Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-01-28
AN IRISH HORSE FAIR.
The Curious Customs Obtaining 1t ~
Horse Markets Of Ireland.

AN IRISH HORSE FAIR.
The Curious Customs Obtaining at 49,
Horse Markets Of Ireland.
To novice an Irish fair appears to
be pandemonium let loose. The main
street is the show-ground and ride. and
a convenient field, with stone wall or
two, serves the purposes of the ''man--
ege." Such whooping and yellings
Droves of wild Young colts. rough, UNI
kempt looking animals. rushing madly
about with Pat riding bare-backed as
easy as g glove, with nothing but q
.'bit of twig" and halter for .
bride. "Whist! but that's Topper.
Yer honor; be aisy now, on her. Tim,"
shouts the proprietor of some raw lilly.
as I i'm negotiates the wall with a cock
! of his eye. Perhaps you turn round
to look at the ''lepper.' and, by the
mercy of Providence, just escape being
trampled to death by a whole troop.
Pulled this way, showed that, hot and
thirsty, you at last gain place of safe
ty, and are able to look on for few
moments in peace. Meanwhile, the
dealers are not idle, and bargains
mingled with glasses of potheen are
flying about in every direction. If you
happen to be in the know you will see
IL horse bought for thirty pounds sterl-
ing ready cash, which for market pur-
poses was to have been a seventy
pounds sterling transaction. Every
conceivable class of animal is here,
both biped and quadruped. The
hunter which. if properly got up. will
fetch in England a couple of hundred.
! is side by side with screw not worth
as many pence, and the autocrat of the
| dealers yard may be seen in cOnfabu-
lation with what looks like prime
| dynamiter; while above all the din and
jangle floats an aroma of whisky and
tobacco, to say nothing of blarney and
bad language.
AS the day wears on prices lower q
little. Indeed. a few of the knowing
ones do not complete their bargains
until late, excepting in the eases of
some really high-class gees. But what
is going on in the corner of the wall?
| A small crowd is gathered there, and
from your position you can just make
out one of the men who crossed in the
boat standing opposite true son of
Erin in the middle of Il small ring, and
seemingly either fighting or endeavor-
ing to shake him by the hand-which?
You can not quite make them out.
Presently the crowd breaks up with a
J cheer, and you can see plainly now the
two men shake hands, and to Your sur
prise money passes between them.
Can it have been prize fight at all?
No. it is only deal, and if we come q
little nearer to this new lot that are
forming ring we shall see. AS we
| approach a lane is formed. and the
vision of flying colt appears. ridden
bare-backed by bright looking lad.
Over the wall is the order, and Pat,
steadying his mount. takes it in first
class form. Then the crowd closes in,
and two figures stand opposite
each other-England and Ireland.
.'Wcll, what's the price," says
England. Its just the foinest little
horse in the fair this day, and I'll
not be selling him under f120. and
that's Fdirt-chape," replies Ireland,
holding out his hand. Forty" says
England, making a dive at the paw.
Ireland is too quick, however, and
snatches it away before England can
grasp it, saying at the same time, with
an air of disdain: Forty! and for a
basic like that, that the Lord Lieutenant
would be proud to be seen on. Is it
trying to barney me that you are? I'll
just let you have it for fl0O and not a
penny less" and out goes the hand
again. This time England springs a
tenner, and the same pantOmimc is
gone through. with the exception that
England nearly catches the outstretched
member this time, which raises laugh
and ''Mind your eye, Pat" from the
crowd. After every bid this goes on,
and at sixty-five England catches Ire
land by the hand shakes it heartily.
thereby signifying that is deal. The
crowd cheer, and the two go off to-
gether to cement the bargain with a
'dhrop of the cratur." This is tho
way most of the deals are carried on,
and it is an unwritten law that if you
happen to be quick enough to catch
hold of the hand after your offer, the
horse becomes your property for the
amount of your bid.-Scottish Agricuu-
urdi Gazette.