Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-01-01 | Page 25 | Oxen Pull Box Cars, Oust Switch Engines at Factory in Texas

Oxen Pull Box Cars Oust Switch Engines at Factory in Texas r k l 1 i it t 1 J r u 4 s r 7 i l V 4 z t 4 f f l- l S. S d tJ- tJ Sc a S t Y y Oxen do the work of switch engines at a Navasota Tex cottonseed cottonseed cotton cotton- I I seed oil mill because they are cheaper and always on the job The beasts are shown above moving a box car Below a yoke is posed with I I Jim Brown veteran vetera negro who has mana managed gd the oxen for fop years NAVASOTA Tex AP Oxen AP-Oxen Oxen take the place ot of team steam switching engines on the railroad sidetracks at Lt at an industrial plant her here Six SL- or eight animals pull loads load's of 50 to tons apparently with little effort and they ha haye ye been found to supply the tho best st st. and and least expensive motive power available under existing conditions When H. H established here in 1873 the oil milt mill in the southwest there were no railroads in the Oxen the seed to the mill and the theil oil il to market it When the railroad came and brought switch tracks it was found that thai long delays and heavy ex expenses expenses ex- ex resulted from waiting for the locomotive to do the switching after it pulled its string of box of-box box cars Into town once or twice a day So o othe the oxen were tried for or moving empty and loaded cars to and from the loading platforms at the cottonseed cottonseed cotton cotton- seed m m. im They did the work satisfactorily satis satis- I and always were on hand i when a car was to be moved So today the motive po power er of ce centuries urIes ago is linked with Industry In fn- fn of the twentieth century n n Jim B Brown a a. quiet friendly old 1 negro and his five yoke of oxen are an institution of ot Navasota J. J J. J Piper superintendent at the mill says the beasts are the most economical power he can find Large Texas steers with long horns are used The animals are fed cottonseed cottonseed cot cot- meal and become strong and sleek Despite their heavy they grow fat and must be besold besold besold sold for tor slaughter after serving inthe in inthe inthe the yoke for a a- year or two Six oxen pull more than pounds on the rails One yoke re recently recently recently re- re dispensed of handled a So boxcar box boxcar boxcar car alone These two steers weighed 2200 pounds each Although appearing to be stolid beasts the oxen ar are sensitive and occasionally run iw away y Their proper proper prop prop- prop prop- er handling requires a person of the right fight temperament and Jim Brown is the man For almost forty years he has been driving the oxen without har bar ness The only rein is a a. a rope tied to tho the l Horns orns of one erie of ot the steers How do you get along so well with the oxen oxen Jim was asked I treats em oth like I does my chil- chil with un lun with Iun with love love he answered