New-York tribune., 1911-01-15
HOUSE TALKS OF HORSE
And CameIs, Elephants and
Mules Also Figure in Debate.
PROPOSED ARMY MOUNTS
Kentucky's Supremacy Asserted
and Challenged-New York
Puts in a Claim.
tFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington, Jan. H-The House or KEEP
resentatives relaxed to-day and shed its
customary profundity For more than an
hour there was a detailed and apparently
serious discussion OF the relative suitability
Of horses. mules. camels and elephants for
the mounted service Of the army. At the
close of the conversational controversy the
House apparently much refreshed by its
excursion into the realms OF the ridiculous.
resumed serious consideration OF the army
appropriation bill.
Representative Mcndell, who really was
in earnest inadvertently threw the House
into its foolish spell An item proposing
10 purchase. at an outlay Of S90,Wo. some
FIVE thousand acres Of land In Virginia FOR
use as a horse farm and training station
had been eliminated from the bill on
point OF order. Mr. Mondell. although the
item had been wiped of the slate, was In
dgnant that Virginia had been selected by
the committee for horse farm instead OF
one of the Western states. He talked al
length about the superior advantages OF
the range horse. dwelling particularly on
the superior lung power of the equine bred
and reared In a rarefed atmosphere
This excited Representative Stanley, OF
Kentucky "A horse does not run on MS
lungs" he told the delighted House, al
though a statesman can. A horse must
have more than the capacity to blow IN
order to get there. He must have bones as
hard as flint. sinews OF steel. heart tnat
will not break. compactness OF body, splen-
did endurance pride and strength. mixed
with audacity and docility, which are COM
bined in a wonderful regal breed found
first on the plains Of Arabia and then on
the hills of Kentucky. The history OF Ken
lucky is the history Of the horse. You VIII
be next telling ne that You have put
woman in cold storage on the top or
mountain 10 improve her complexion, ana
that beautiful women are no longer found
in greatest numbers in Kentucky. You
will be telling II takes rarefied atmosphere
TO produce the proper character of moon
shine whiskey. You may claim what you
will for the North, the East the West and
the South. but for the woman and the
horse I challenge the world and claim IN
questioned supremacy for Kentucky
This defiance appeared 10 rankle IN the
bosom of Representative Cocks, OF New
York.
Bear in mind" said he, shaking an ad-
monitory finger at Mr.. Stanley, that IN
the early part of the last century the peo-
pie of the South came up 10 Long Island
with their famous Sir Henry. and there
met Lorg Island Eclipse, and went nome
wiser and poorer men"
Then Representative Olmsted rose 10 his
feet, his visage as solemn as an owls
Mr.. Chairman" he said, II wish 10 offer
an amendment. that $4,000 be appropriated
to import fifty camels and thirty Arab
camel drivers for the creation of a camel
corps. L. S. A"
Then, much TO the amusement OF notn
sides OF the House, Mr.. Olmsted picked up
a noth-eaten volume and proceeded TO read
from a speech made in the Senate more
than sixty years ago by Jefferson Davis
afterward President Of the Confederacy'
advocating the importation of camels and
their use by the army in chasing tho Ind
ians on the Western plains.
Il would favor that amendment" cried
Representative Rucker. Of Missouri. "ex-
cent that | have a better one. I move TO
substitute mule for horse wherever II
occurs in the bill With our cavalry
mounted on mules we could laugh at
war scare. We could kick an enemy into
the Pacific Ocean in thirty minutes
And also have an amendment" said
REPRESENTATIVE Mann. Il move 70 substi-
tute elephants for horses, mules and cam
els. In view of the great disaster Of last
November, | think an importation Of ele-
plants Is necessary.
speak for your own state" rejoined Mr
Olmsted. You undoubtedly would better
get some in Illinois, but We have plenty
in Pennsylvania"
Having relieved its system Of this fool
isbress the House proceeded with great
seriousness to discussion OF Alaskan rail-
vays. The army bill was not completed,
and consideration Will be resumed next