The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-30
An Old e-Dealer's Talk.

business, ''that there are no horses In
this country to be compared with those
that come from Maine. don't mean,
mind you, that nothing comes from
anywhere else, for that isn't so but the
Eastern horse wears better than any
have ever seen. Being 'blocky' In build,
he has something to run on, while the
long legged, thin bodied, narrow-headed
animal that comes from elsewhere starts
Off well, and makes dash, but he's like
comet-that's the end of him. The
Maine horse holds his own, and keeps
getting better and better all the time,
and is good to the last. Id rather just
have the tail of Maine horse than
whole horse from anywhere else. That
old fellow of mine out there in the
wagon is one of them.
drive him for common. Bring him
out of the stable any day and he'll make
his sixteen miles an hour right here in
the city. Nobody can pass him. He's
as gentle as kitten woman can drive
him. Snap whip within an inch of
his ear, and it won't startle him. You
might throw a pack of lighted fire.
crackers under him, and he wouldn't
move peg. never tie him anywhere.
can stand here and tell him to go, and
he won { bulge an inch; but the min
ute get into the wagon, and take those
lines in my hands, and give him the
word he's off like FASH
"Mr. Kelly's picture of the Andros-
Goggin is as true as a photograph.
There's Auburn one side of the river,
and Lewistown on the other. That's
one of my buyin- places. A week or so
before going up advertise that L am
coming, and when get there they drive
in from all over to sell their steeds.
Sometimes fellow rides in what they
call a Jumper 1t is nothing but
crockery crate lashed on framework
pinned into two hickory saplings nicked
and bent up for shafts and runners. Not
nail is used. 1t is made in two or
three hours, and serves only to carry
the man to town. If he sells his horse,
he throws his jumper away, and rides
home with the man who didn't sell
his.
''' Is it cold up thereY' Well, it is,
and no mistake. Many a time 1 have
ridden for miles when the thermometer
was twelve below zero. You can see for
yourself in the picture the river is frozen
over, and the sleighs are driven on the
ice.
81 don't buy all they bring me-prob-
ably not one out of ten. Some of the
men that sell them are mighty smart,
but there's woman up there-a specu-
lator-who is smarter than any of them.
Mr.. Kelly calls her the fair jockey, but
the people call her 'Old Mother Skin
ner.' For the life of me 1 can't tell
why, for she isn't old, and she is good
looking. She's quicker than lightning.
That other woman up in the corner is
teaching motherless colt to take milk.
She holds the bowl in her lap, and wet
ting her thumb in the milk, gets him to
take it into his mouth. After he has
done this several times, she gradually
lowers her fist until his lips touch the
milk, and he draws full supply. Soon
afterward he learns to lap it up directly
from the basin, and needs no further
assistance.
Z" What do do with the horses /
buy?' Well, bring them down here,
trim them up nicely, clean them off,
and feed them up, and when they're in
good shape, sell them. They're just like
country girls in one respect. The girls
are nice as they can be on the farms, but
after the city milliner and dress-maker
fixes them up, yon wouldn't know
them. So with horses, when they're
dressed q little it makes great differ
ence in them. 1t costs to do it, though.
and sometimes we don't get the money
back. Last trip made bought a
horse for 1926, and after all the expense
had been put on him, had to sell him
for $3.50. But l average it with another
that sold for four times what he cost
me. There are good many risks in
the business. A horse may sicken be-
fore you get him to market, and either
die or be used up One 1 bought the
other day for $3.50 took pneumonia, and
Iwould be glad to sell him now for
$50.
"' Tricks?' There isn't any end of
them. Ifyou want to buy horse, don It
believe your own brother. Take no
mans word for 1t. Your eye is your
market Don't buy horse in harness.
Unhitch him, and take everything off
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