316 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[June 



1904. 



second wind who wins the race. Many advertisers get ' cold 

 feet ' just about the time success would begin to come their way. 

 When we advertise we are satisfied with the returns which the 

 average advertiser would consider a losing venture. We de- 

 pend upon the ultimate results, the satisfied customer, his per- 

 manent trade and the trade of his friends to make our adver- 

 tisement pay." 



This man started in business with a capital of less than $1000 

 twelve years ago. It is said that his house now has 2,000,000 

 live accounts. This trade has grown from the first customer 

 received through an advertisement, to the present volume, 

 stated above. F. m. h. 



THE DEMAND FOR RUBBER HOOF PADS. 



THE condition of the streets in New York during much of the 

 past winter, due to the ice and snow— the latter of which 

 froze and could not be removed promptly — was particularly try- 

 ing on horses. A reporter for The India Rubber World 

 who made some inquiries in regard to the comparative merits 

 of asphalt and granite pavements, under such conditions, and 

 also the advantages from the use of rubber horseshoe pads 

 encountered a variety of opinions. 



" I have been driving in New York for twelve years," said the 

 teamster on a big express van, "and I don't find so very much 

 difference between asphalt and other streets. When the street 

 is slippery, from mud or snow and ice, and the horses' shoesare 

 worn smooth, there is always trouble. Of course on a level 

 street and a dry street asphalt is the best, because the load pulls 

 so much easier, and horses are not likely to fall except when 

 they are pulling. When a horse is rough shod I think he 

 stands as good a chance on asphalt as on one of these down- 

 town granite streets. When the tops of the blocks get round, 

 edged from wear, spikes on the shoes nor nothing else will hold 

 on them. Then some horses will stand up where others will 

 fall. These big footed heavy horses used in big trucks fall down 

 much easier that lighter horses with smaller feet. I can't say 

 anything about rubber pads, for we never use them. I don't 

 see how they could be much good on big horses ; they would 

 wear smooth so soon from the weight and pull." 



The driver of a fire engine, in that section uptown where 

 steep inclines are the rule, said : " The fire department doesn't 

 have a great amount of trouble whether we have to make a run 

 on asphalt or granite. The reason is because our horses are 

 always carefully shod, spikes being put on as soon as the 

 weather is slippery, and because our horses are educated and 

 know how to keep their feet. I have known just about as 

 many engine horses to fall when it was not particularly slip- 

 pery as when it was. A sudden turn or a twist to pass some- 

 thing will throw a horse, because he isn't looking for it, when 

 he will not fall on a street that he knows is slippery. Green 

 horses fall twice as often as trained ones. I have seen the rub- 

 ber horseshoe pads used, and I think they are good things. 

 They certainly must take a considerable jar off a horse when 

 he is going on the run — and that's the way we drive — and 

 when the shoes are new they hold the horse up just like a new 

 rubber shoe does a man." 



The keeper of a large stable where carriages and light traps 

 are kept for hire, had this to say: "We do not have much 

 trouble with our horses falling, either on asphalt or granite 

 but if the weather is very slippery we do not send horses 

 out unless they have spikes on their shoes, at least behind. 

 The rubber shoes are a good thing but are expensive. We use 

 them sometimes on our roadsters and fancy horses. We can 

 afford to put them on horses that do not go out very often 



and when they do are at high rates. We couldn't afford to 

 put them on ordinary carriage and cab horses, that are out 

 half a dozen times every twenty-four hours. But I think it 

 pays for good horses, because the rubber shoe is undoubtedly 

 an advantage and I think it is good economy to take the very 

 best sort of care of a good horse. A bad foot, or a split hoof 

 or a fall on account of improper shoeing, will cost a man more 

 than the extra expense of rubber pads. I use some rubber 

 shoes, but as to the kind, that depends upon the horse." 



Speaking of the sale of rubber horseshoes and hoof pads, one 

 of the largest dealers in blacksmiths' supplies in New York said 

 that there seemed to be a steady increase every year. " Last 

 year we sold probably 20 per cent, more pads than the year be- 

 fore. We handle about fifty varieties, and I could not say that 

 any one type was more popular than the others. They are 

 mostly used for carriage horses and light hauling. For the 

 heavy draft horses they are not much sold, although more are 

 being used in that direction now than ever before. They are a 

 great thing to prevent falling on slippery streets, and by being 

 changed and reset can be made to wear for five or six weeks, 

 I would say, however, that a month is about the average wear 

 for a shoe on a carriage horse." 



The manager of one of the principal hoof pad companies de- 

 clared that the sale of his product for the past year was at least 

 40 per cent, greater than for any previous year. More people 

 seemed to be using rubber as a foot covering for horses and 

 the use was spreading into smaller cities. " There is no doubt," 

 said he, " about the use of the pad being an increased demand 

 for rubber. This is not only true on account of the increased 

 number sold but also because experience has taught that a 

 paying pad cannot be placed on the market unless plenty of 

 good rubber is used. There have been very many cheap pads 

 made and almost every man who has tried it has either gone 

 out of business or gone broke. A pad made of good rubber 

 and properly constructed is a good thing but it is not cheap." 



The manager of a company selling rubber horseshoes said: 

 " I think it safe to say that four times as many horses are 

 wearing rubber pads and shoes as was the case five years ago. 

 Our rubber shoe is not a pad, and it came in after the pad had 

 become well known, but we sold last year in the eastern ter- 

 ritory alone more than 100,000 pairs. The fact is that our or- 

 ders have been ahead of our capacity to fill them. I under- 

 stand that the same has been largely true with the pad people. 

 People are beginning to recognize that in spite of the fact that 

 a pair of go 5d shoes or pads cost from $1.15 up it is true econ- 

 omy to buy them. Of course they are sold mostly for icy 

 streets in winter but many concerns use rubber on their horses 

 feet for seven months in the year. We export quite a number 

 of rubber shoes to Havana, where there is never any ice. They 

 have asphalt streets there and the moisture and mud make 

 them slippery. The large cities are of course the principal 

 buyers, but small places are becoming interested and even some 

 well to do farmers are having their good horses protected. 

 Carriage and cab horses are the chief users, and light delivery 

 wagons. Some sort of protection is almost indispensable for 

 the milkman, for instance, for early in the mornir.g the streets 

 are much more slippery than at other times and the early de- 

 livery of milk is a necessity." 



Rubber Tiling. — The new courthouse at Syracuse, New 

 York, is to be floored with rubber tiling, instead of marble, as 

 at first contracted for. A member of the building committee 

 stated that he had seen rubber tiling after long use in public 

 buildings, and that it showed no effects of wear, while marble 

 in the same circumstances was deeply worn. 



