, 1885-06-11
AN AUCTION SALE
OF BROKEN DOWN HORSES AND
CRIPPLED VEHICLES


Kew York Tribunal
Few blocks In this city are buster thar
y certain one on Thirteenth street on
Tuesdays nrd Thursdays from 8 a IN. till
4 p M. During these hours double rows
OF vehicles, from the spruce and shining
dog cart 10 The ancient and dilapidated
family coach antodating the present cen
tury. line the street and cncroach upon
the sidewalk. Two auction stables are In
the block, and on sales days the voices OF
the ~auctioucers eau be heard a furlong
distant cry ing out their bids. The stables
are filled with a shouting. bustling. noisy,
tobacco chewing throng. bidding alter
nately on the vehicles and the horsctesh.
Here are gathered together the cast-off
and spawned wrecks of the street cars. the
scrapings OF other auctions; the "crow-
bats " the lame. the hamstrung and blind
animals that have been knocked to pieces
over the cobblcstones, and arc sold 10
fruit peddlers. frugal farmers and pros.
pectiye buyers for the glue and fertilizer
factories on Barren island. The vehicles
are bought by second class livery-stabl
keepers and by carriage builders. who
knock theF purchases to pieces as soon as
they ger Yhem homo in order TO get the
iron. the springs or the wheels which may
be valuable. An animal is sold every
five minutes here. When one Is led
vi " n All tnRAO "a Cah "
one boy while another boy follows with a
whip which he often uses with needless
brutality to produce a transient activity In
the plug. " the hapless victim is sur
rounded by the crowd. One man ex-
amines the teeth TO ascertain the age.
nearly twisting the poor bruteis lips
off In the operation; another thrusts
his finger around the Lall Of his
eye to test the sight. still another presses
the spinal column to see II he exhibits
symptoms of kidney disease, while a half
dozen in the crowd are feeling Of the legs
for marks of unsoundness. all at the samc
moment The examination is thorough
and lasts but a moment. The crowd falls
back rs the sale begins.
There, gentlemen. = cries the hard
featured nucfioneer. this ere mammal Is
a secon' cousin ~ Rarus. Els trotted u
mile a mint on the Fleetwood track. and
cost 200. Who's agoin' to bid for 'imf
Start ~ gentleemeni Your price Is mine. "
In one sale that was witnessed by a re-
porter the other day the animal had been
rarity clipped. but the great number of
| scars. blisters, windgalls and spayins cx-
The middle of the undertaking.
-You see. gentlemen. y said the auction.
eer. the clip ing machine give bout 'alf
way. Trot i'm houi. johnnie. The fer
ward boy started out. the boy behind gave
the brute an admonitory crack with his
whip. aud the three rushed out OF the
door together. The tide of humanity
Toured out of the stable to watch the
movements of l arus' second cousin.
They met II throng pouring out Of the
stable asross the way, and for five
minutes the street was q sea OF battered
hats. shirt sleeves and beer. flushed coun-
tenanccs. The horse and boys darted up
and down The narrow passage between the
double rows Of vehicles aud then passed
through a chasm in the crowd into the
stables again. The crowd streamed in
after them ana the bidding began. For
a short time nothing was left In the
street but the vehicles. The auctioneer
got a bid of s. aud asked the bidder II hc
was not ashamed of himself: he got an
other of $40 and cried. wild excite.
mentl- and finally the brute VAS knocked
down for s35 and the buyer was requested
10 step up 10 the desk and settle with the
red nosed man behind the counter.
Rarely does an animal al these auc
tions bring over $50. Now and then a
western man brings on a carload of
horses. and finding that he mi dis.
pose OF them at private sale has recourse
10 these auctions