NEWS AND ITEMS. 
891 
a high-stepping coach-horse for $5000, the highest price we have 
ever seen recorded for this class of horse. He had been search¬ 
ing for such an animal for two years. 
Long Prices for Shire Horses. —Fifty Shire horses be¬ 
longing to the Earl of Ellesmere were sold at Stetchworth, 
Newmarket, Eng., Jan. ii, for $20,255, an average of about 
$405. The highest price was 500 guineas given by Sir J. Blun¬ 
dell Maple for the fonr-year-old mare Juno of Worsley 9th. 
The Horseless. —During the recent blizzard the automo¬ 
bile proved its worthlessness in heavy going. Six of them were 
stuck in snow-banks on the New York Boulevard at one time, 
the wheels responding to the motive power by simply whirling 
around without progression. Horses were obtained from nearby 
livery stables and the things dragged back to their headquarters. 
An Every-Day Disinfectant. —Veterinarians have no 
doubt overlooked the fact that the common bar soap (potash 
soap) is a very good disinfectant, it destroying germs of various 
kinds. It performs its duty probably better than some of the 
so-called antiseptic soaps. In these days where the germs pro¬ 
ducing various diseases are becoming better understood, anti¬ 
septics (both internally and externally) play no little part in the 
treatment of many affections. F. x. T. 
Dr. Maurice O’Connell, of Holyoke, Mass., has just re¬ 
turned from an extended trip to the West, in search of health, 
having visited California, New Mexico, and other States. We 
are pleased to announce that his mission was eminently success¬ 
ful and he returns to his duties in the Bay State thoroughly re¬ 
covered. In commemoration of his safe return the city of Holy¬ 
oke has appointed him city veterinarian at a salary of a thou¬ 
sand a year, while Governor Wolcott renewed his confidence in 
his ability by re-appointing him a Cattle Commissioner for the 
term of three years. 
French Stallions. —Under the law of 1892 the French 
government is empowered to maintain 2800 stallions for public 
service. For some months past a strenuous effort has been 
made by advocates of the thoroughbred to induce the govern¬ 
ment officials to increase the number of thoroughbreds and de¬ 
crease the number of trotting and carrossier stallions kept for 
public service. The agitation in favor of the running horse 
failed of results, however, as the officials declined to alter the 
proportions of stallions of the various classes. They stand 
about as follows : Thoroughbreds and Arabs, 550; demi-sangs, 
1850 ; draft horses (chiefly Percherons), 400. 
