Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-02-01
CORRESPONDENT PLEADS
FOR KINDNESS TO HORSES
5essica Pearce Says Many of the
Animals Are Insuficiently Fed
and Brutality Beaten.


Quite number of readers have been
writing you letters calling attention
TO the ill treatment of poultry. calves
and sheep. held for sale or slaughter
by market men. storekeeper' and
butchers in the vicinity of Center
market. All this Expression of con,
Sideration for the suffering amman
Kingdom is most encouraging.
Eut as friend of horses l wish to
have those noble servants included in
the campaign of agitation which Is
being waged for the prevention OF
cruelty to animals. We must remem-
Der that horses have been man 8
greatest helpers ever since recorded
history began. Their lives have been
spent in services of every description
for man. They have helped US plant
our food. build our houses (by draw
ing loads of timber, bricks. etc-) ana
deliver our goods. In the fire de-
partment and on ambulances before
the day of the motor they have help
ed to save our lives and property. SO
obediently have they yielded their
strength to man that they have even
entered his battles, carried his soldiers
and faced his cannon, at his command
In the blazing sun the horse must
draw heavy load and suffer often
for lack of water. In the winds and
SHOWS of winter he must sometimes
stand exposed for hours. or, equally
deplorable, he must slip around on icy
pavements and sometimes break ms
likely to be inSufficiently fed and
brutally beaten. Patient and long
suffering, should he not be the object
of our constant solicitude:
Some one will probably answer that
there are no more horses, that auto
mobiles have taken their place, ana
SO there is no need to worry. But the
fact is there are still 1000 horses do
ing daily work in Washington. The
census bureau statistics show II, also
that the country at large has more
horses in use than ever before. Ana
while it may occasion surprise
learn that there are so many fa1th-
full beasts of burden left with US II
cannot escape the notice of any one
who is reasonably attentive to ms
surroundings that on our streets
every day there are dozens OF tired
ill-shod, Improperly harnesSed' unoer
fed horses, some of them blind. some
lame and some asthmatic, WheezlnG
and gasping aloud for breath. POOR
wretched. but lovable creatures. no"
they like pat on the head and nib
BILE of apple. Let us do all we can 10
make their lives easier. Let us pro,
test when they are driven in a lame
condition. or when they are beaten
or overloaded. or underfed or al
lowed to remain without blankets In
cold weather.
Let US learn what proper shoeing
and barnessine mean, and then insist
that every animal be properly treated
in these respects. Poor shoes or
harness may mean, not only PAIN ana
discomfort to the horse, but even
danger to itself or its driver.
Why are not police officers directed
to watch living. as well as inanlmate,
Instruments of transportation? They
are careful to watch automobiles,
rrucks. etc. Will not the law take
as much cognizance Of feellng crea-
tur. that is as yet dumb to express
IFS hurtso Will not the police depart
m,nt be on the alert to enforce the
humane laws of the District Oh Co
md above all. let us have the as,
sistance of the public in stopping an
kinds of cruelty to these most over
worked slaves of mankind whose I'VE
80 FOR the most part a prolonged
grind for the benefit Of the human
- JESSICA PEARCE.