The Washington herald., 1911-03-05

| about the last time They must unload
their junk elsewhere
An editorial writer in The Washington
Herald of Thursday last asks the peril
nent question: Shall the fire horse be-
come extinct?' In other words, shall he
give way to the fire machine? II is to be
hoped that he will, and soon II is to be
hoped that the horse of heavy draft will
become in large sense obsolete in every
known form of industrial activity in the
near future. One who has seen the
noble creatures attached TO fire engines
and the apparatus attached thereto will,
unless he have a heart of stone, hopes
as he sees them tug and strain at their
ponderous loads that some other motor
power may take his place.
The strain on muscle, tendons and
nerves in starting the load is something
that few people can appreciate One who
has traversed the downtown streets in
our large cities where the heavy truck
ing takes place and witnessed the mag
nificent specimens of the draft breed
StraininG and Juggling at their immense
burdens and has taken an inventory of
the abraided knees, caused by their pull
ing heavy loads over slippery streets,
will draw a sigh of relief when the motor
truck drives them out OF business. The
average life of the heavy truck horse is
about three years.
The fire engine horse lasts about the
same period, notwithstanding the fact
his work is occasional, while that of the
truck horse is six days in the week. The
reason why the fire engine horse does
not last longer is owing to the fact that
he is driven to weight at fun speed and
gives way in muscle. tendon, and feet.
owing to his vast bulk.
In an industrial sense, it is we'll that
the motor truck is coming 10 the rescue
of the horse. for were this not the fact
the time is approaching. if not already at
hand. when the cost of a first-Class pair
of heavy draft horses will very nearly
equal that of a motor truck. The haul
ing business OF our great Industrial cities
Is increasing annually by leaps and
mountaineering so swiftly that breed
ers are not keeping pace with it.
The day is approaching, if it is not at
hand. when we shall be unable to export
horses owins to the demand at home. 1t
was only few days since that the
writer of this column held an interesting
interview with one of the most intcIli-
gent. as we'll as one of the largest
dealers in heavy drafts in this section of
country, on this very subject, and he
confirmed the statement above made
He further stated that the belief Of some
persons that there was a falling off in
the number of horses annually produced
in this country of the heavy type was a
fallacy. He said he had recently given
the matter a personal investigat ton and
had discussed it with buyers and dealers
in different parts of the United States
and they confirmed his conclusions. II
all the facts above stated be true, then
the motor truck promises to help solve
an important economic and industrial
problem
The turf editor of The Washington
Herald recently received from Mr. Her
man Hopes, of Philadelphia, eminent as
a breeder of pure and half-bred Arabs,
an interesting letter in regard TO his
breeding plant in West Chester. Pa In
the same mail came a catalogue, very
gotten up, of the horses he
now has at Highland Farm. with hand
some photo-engravings IF the same
There are other breeding plants of the
character named in the United States
but none of their breeding operations are
carried on TO the extent of those con-
Quoted by Mr. Hopes at Highland Farm.
Homer Davenport, the cartoonist, is con-
Quoting one in New Jersey; Adolph
Pabst, we believe. is engaged in the same
business on a small scale near Milwau-
kee, and a gentleman whose name we do
not now recall is engaged in the breed
ing and importing of Arabs in Massa-
ChUsattS
Mr.. Hopes foundational strain, with
the exception of a few original importa-
tions from England, are those of the |
Huntington stud. which, when |
Mr.. Huntington was forced into the auc- |
ton mart through the populations of one !
of his employees a few years since, was |
purchased almost entire by Mr. Hoopes, |
who by his letter. is an enthusiastic !
promoter of the Arab horse, believing |
that the interminGIing of his pure blood !
with our native horses will bring them
nearer to perfection in conformation,
lung and heart power, and in
endurance. Notwithstanding the fact |
hat the Arab is superior to all other
lorses in the respects named. as we'll as
n intelligence, the light-harness cult of !
he United States has spent much print
er's ink and verbal argument to prove
hat the light-harness horse and the
have advanced so far in
he breeding uplift that the Arab can
lot be of any particular benefit to him.
In spite of importations of Arabs into
he United States from time to time. ex-
ending even beyond the time of the i'm
of the Lindsay Arabian into
Sew England. which was before the
revolution, one can almost now count on
ha Of fprn ba har
# persons. natives OF this country, who
ver saw a pure bred Arab. Those who
ave seen one and is a good judge of the
'oints of a horse must admit that in the
natter of beauty no other horse is his
qual. And il may be set down as a II
certainty that if there he
me that approaches him in all the quail
les that make the horse admired some
ghere in his blood lines IL they are care
ully traced, will be found some of the
Hood of the desert
This is particularly true of the noted
ientucky saddle breeds. One observes
/ particularly in the way the tail is set
n, the shape of the rImp, the dainty
nd elastic manner in which their feet
ouch the ground, the ease with which
hey carry their rider, their mettlesome
nd yet kindly disposition, and the INTEL
Igence and cheerfulness with which they
espond to the wishes of their masters.
. |
Some years previous to the civil war
|. Keene Richards. of Kentucky, a not
d breeder of thoroughbreds, introduced
rom England, and subsequently from
he Orient, pure bred Arabian mares and
tallions. Just as his breeding venture
'as in its fun flower the civil war came,
which brought his plans to a halt; In
act. DESTROYED in large sense all that
e had accomplished. While Kentucky