The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-03-05
AT TATTERSAI.L'S SALE.
THE GREAT EQUINE HEADQUARTERS
IN THE CITY OF LONDON.
Hundred Thousand Dollars Worth of 4
Horseaesh Sold in q Day-Interior of
the Famous Northumberland
at Work-Sharp and Decisive.

On fine Monday morning, the season just
fairly started, the country people up in town
for EPSON, for Ascot, for Goodwood, for all
the delights and pleasures Of the opening sum-
mer, what pleasanter resort than Tattersalls
under the great span roof with the glazed
openings, with the soft gravel under the feet.
horses tramping and euryeting about, and d
general sound of voices, more than murmuf,
and yet not amounting to a roar; voices of
every pitch and cadence, from the husky
baritone of the country boniface to the aris-
tocratic concert-pitch Of Lady We're de Verei
And while goodly number are assembled In
the hall of sales, making its roof resound with
animated talk-now on the events of the last
hunting season, now of what may be ex-
pe@ted in the next-Jhere is general tramp,
tramp all through the stables and stalls, where
all lo horses that are ON sale to-day may be
see, and criticised by the public. Here they
are, line upon line, and box after box, chest
nu..,, browns, and roans, bay geldings and
BIZ, x mares, temperate and clever, good ac
tion and manners good fencer and fast,
qr = to ride and drive, and SO on through the
si.. on-stall stable and along the fourteen
st Il stable, and getting quite bewildered
AZ long it all-l50 horses munching their hay
a..;I corn, and all Indifferent to the change OF
masters the next few hours may bring.
CENTER OF THE GREAT HALL.
Right in the center of the great hall is the
palladium of the establishment: without
which it would not be Tattersall's at all, and
would necessarily come to grief, and that is a
rather pretty little teieple of classic model,
with bhe bust of the once prince of Wales, the
future Adonis on the top, and within the well
known ef1igy of fox that has occupied the
same position so long as the memory of man
can testify. All around is light, handsome
gallery, occupied by carriages. of every de-
scIiption sent here for sala while one side of
the area below is fenced off, and a corner is
occupied by substantial pulpit with a sound
mg-board overhead,
1t is some way past II o'clock, and the SER
GUS feeling of the moment is increased as you
se an attendant horsekeeper fecking the
last specks of dust from the pulpit-desk, while
q clerk carefully arranges book and papers,
for all the world as in Scotch church before
the preacher makes his appearance. And before
the great clock in the hall shows the half
hour mysterious whisper has passed among
all the attendants quiet-looking men in blue
cricketing caps, with here and there one with
q whip, used for cracking purposes only, like
the little guns you see on board ships for fir
ing salutes. But Que says TO the other, "Is it
lock up yeti" and the otiler replies cautiously.
"Not yet"
But the word is passed before long. "Lock
up" and from every side resounds the slam
ming of doors and turning of keys, while
those who have been taking last lingering
look at their fancies hasten forth to join the
rest of the crowd in the hall. One lively
youth has fingered too long and been locked
in, and is helped out through window. And
while our attention is engrossed by this little
episode we find that the pulpit is now occu-
pied, and that business has commenced.
: Why, tl.oy,va got the . aar-ad nut today
observed a %Theezy voice close by, for it is NOT
the well-known form of the chief of the flrn
that meets the eye, but the fresh, youthful
face of the latest of the Tattersalls, the Tat
tersall of the future he may be called, who,
in due course, may see out another generation
of spertsnen from the present; who may see
the old faces fade away and many new one
come to the front. "Going, going, gone:E
There is quite melancholy appropriateness
about the words as you look round and think
what changes another twenty years will make
in the composition of the throng.
THE AuCTIoNEER HA RID AT WORK.
But up and down goes iorse, walking, or
rather dancing, upon his hind legs; tie
biddings go on; knowing-looking dealer
plunges under the rails, and makes hasty
survey of the animals mouth in spite of i'll
evidence objection to the process To the out
side spectator there is always degree Of
mystery about the auctioneer. How does he
pick up the bids that are conveyed by q
winks, perhaps, or All iInperceptible move.
ment of the chin, by some sign anyhow which
the keenest attention OF the observer fails te
detectf But young Mr.. Richard seems te
take to it all as naturally as possible. Tile
greatest of the auctioneers rarely indulge III
eloquence. A country practitioner will ex.
pend as much fire about an old frying-pan as
Tattersall would about a 2, 600 guinea yearling
but there is manner that is more eloquent
than words, and there is q kind of general
ship in the business that comes out on great
occasions.
But here everything is sharp and decisive
the hammer comes down sharply upon tie
last bidding Another turn" to the groom,
who hang, ON to the halter, and flies up al5d
down tLs. track, while bystanders reced,
graceful from the horses heels. "A hundred
a.N. ltt. ,y-fve-to be sold: and sixty
a:,s.i-.zts ou--sixty-fv advance going"
bang And by this time another animal
is prancing along toward the rostru1n, when
the process of extracting the last bid ana
knocking down, metaphorically, the horse is
gone through with the same expedition.
Meantime, from the gallery above, the mum
Der of the lot has been shown on larg4
placard, dealers mark off the prices with
stumpy pencils, and amateurs criticise the ap-
pearance and action of the animal under the
hammer
And thus the sale goes on, hour after hour
and before the nightfall some G15, 900 CT
e20, 600 worth of horseiesh will have change,i
owners, and tomorrow they viii march away
in strings to their new quarters-All the
Year Round.