West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-06-12
A HORSE FAKIR'S YARN.
How He Sold Cheap an Animal
Worth 100000.
Diamond Cut Diamond-Tho story of
b'IiV' Horse That Went rs Long
as You Pumped water
Into Him.

i vas la'i ullNh Oh Jne usually
smiling face of the man-who- wants-to-
sell-his-fast- trottcr- being about-to- go
to-Europe when the reporter entered the
stable where the interesting animal was
usually kept between sales.
Whats the mattcr?" asked the re-
porter.
I've sold Billy" was the reply. dc.
liycrei in the most mournful tone i'm
aginablc
"Oh, see, " said the reporter. sym-
pathizingly "und now the police are
after YOU"
The police" calculated the man.
The idea OF the police being able TO give
him any annoyance pleased him so
much that several layers OF gloom wore
OF temporarily.
II should think you ought 10 be usel
to selling Billy by this time, " suggested
the reporter, dclcatcly.
More layers of gloom wore of the
horse-dcalcr face, and h. became nos.
itiycly enthusiastic. sold him often a''
he exclaimed. well / should smile
ain't done nothn ng else the last eirlt
months but sell Billy. I've supportc,l
my family'and I've paid my debt, and
We lost money on the races all that
time by selling Billy. And I've rot
Billy yet, or rather haven't. and that =
what the matter with me-" he added.
becoming gloomy again.
How did it happeu?" asked the re-
porter, showing more sympathy.
ACCOMPLISHED BILLY.
80 Well - mo bntrop ., ,.,.,, 600 a..
Billy's reputation got to be so great that
every man in the business had heard of
him and wanted him I've been offered
as high as three thousand dollars for
him. lie WASH much 10 look at: he
couldn't go. aud he was chcst-found-
cred, but he was a daisy to work. All
had 10 do was TO pump lot of water
into him, and ne e'd be able 10 90 four
or five hours. Then his chest would
give out again, and he'd drop down.
Wen, a countryman would see him
while he had the water i'm him. and
would buy him for bargain He'd be
as lively as n cricket going home. saw
TO New Jersey or Long Island Then
the next day the cOuntryman wouId
find him lying down i'm the stable. and
wouldn't be able to do nothing with
him. So he'd come back here with
Billy and say he'd been swindlcd. ia
tell him that Billy hal caught cold. and
I'D buy Billy back for hundred or 20
when I'd sold him for a hundred and %
half Thatd be my profit. Then I'd
pump him full of water and sell him
over again. Three thousand dollars
for Billy? Why ! sold him for a. hi0b
~ two hundred dollars. ! sod him
once a week easy for eight months. and
made a hundred or hundred and n
half n week out of him Calculate
how much that makes And / only maid
eighteen dollars for him when ! BOUGHT
him from "a pcddlcr.
Well nc went on. lighunoa fresh
cigar, q" the other men i'm the business
put up all kinds Of Jobs 90 0rt Billy
from me They'd follow him home
when nc was sold and try % buy him
from the cOunlryman. 10 got so hot
the last part of the time that I paid
two men TO follow Billy and the c6un-
tryman TO see that somebody else
didn't { get Billy ] couldn't siccp al
nights thinking of Billy.
ENTER a COUNTRYuAN.
Well, day before Yesterday was
in the Joint and had the old familiar
sign out a cappcr comes running I'm
and says there's cOuntryman down
the street So we brought Billy out
a1d the cappcr began pretending he
wanted TO buy Billy ] was a-praisin0
Billy zap, though not giving him what
he deserved, and the oappcr hc wa.
making ont that he was hanging off
when in walks the countryman and
says. j hear there's q good horse for
sale here"
You're TOO late. my friend. SAYS
J; there's another ahead of YOU
The fellow was as like "a countrvman as
nature. He was 20 big, rosy follow.
with staring blue eyes that you'd fan in
love with at first sight He'd "a bio
brass chain and q silver watch like the
CITY Hall clock and % chunk of glass
on bis shirt bosom
Well. y he says. don't know as
it make much odds; ! don't know a.
care TO buy n horse, anyhow All
This time the copper was prctcnding to
find faults with Billy and beating me
down in my price Finally. we agreed
or one hundred and forty-Gye dollars.
and the cnppcr pulls out tho hood.c.
Hold ou % minute SAYS what
business are You in 81 { may aet'
I'm horse dealer, he SOS WHY
to you a-kp
That settles iL I says. pu up