Putnam patriot., 1920-01-23
From the Editors Desk
BLANKET THE HORSE WARMLY

It has been called to attention that some horse owners are becoming | thoaghtiess about their animals dur ing this severe weather, and are leav- ing them with very light coverings on some of the streets where hitehing | posts have been provided. Such l thoughtiessneSs about animals Is most l cruel and should be attended to by the | proper officials. With the advent of the automobile. horses are not nearly l as numerous as heretofore, but they are nevertheless more entitled to con xideration in the matter of proper protection than is machine The owner Of d car has 4 conside,- able amount of money invested anH knows that unless the engine IS kept . warm he will experience difficulty when ready to go To hts home in the outlying sections. This caases him ta blanket the hooG of his machine IH # thorough manner to keep out the cold The owners of horses. or some of them, know that unless their ani= malls are frozen stiff they will get into action when the owner climbs into the wagon and picks up the reins. The poor animal cannot remonstrate. If he did 1t would mean 8 beating that Ds intelligence makes him shun. An automobile owner would not think of beating up an expensive car that would not start on account of the cold but would nurse it tenderly, take it to some garage If necessary and have h put In proper condition for the horneward journey. It is another ease q automobile vs horse with the horse 0stting the worst of IL.
 A lady has eomplaine that down on Richmond street where arrange ments have been made for hitehing Aorses. she frequently sees animals Iefr for hours al 8 time without sufii- esent covering During the recent zero weather. with cutting wind Moving the snow, she has seen horses left for half day standing out in the cold. often the blankets are so in- securely fastened that they blow off entirely. The poor animals stand in pitiful plight until the thoughtless owner arrives. Often. too. the feed bag is carelessly fastened before the owner goes shopping. or to the thea tre, or to attend to business that keeps him all of the afternoon. This results in the horse losing most of his dinner.
 Such thoughtlessness s4uld be brought to an abrupt halt and own CTS of horses should be brought into court and made to realize that they must treat their animals in hu- mane manner. Looking up such cas- cs might be undertaken by the mem berS of Junior Chautauqua. who of fered their services to the city lt would serve two field purpose - bring the attention of such eases to the officials and teach the children in an emphatic manner that dumb ani- mals are the friends Of human bclhgs and sometimes appear to have the greater intelligence, and are deserv- ing of kind treatment,
 During the time when saloons were open such eases were more frequent Horse owners, with brains hefaddled with rum. would forget where they left their outfits and horse and wa. gon would be found by the police al an early morning hour and taken to some livery stable. This situation no longer exists, and the man who leaves a horse at the mercy of the elements does so in full possession of what ever reasoning faculty he may possess
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