Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-08
"a Horse Trade.

speculation, and one day in Vermont he
fell IN with, among other specimens,
horse, whose principal points wcro tho
points of bone projecting through his skin
Ia long, lean, lank white animal that had
got some way beyond his teens whose
qualities as a good horse were youehed for
by a neighbor, who said he had kuowed
him for twenty four years, and a kinder
critter never led o&enin 4 plough than he
The horse was bought at Il discount and
shipped with three others in n car for Bos-
ton, where he arrived safe, but scarcely
sound Topple thought it hard invest
mcnt, and felt somewhat anxious as to how
he should get his money back again, con-
Guiding at last that he would undoubtedly
make enough on tho other three to cover
the loss OH this one, which he must, he
conceived sustain, He had him stabbed,
and then the idea occurred to Topple that
he would attempt little Fictitious excel
lcnce for the poor beast and endeavor to
put him off respectfully. a horse of somo
celebrity had died just before and Topplc
borrowed large cover that was wont to
envelope the animal after running, and
covered up his own Rosinate Herewith.
Immediately afterwards appeared an adj
vertisement in the Post and other papers
that the famous trottcr White Foot was ON
exhibition at Bailey's, and would be sold
on certain day, inviting people to call and
see him. The usual formula was gone
through with, of "sound," "kind," "stand
without tying" &C., concluding with the
statement that he had gone his mile in less
than three minutes The advertisement
brought many horse fancicrs to the stable,
where White Foot stood in bed of straw,
covered by the robe that had been borrowed.
Topple thought that bolduess was the
best policy, and called the attention of his
visitors to the fact of the horse being so
poor, venting the statement gratuitously
that he had fairly run the flesh of his
bones, and it seemed probable, as tho flesh
was not there.
AS the day of sale arrived, Topple visit
ed his racer at regular periods, and with
lash vigorously applied, endeavored to
excite in him disposition to appear yipor,
Gus or inspection before the public, and
succeeded SO far that before the time ar
rived the sound of Topples feet on the
stable floor wrought the poor beast up to
perfect frenzy. He stamped and struggled
/ III manner eXtravagant enough to estab-
lish large reputation for mcttle, and Top
pic was satisfied. "Perhaps," whispered
he to the auctionecr, 'wc may get seventy
dollars for him"
The horse was brought to the block, and
at sight of Topplc he manifested every
sign of spirit His nostrils were distendcd,
his eye frightened, and he stepped round
ncrvously, as though he were impatient to
have somebody buy him, that he might be
going, inside of three minutes, over the
road,
How mucham l offered for the horsc?"
said Baily; "how much for White Foot
Shall | have bid"
"Scveuty-fye dollars" said a voice.
Soventy-6yc-thank you--seventy five
shall hear any more Z"
Gone hundred, )" another voice.
Twenty-Five" first bidder.
Fifty" second
{" Go ON, gentlemen, said Bailey, letting
the bidding proceed, seeing the competi-
tion; "any moro than one hundred and
fifty for a horse that has been his mile in
less than three minutcs?"
"onc hundred and sixty" another bid
dor. .
"Sixty-fvc," first bidder.
Seventy" new voice.
Sevcnty-fvo," first and second togctl-
or.
Any moro than one hundred and sov-
enty-five? All done at one--seventy--
fivc2 Sold! Dir. Small, of Cape Cod,
takes him at one hundred and seventy y-fycY'
"The bid was mime" said the second
bidder, and insist upon it."
The contestant was man living in town
and the auctioneer thought that for prll-
dental reasons it would be better to let the
beast go ort of town, if he had strength to
get out, so he gravely decided that DIR.
SmalPs bid was the one he had heard, and
to whom he had knocked off the bargain.
So anxious was the disappointed maa to
procure the horse that he offered the doc
tor fifteen dollars for his bargain, who in
formed him that he could not trade. The
price, he said, was not much to him; he
wanted a horse that would go quickly and
as ne had got good one he should hold
on to him.
The money was paid over and the animal
delivered to the purchaser, who procured
wagon and harness and started for home,
IN the hope of reaching Cape Cod in about
two hours. About that length of time af.
ter he left, horse was heard moderately
approaching the stable, and the face of old
| White-Foot was seen once more in the pre-
cinct.
"Wcll," said the doctor, as he got out
OF the wagon, " want to do now what /