184 
E. L. VOLGENAU. 
or labor, are not frequent nor profitable enough to support many 
of us. From the four corners of the earth come the reports of 
veterinarians who are taking up other professions or trades more 
profitable than the honorable profession to which they have 
linked their destinies. Salaried positions under the state, muni¬ 
cipal and federal governments are in greater demand than ever 
before, and there is an uneasiness throughout the profession 
which is ominous. 
As long as the cattle, sheep and hog interests of the country 
are of such magnitude, there will always be a demand for 
veterinarians, but the problem in the large cities is a great one. 
The young man desirous of entering the profession, had 
better consider well before entering a veterinary college and 
spending time and money in acquiring an education which will 
hardly net him interest on the investment. The old established 
practitioner who has “ made hay while the sun shone,” can view 
the situation with more equanimity than the younger men, who, 
in the natural course of events have their lives before them. 
What are the prospects for the future ? They tell us that 
western stock-raisers have stopped breeding horses ; that sooner 
or later the supply having become diminished, the price will 
rise, and in direct proportion as horses become more valuable, 
so will our services be in more frequent demand, and we will be 
just as happy and prosperous as we formerly were. Tet us 
see :—Upon an approximation by men who know it will take 
about ten years to exhaust the stock of horses now on hand, pro¬ 
viding the demand continues as at present and no further breed¬ 
ing is indulged in. But here enters the horseless carriage. Ten 
years will take us well into the twentieth century. You laugh 
and say horseless carriages are impracticable, it is visionary, 
ridiculous to say that this motive power will be applied to de¬ 
livery wagons, trucks, and the thousand and one purposes for 
which the horse is now used as the propelling power. Why is 
it visionary ? Have we not had examples of changes in motive 
power without number ? The steamboat, the railroad, the trol¬ 
ley, cable and electric car, and last, but not least, the bicycle. 
