The Washington times., 1916-12-26
HORSES AREGIVEN
ANNUAL BANQUET
Hapless Equines Guests To-
day Of Animal Lovers
OF City.
MULES PRESENT ALSO
Show contentment After Fin
ishing Three-course
Dinner.

Scores OF work horses and mules
are feeling their oats" both literal.
~ and hguratIveiy, today, thanks to
tho gratitude and kindness OF their
friends in Washington.
NJ the horse show grounds. Eigh.
teenth and c streets northwest. the
notsam and jetsam OF the equine
family was entertained at n course
dinner and a Christmas tree party.
Tho dinner began at 10 o'clock this
morning and will continue until the
big supply OF oats, fodder, apples
an dcarrots Is exhausted.
The drivers, too, were the guests OF
friends to poor horses. All OF the
men and boys who pilotcd the animals
TO the "fced" were given hot coffee,
sandwiches. and doughnuts.
Although the invitations sent out
by Mrs. NJ. n. Blumenberg. chairman
OF the committee OF philanthropic men
and women responsible for the treat.
were addressed to horses, a great ma
Jority OF the guests were from the
mule family. The mules were wei.
cd as though they had mover entertain.
cd an idea OF receiving n square meal
during their existence.
Mrs. Blumcnbcrg and the men and
women who assisted her In serving
the dinner were kept in n constant
state OF ecstasy-over the manifest en-.
joyment OF the animals as they sailed
into the stacks OF fodder. munched on
the liberal quantity OF delicious oats,
or helped themselves TO apples. car.
rots. or sugar dangling from two big
Christnas trees.
Many OF the horses and mules stag.
gercd into the hoIso show grounds as
~ ~ were all they WOULD do TO put one
foot In front OF the other. Practically
all OF them stood In the stalls with
ono eye on the food and the other on
the entrance. All OF them appeared
60 have n guilty look In their eyes as
~ they were "in wrong" and expected
60 he chased out at any moment.
Most OF the horses. drawing ash carts
and FOR Hire wagons looked like
''hatracks' because OF their boniness.
The mules wero all thin and shaggy.
with hungry look In their eyes.
I'm route To the horse show grounds
ono coiorcd driven was halted by an
other who inquired where's the game
coming on?''
What gamer" was the reply.
Jaw do dice game. oil co'se."
"Ah amt gwine To no game
Yes 80 In. All see you got lie bones
d-rc."
Whcreat both drivers laughed. when
tho driver on his way to tho big free
feed explained the object of his trip tho
other driver right-about faced his horse
and the two OF them trotted on to the
horse show grounds.
What tickled tho men aud women
friends OF the horses most was watch
ing the animals leave the grounds
after the hearty meal. BY trans
formation which only oats and other
good things which horses and mules
like can bring about, tho animals
which tottored into the grounds de
parted literally run OF pep" with
their heads held high, their heels fly
ing In tho air. and their tails swish
ing proudly.
Tomorrow all the drivers Of the ami.
mails entertained today will have a
difficult time getting by the horse
show grounds. a. the mules and
horses will undoubtedly turn In there
for another big feed.
The idea OF giving a dinner for the
work horses Of Washington origi,
mated with a few lovers OF animals
last year. Draft animals never have
an easy lot, but at Christmas time
their work II especially heavy and
their hours long. The animal lovers
arranged the dinner In appreciation
of the Christmas Joy brought to them
by the delivery horses activities. /
Last year 100 animals were fed. To
day the number OF guests was almost
twice as large.