The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-14
The animal SIDE
Horses Suffer Terrible Hard
ships in the War.
Only Death Relieves Them Of
Their Burdens.
fBy william G. shepherd.)

(By william u. Snepn0TO.p
Budapest. jan. Tits not gaso-
line power war in Austria but a horse
power war, and the tragedy of the
horse is seen at every turn. The great
roads in Galicia. leading through the
Carpathians were literally damned.
Der and early November and the
steam from the backs Of the thou
sands of faithful toiling animals.
assembled like clouds in the cold win
try air.
These wagon trains on the narrow
roads are like endless chains. They
can't be delayed. And woe to the
horse that falls! He is coaxed to his
feet again and again. Every last
ounce of strength in his tired body is
urged out of him and he gives his last
pull with bullying eyes and then top
pies over.
But that isn't the last that the Aus
trians expect from him. At the be-
that any horse which fell must be
shot Immediately. However. horse
flesh began to grow scarce. after the
first six weeks Of fighting, and the
armies on the Russian frontier were
helpless without the hundreds of
thousands of tons of supplies which
must be carried to them over the
mountain roads in the odd willow
bodied basket wagons OF the 'Galfcian
farmers. So a new order was issued
that no horse was to be shot unless
one Of his limbs were broken.
The result of this order was that
when an animal fell from exhaustion
and had given to his masters even the
him on his feet. he was dragged aside.
preferably into a field where there
was grass, and left to work out his
own fate. Usually. he died, uncared
for. but, now and then, horse sur
vived and became strong again.
v1yIoo ho ho uaizad nv
some passing soldier and put back
into the daily grind.
"a Come Back"
watched a horse come back this
way, in a field near Przemysl He had
fallen in the middle of a steep hill, a
hill which has caused the death of
many an exhausted horse. He was
field alongside the hill road. Evident
ly he had an ounce or two more of
vitality than they. for he was stretch
ed out. with his legs curled under
him while they were lying on their
sides with their heads on the ground.
His head was raised and I fancied
that he was watching. with q horses
interest, the never-ending train of
wagons that was passing him. was
sorry for him, too. To get well only
meant more horrors for him.
When / returned that way in the eve
ming he was still lying down but there
was a circle of nibbled grass about his
head. The next morning he was weak
ly standing up. with his legs stretched
wide apart, and he had gone away from
the other dead and dying horses. to a
lonely corner Of the field. Incidentally.
noticed time and again. that there is
nothing hatfriGhtens 1orae 20 mAeh
as the body'eof dead hose audas1
suppose that it was sheer terror that
got this fellow to his. feet and helped
him to struggle away 10 more chEerful
surroundings. He was still abiding
gingerly at the dry grass and now and
then he raised his head and seemed
to look at the mighty tide OF horses
and wagons and men. that filled the
road.
There's a horse that will be all right,
within a couple of weeks" said the AUS
trian officer who was with me. He's
a Siberian horse. They're wonderful
animals. They're the only horses in
the world that will make two pulls at
an immovable object. You can hitch
one of them to an object, a tree or 2
house. that cannot possibly be moved
and he will put his las+ ounce of