The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-22
Horse Swapping in Georgia.

G0nLl0 EeauerS Ulu you ever WISH IuS
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 q SO horse
dow to a 81 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 ne left the cradle. de
rode on the ground about O'Clock,
with a horse worth just Sc. 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 if 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 TO ride TO meeting.
She is not for trade unless l could get
right smart to boot"
About this time George H, the
prince of the brigade. came careering
over the Jill on a So nag, and rode
die. He sported 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
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 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
q shrewd dodge among the educated
swappers to play drunk, and he was
playing it to the queens taste. It was
not long before he had changed his
mule for horse worth 1925 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
Il
qualities of So 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 q piece of an old quilt,
in the bargain,
BY IL o'clock everybody was swap
ping, and, once in q while, drinking.
| All seemed to be in 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 est
and were ready for business next morn.
ing. Next day they had trimmed up
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 worth
| Just about as much as the one he
brought-AttG1ltG Co1sst tuition