Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-04-11
Leonard & Carson Ship More Horses
to Chicago Than Any One
Firm in the State Of &
Iowa,
Mr.. LEONARD INTERVIEWED.
Some Interesting Facts About Horses
Shipped to war-Ridden
Europe.
R. LEONARD INTERVIEWED.

----
OF the billions of dollars worth oi
war munitions and food stuffs ex.
ported from the United States to the
war-ridden countries Of Europe dur.
ing the past year and a half, Iowa
has figured prominently with large
shipments Of provisions and horses
In q recent interview with the
senior member Of the firm of Leon
ard & Carson, horse dealers in this
city, much interesting information
was cleaned upon the horse indus
try Of the country which. heretofore
has heen little exploited It IS an
Interesting fact that these gentle
men ship greater number of horses
to the Chicago market than any 9TH
er one firm in Iowa. Their ship
meats from January first have total
ed eleven hundred head and owing to
the varying market during the last
three months the business has not
been up to the, standard of the early
fall. .,4
The fact that 50 large number
4 OF horses have been sent out, Of the
4 United States has caused many peo-
pie to believe that should our troops
In Mexico suffer general loss Of
mounts this country would be unable
to replace them at short notice
While Il the ever-threatening possi-
bility Of real war with Mexico
SHOULD develop it would find us mad
equately supplied In this respect as
in many others. But according to
the statement OF one whose business
1t is to know every phase of the mar
ket, both domestic and foreign, this
government has little to fear from a
shortage OF horses. The country has
an unlimited supply which is OF the
first quality.
The firm in this city has four
agents--two In this state, one in
South Dakota and another in Mime
sota--in their employ who are con-
stantly buying. The average price
paid the farmer Is $1S5 q head, and
though few OF them realize it., the
buyer stated, it is the farmers who
are making the most money in this
enormous business. For by selling
to the big buyer they receive a fair
price for their stock for which 9TH
erwise there would be little or no
market, the domestic market being
at this time at its lowest ebb. The
motor truck and automobile have
largely replaced the horse for COM
mercial purposes and for this reason
the future business of the horse
breeder and the big buyer after the
closing of the war is anything butt
encouraging.
Delivered in Chicago the horses
are turned over by Leonard & Carson
to Marian & Carpenter, commission
men, and they receive three dollars
head for each animal accepted byI
the agents OF France and Italy. At
this time England is not buying
horses in this country; an uncon-
firmed rumor says that she is buying
through the French government, but
be that as 1t may. France and Italy
alone have agents here. For the big
horse Weighing between 1900 and
140O pounds to be used as an artil-i
lery or gun horse they will pay $3.50.
no more, and for the lighter cavalry
horse weighing around 100, the
highest price offered is $3.50. 1t
matters not if the animal be of high
or low degree, one price is paid.
Earlier in the fall while, England
was directly in the market, 5000
was the common price. The ages
accepted by the French government
range between five and nine years,
while Italy takes them year young
er.
The ways of the foreign agents
who pass Judgment upon the horses
are said to be past understanding
for the standard of acceptance is
variable. and that which appears to
the bystander as an absolutely per-