On This Date in Minnesota History: July 16

July 16, 1901 – The Duluth police are taking extra precautions against runaway horse teams. The flies have become so troublesome that horses left standing along the street are usually restless and the “weights” used for hitching purposes don’t seem to stop them from running away.

This morning around 10 there was a runaway on Lake Ave. that resulted in fatal injuries to a valuable dray horse belonging to the Duluth Iron and Metal Company. The team was going south with a load of iron rails. The flies were bothering one of the horses and in fighting his tormentors, the neck yoke broke and the heavy load of iron bumped against the team. The driver lost control of them and they ran about a block when the rig smashed into an obstruction. The rails slid forward jabbing ugly holes into the side of one of the horses and the wagon crushed its leg up against the high curbing, breaking it. The police had to shoot the animal to put it out of her misery.

Yesterday afternoon there was a string of runaways caused by flies tormenting the horses. A team standing near Second Ave. E. on Superior Street, started off on a run and the wagon bumping over the torn up street car track started another team. The second team bumped into a third and started that, and for a while with three teams running away in one block and the street torn up, it looked as if there might be more or less serious results. Prompt action on the part of a policeman and the drivers stopped all three runaways in short order.

Duluth Evening Herald; “Runaways. Flies Are Causing Tem and Precautions Are Necessary.”; July 16, 1901; p. 2.

http://www.horsehealthproducts.com/Horsemans_Report/Entry/fight_flies

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