Joe and Daisy, Monroe's Dapple Grey Fire Horses, Know Just What To Do, Jan. 20,1920

From The Monroe Journal, Tuesday, January 20, 1920

Joe and Daisy Are Two Very Intelligent Horses. . . When They Hear the Fire Whistle They Know ‘Tis Call to Duty and So Prepare to Pull the Wagon

Monroe’s two dapple-grey fire horses, Joe and Daisy, according to their driver, Mr. Jasper Mattox, have more sense than some human beings. Though meek, plodding horses when at work on the streets, the fire alarm turns them into a volcano of action, and when they are on their way to the scene of a fire, Mr. Mattox says it is all he can do to hold them back. He never dreams of using a whip on them.

So intelligent are Joe and Daisy that they do not have to be led to the fire-wagon shafts. When the fire whistle begins to blow, both commence stamping impatiently in their stalls, and when Mr. Mattox released the chain that holds them in, each one promptly walks to its place under the harness, which falls on their backs, automatically fastening securely around their stomachs and chests. Joe and Daisy have been in the service four years. They were bought in St. Louis, Mo., by local stock dealers, and are about half Percheron. Their real value is probably $1,000.

Both horses appear to enjoy answering fire alarms. When the whistle blows, their eyes glisten, and they begin to quiver nervously. After they are harnessed, they commence capering on the cement floor, eager to start on the run. Once outside the fire-house, their speed becomes terrific, and Mr. Mattox admits it is a hard job to hold them back when dashing around corners.

Mr. Mattox is a good horseman. He keeps the feet of Joe and Daisy well-shot at all times, and takes particular pains to keep sharp corks on their shoes, to prevent them from slipping. If either one sustained a broken leg, Mr. Mattox would probably grieve more than the animal.

Some years ago a Texas cowman advised Mr. Mattox to never hit a horse. “It only makes him worse,” he said. He advocated gentle methods when a horse became unruly, claiming a gentle caress on the shoulder would quiet him much sooner than a severe whipping. Mr. Mattox saw the truth in his remarks, and ever since has abstained from striking a horse, no matter what the provocation might be.

The readiness of Joe and Daisy to respond to fire alarms reminds one of the store of an old fire horse sent out from Charlotte some years ago. This horse, the story goes, after five or six years of service in the fire department, was sold to a drayman. Apparently he had forgotten his old occupation until one day he heard a fire alarm, and like in the days of old, he raced at a terrific speed in search of the flames.

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