The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-06-07
An Original Horse Trade.

| HAA' Sauuel daVenS TeS!ucS III O.coh.Si Il
and is great admirer of horse flesh. U
Monday last, he went up the river to Alba
ny, for the purpose Of buying grey mare
belonging to his friend, Mccall. The gre.
mare is very fine looking animal. and ais
very fast. She can do mile in 2:55, witt
two in wagon. Havens heard Of her me
rits, last week, and resolved on a purchase
On his arrival at Albany, he took breakfas
at Stanwix Hall. Shortly after which h
buttoned up his coat, and started to fine
Mccall. He met him in Broadway, near th'
City Hotel. With "Mc" he had the follow
ing conversation:
Il understand, Mr.. Mccall, that you wish
TO sell that grey mare Of yours"
81 did want to sell her, but imagine she
is now disposed Of"
Disposed of!-to whomf"
TO your friend Skerrtt. Of Brooklyn"
What did he agree to give you:"
Five hundred and Thirty dollars"
''If you will let me have her, l will give
you fise hundred and fifty, cash down"
But I've promised her to Skcr-eit."
"WhenY" ..
"Last week"
"Neycr mind that. If he should call, say
she's dead that broke her leg On the Troy
road, in consequence of which we had to
blow her brains out"
"Will you back me in the story e
"Of course will"
''lt's a bargain then. Give me the FIVE
hundred and fifty, and III send the mare
down Tomorrow night. But hadn't We bet
ter crop her name, and bob her tail, SO that
Skerrett cannot sue me for lying to him 2"
Just as you pcase-thcre's your money.
BE sure to send her down on Tuesday night
on the Knicker booker"
Mr.. Mccall promised to do So Soon sf
ter which he folded up his FIVE hundred ard
fifty, and walked around to Capt. Knights
for the purpose of putting the party
through.
This was Monday morning. On Monday
afternoon Mr.. Skcrrc,. made his appearance
in town. He met Mr. Mccall in State
street.
Well, Mac, have called to pay you for
that mare"
what maref"
"The grey mare; the one you wrote me
about last week"
Haven't you heard about tha, ;"
about WHAT
About that grey marc-she is dead and
buried"
"Dead-nonsense You are fooling me"
Not at all. II you doubt il, ask your
neighbor Havens, he broke her leg on the
Troy road"
is Harens here
"Yes-you will find him at Stanwix
Hall"
1t is not necessary for US to say that Mr.
Skerrctt went to Stanwix Hall and saw Ha-
venS, neither is il necessary for Us to say
that Mr.. Havens swbrc that the grey mare
L n
not do otherwise without losing one of the
best bargains ne ever made.
Mr. Skerrett regretted the catastrophe
but concluded it was no use crying for spill.
ed milk. He shook hands with Havcns and
left, saying he would try and find a piece Of
speed IN some other part OF the city. Ha-
vens having quieted Skerrett, took the 4:t5
train for New York, ana arrived at Brook
lyn little after 10 O'Clock on Monday even
ing
Mccall promised to send the mare down
on Tuesday evening He did nat do any
thing Of the kind. In consequence OF this,
Havens went up again on Wednesday, to
see what in the d il all meant" He
found Mccall at the new Steamboat Land
ing.
why didn't you send that mare down
last night"
W nat mare
"Why, tina. grey mare bought of you on
Monday"
son Mondayt"
Yes, on Monday"
You're mistaken. sold you no mare on
Monday, and for the best reason in the
world. She was dead a week before"
Dead What do you mean:"
"W hat do mean; And have you forgot
that you broke her leg on the Troy road,
and that so badly, that we had to blow her
brains out.'
You don't mean to swindle me by any
such game do you:''
''Swindle! d a bi. Of IL. You killed
the mare and can prove it."
Who by"
Your own neighb)r Skerrett, of Brook
lyn."
And what does he kn W about it?
"Just what you told him, and that is,
that you HI led the mare while trying her
speed on the Troy road"
Havens could hear 40 more, but rushed
for the police office, where he swore out 4
warrant against Mccall for swindling. l,
was issued by Justice Parsons. But as Nc
Call proved by Skerrett that the complain
ant admitted that he killed the mare on the
9Th of December, of course be could not
have purchased her on Monday, 10th. Yer
dict for defendant.
Mr.. Havens left for New York on We'd
nesday night, in the Manhattan. He was
accompanied by Skerrett.
On going forward after tea, he saw grey
mare that led to the following dialogue:
"Whosc bob-tail mare is that"
Mine"
Possible-where did you get her.
Bought her of Mccall. She is not quite
as good looking as the one wanted, bat
think she is full as speedy"
"What did you give?"
-Four hundred and fifty"
''Say no more--let's drink"
Skerrett obeyed orders and went in and
took little something warm,-Havens paid
for it AS they did so, a bys,ander thought
he uttered an lmprecation about a certain
damned scoundrel in Albany.
MoRAL-Never hire a man to lie, unless
you want to get cheated yourself.
Romance of the Steam Engine.
Viewing one of these gigantic engines to
be seen in some of our steamers, who will
deny that there is something awfuily grand
in the contemplation Of it? Stand amidst
onpHoronc horc MI