The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-04
THE uoRsE-sWAPpI RENDEzvo US.

THE HORSE PIPING RENDEzVOU US.
The mania for trading horses has become an
Interesting feature of the proceedings incident
to Saleday. Every month, as the day for pub
lie sales rolls around, there are scores Of visi-
tors solely bent on engaging in the highly in
tellectual and moral pastime of swapping hor-
ses. Animals of all ages, sizes, colors and
conditions arc brought here from every quar-
ter, and throughout the entire day the work
progresses in lively and entertaining manner.
Formerly the rendezvous for swapping opera
tions was on the vacant lot in front of Catlett's
livery stables, but the area of ground was too
much circumscribed in that vicinity, and the
arena has been changed, or at least partially
removed to the vacant lot in front of the Pres
byterian Church, where persons of swapping
proclivlties most do congregate at this time,
although the police are kept busy in clearing
the streets for considerable distance. It
would require the pen OF a Dickens to faith
fully describe the scenes we witnessed on Mem
day last Every grotesque feature imaginable
was depicted before as. We were accompanied
by the Mayor pro teaR., whose predileetfons are
strong and marked, bat not In the direction Of
horse swapping. He is good on trade of all
most any other kind, but his genius fails In
this direction. Still, the mania affected him to
some extent and we heard him propose to
swap knives with venerable citizen, whose
gray hairs ought to have protected him from
this sort Of banter. But swapping pervades
the entire atmosphere, and any one the least
inclined would not fail to catch the infection.
We are stubbornly proof against the mania,
hn&ro oir %<~
speak, in horse-swap some years ago with
one Of Anderson's famous jockeys. He gave
us more than was bargained for in several re-
spects. OF course, nothing Of this kind is ac-
| complished nowadays, for when Greek meets
Greek, then comes the tug Of war, and the ha-
bitues OF the horse-swapping rendezvous arc
equally faeile in the art. Blind horses, lame
horses, spawned horses, lean horses, sway
backed horses, and horses answering to every
known dehency Of the over-worked, badly
managed and poorly fed species, with all the
ills to which horse-fesh is heir, are to be seen
here displayed in indsscribable confusion. No
one gets cheated, as we intimated above, for
the reason that one horse is just as good as an
other, and the owner is ready to swear he is
little better. The eyes, the limbs, the teeth
\
by these connoisseurs in damaged stock, and
not one of them is ready to admit that there Is
the slightest defect in his valuable property.
Every point deemed worthy of note is accu-
rately diagnosed, and strong asseverations are
made to embellish the merits and accomplish
ments Of the noble animals. For instance, we
heard one fellow exclaim that his lank speci-
men Of quadrupedal agility "made six bags Of
cotton last year, and didn't half work at that"
Others are equally sure that the herbivorous
animal is not whit over six years of age, and
every limb is sound as dollar, while his eyes
are just rs good as ever were sot in horses
head. Each one excels for speed, docility,
work, and all the favorite attributes of the
horse character. In the plow, under the sad
die and hitched to wagon, there is nothing
on the green earth this side Of Arabia which
can compare with his noble steed. The horse
don't seem to imbibe the zeal Of his owner, and
as general thing we are inclined to award tho
animals great deal of praise for docilty-a
most commendable quality when so many are
gathered in close proximity. In fact, the hor-
ses arc generally agreed upon line Of policy
which savors of Indifference as to the swapping
business, and as they are usually gifted with
horse-sense, we presume that their condition
in life is not likely to prove better worse for
the exchange. Not to visit the horse-swapping
ground is to shorten life's pleasures, and we
would advise every lover of the fine arts to
sedulously guard the next opportunity, and
add that interesting memory to his store Of
earthly enjoyments. But, in the name Of hu-
| n1anity and decency, we would enter vigor-
| GUS protest against the desecration of tho
ground now occupied for this purpose. The
| sacred memory of our honored and gallant
dead should protect this locality from further
encroachment of this character, and we would
suggest that the city authorities compel a re-
treat from the vicinage. Let the persons en-
gagged or likely to engage in this traffic find
another meeting place, and respect the senti-
ment which condemns their appropriation Of
Church property to ignoble uses. Some con-
veniens and eligible locality might be found
within the town limits, where none can obiecs
to their movements, and where the surround
| ings would prove in greater harmony with
| their designs. It might create little confu-
sion to change localities, and in order to per-
feet arrangements for next Saleday, let the
Chief Of Police designate spot for the meot-
Ing.
Mr.. T. A. Sullivan, of Abbeville, has received
the appointment Of routo agent between Bolton
and Walhala and will shortly enter upon his
dutios We congratulate the people along the
line upon tho increased facilities in the postal
department which this arrangement will af-
ford.