Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-22
Horse Swapping in Georgia

Gentle reader, did you ever visit the
horse swapping grounds at the Spring
riding of The Superior Court of North
Georgia. Early Monday morning. and
long before the court convenes you
may behold them coming in on every
kind of an animal-from $40 horse
dow 10 a 50 mule-and about 10 o'clock
the fun commences. The last one we
visited was in an adjoining county,
and the first man on the ground was a
gentleman named Uncle Dick Statham,
who has been in the horse swapping
business since he left the cradle. He
rode on the ground about 8 o'clock,
with horse worth just $6. and the
others came up to ask after his health
and to see what kind of stock Uncle
Dick had to swap on.
'Well. boys, your Uncle Richard has
been under the weather for few days.
but he thought he would come up and
see il you all had any stock that l
cared about. You needn't look at that
mare. She belongs to the old lady. l
gave her to Bessy 10 ride to meeting.
She is not for trade unless could get
right smart to boot"
About this time George H., the
prince of the brigade. came careering
over the hill on a s. nag, and rode
him like he had been born in the sad
die. He sported a wide brimmed hat.
with pair of spurs six inches long
Green looked something like Napoleon
at some of the great victories Chat is,
we imagine so, never having seen Ma
poleon), and at once joined the crowd
and wanted to know who was on the
hill that day swapping stock. Uncle
Dick at once bantered Green and they
soon exchanged by Uncle Dick giving
a pocket knife and drink to boot.
This was the first blood, but not the
last by long Shot
A young fellow from Walton county,
who had his moustache dyed for the
occasion. came in, leading a mule that
looked like he had done nothing but
peel the bark off sapplings around a
still house for the last three months.
This young man had heard that it was
a shrewd dodge among the educated
swappers to play drunk, and he was
playing it to the queens taste. 1t was
not long before he had changed his
mule for horse worth 1926 and gave
fifty cents difference.
Franklin county, at this juncture,
sent in her delegate in the shape OF
Johnnie Love, the oldest trader on the
ground, and as such claimed some no
toriety, and whose word about the
| Qualities of S. horse was considered
better than anybody's. He and Uncle
Dick Statham met, and after exchang-
ing few commonplace remarks, Mr..
Love inquired after Uncle Dicks stock,
and before long they traded by Uncle
Dick getting So and the saddle blank
ct, which was piece of an old quilt,
in the bargain.
By II o'clock every body was swap.
ping, and, once in a while, drinking.
All seemed to be in a good humor, and
there was no fuss or fighting in the
crowd. They traded until night put
an end to it, and the swappers retired
to their houses and to camp outside Of
the town. They got something to eat
and were ready for business next morn.
ing. Next day they had trimmed uI
their mules and curried their horses,
and the same scenes were enacted over
Up to Thursday night Uncle Dick had
made eighteen swaps, had $25 in mon
ey, three pocket knives, two brides
two quarts OF whisky and horse wortl
Just about as much as the one he
brought. Constitution