Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-02-26
THE THIRTY.NINE DOLLAR MARE.

Some years ago. while travelling
IN the State Of Maine, / CHANGED to
halt at an out-of-the-way tavern in
those parts, in the bar room Of
which. during the evening, beard
the substance of the following
story related. 1t may divert por-
ton Of your readers, so write it
out for you:
Speaking of horses" remarked
the. leading talker OF the evening,
~speaking of horses reminds me Of
q mare / knew a long time ago,
when 'three minute nags' weren't so
plenty as we hear tell about now-a-
days"
There was a black -sm;th in the
town where / then lived, who was
a very fair judge Of a horse, and
who generally owned a "rusher,"
for those times, though almost his
entire fortune was ordinarily in
vested in his "erab." He sold his
mare one day, and kept his eye OPP
en- for another beast, when the right
kind Of an animal might fall in his
way.
II CHANGED soon afterward, that
there came TO the door of his little
shop one day, a gray nare-a long,
lean-bodied wench-the owner of
which desired to have her shod.
The blacksmith looked in her
mouth tas horsemen will, and then
he tried her dock. He stood in
front Of her, and then beside her,
and then examined her feet, and
then went to work TO shoe her.
'How old is she ?" be asked qui-
city, as he proceeded to pare and
trim her boots.
anime years come spring." said
her owner.
The blacksmith looked in her
mouth again, and said:
ayes, you can warrant that"
"Wsrranti well, she's a good
beast, anyhow" responded the
other.
ais she sound 7"
"As a fresh hick'ry nut"
"KindT -
"As a cosset sheep"
"Maybe you'd sell herr" contin-
ned the blacksmith, slowly, as he
finished her last foot.
eyes," replied the owner, hand
ing the blacksmith dollar for his
job. "Yes, III sell her."
"How much money, cash down ?"
"Forty-five dollars"
"Five and forty. She must be
good IN, then"
"She is q good one"
"Say forty, stranger, and III VEN
ture to take her,"
The bargain was closed, and the
stranger walked away with the old
saddle on his arm, and the gray
mare walked into the blacksmith's
little shed stable. 1t was a heap OF
money for him to put into single
horse, but he thought she had
points ia her making up, notwitb-
standing the fact that she hadn't
beer oyer-fed Of late, or too care
fully groomed.
A little care aud grooming soon
developed her more satisfactorily,
and the purchaser, CHANGING to he
q dozen miles from home one night,
"hurried up her cakes" on his way
back, aud led noted three minute
pelter straight into town, like open
and shut.
-"Well done, well done, old thir-
ty-nine," said the blacksmith, en-
Enthusiastically, as he applied two
huge straw wisps to her reeking
sides, nor left her while q single
hair was turned upon her body.
"Well done, old oman, I'll take you
round Walnut Hill, and well see
about this"
And he did take her there-once,
twice, thrice-fifty times; but be
said nothing, only that the mare
"wss q good creetur to draw, and
he was content with her."
At the end Of four or Eve months,
the old man took q leatherD pouch,
shut up shop, and rode his gray
mare into Boston, baltiDg at the old
Eastern Stage House In Ann street.
Here be remained quietly for four
Dr. Eve days, scarcely showing him