The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-29
"BACk NUMBER? NOT
ME!W SHORTS D0bBIN;
MORE OF HIM NOW

Did some one say that the horse
was a thing of the past? If so, then
kindly call their attention to what
some Of the best horsemen in the
county have to say about the matter
81 have been trading horses for over
80 years." said one we'll known horse
dealer, when approached upon the
subject, "and more horses have been
sold in this county this spring than
for 20 years. This is caused by the
fact that great shortage, due to the
lack of breeding, has made good
horses difficult to find"
Enormous prices have been paid,
and the average horse is now being
sold at the age of two or three, where
as men rarely ever bought them until
they were five or six. Probably one
of the main reasons for the shortage
was the great loss Of animals during
the world war.
1t Is estimated that from August,
1914, to the signing of the armistice,
more than one million horses, valued
ct almost S200,00O,000 were exported.
Long before the United States entered
the war, saddle and draft horses were
heavily drawn upon from this country.
It is roughly estimated that about
100000 5000 of the worlds best AMI
mails were lost during the conflict
Can't Pay Feed Prices.
Now when the horse is needed so
badly by the farmer the price of feed
is so high that he cannot afford to
buy and keep the animal the year
around The result is that many far
mers want to buy them for the sum-
mer's work and sell in the fall so as
to avoid the cost Of feed for winter.
Tractors have been tried They are
very good on the large farm, accord
ing to local horsemen, but when 1t
comes to the small farm, the horse
is the best.
Which is the cheaper, the horse or
the automobile? One Of the largest
milk dealers in the city believes the
horse is, and. has just recently taken
off a truck which he has been using
for the delivery of wholesale orders.
From 1910 until 1919 horses lost in
popularity in Wayne county. Reports
that have so far come into the office
of the tax commissioner show that
with an incomplete return, 1920 will
show many more horses in the county
than were registered in 1919.
Many men IdIlllldI WIFI UOlu tue
horse and the automobile, say that
horses are coming back because now
that much of the first automobile
craze has worn off, men are realizing
the practicability of the horse.
OF course there are many places
that a horse will never fill again. But
there are also many places that a
horse was removed from that he IS
being brought back to fill.
Truck Damages Roads?
Some arguments have been ad
vanced showing that the auto truck
must be replaced because of the great
damage done to city and county
streets and highways. 1t is true that
under the weight of big trucks the
best roads made are giving way. This
means more money for rebuilding, and
consequently a higher tax upon the
citizen. This, in addition to the cost
of operation and maintenance of large
trucks, is the foundation of the asser-
tons that they cannot last.
This much is safe to say, however
the horse is here to stay, even if he
won't be used for anything other than
pulling the stranded autoists from the
country mire