January /, 1909 the number Of
horses had increased 10 20,640, 900;
their value had advanced more than
$500, 600, 600 to the sum of $1.974,052.
600, and the average price was 1854,
or 1928 more than the previous year.
The average price of horses through.
out the United States for the ten years
previous TO 1908 was $6025 per head
which shows that they are worth an
average of s35.40 more, notwithstand
ing the circumstances which senators
and others have so mournfully de-
plored.
Automobiles came into general use
more rapidly during the year 1908 than
at any previous period, but notwith
standing that fact the number and
value of our horses increased more
rapidly during that period than ever
before During the calendar year 1907
the horses increased 245,000 in mum
Der and 20,952 900 in value. During
the calendar year 1908 they increased
64S,O00 in number and $106, 522, 900 in
value.
The same can be said of mules,
which should also be taken into con
sideration, because thousands of
mules have lost their jobs because of
the introduction of electricity as mo-
tive power. There are now in this
country 4,053,000 mules, which are val
ued at $437, 0S2, 900, or an average of
s107.S4 per head, &hat is about s12.25
more per mule than horses are worth.
This is an increase of $4,000 mules
during the year 1908, s20,143.000 in
value and eight cents per head.
The increase in 1907 was $4,000
mules, but in 1906 there was a de-
crease in the total value of s11,t25,000,
or an average falling off of $40 per
head.
The number Of milk cows in the
United States January l, 1909, was
21,720,000, and they were valued at
s702, $4,000, and average of 1926
per head This is an increase of
$4,000 during the previous year in
numbers and s52.SSS, 900 in total val
ne, or s1.69 per head Ranch cattle
show a decrease of $4,000 in num-
bers, but an increase in value of ST.
$4,000, which may be partial expla-
nation of the present size of your
butchers bills.