Wichita eagle., 1888-07-12

| dS NcW-ArIo1s OF tho American Wht
Wanted to Buy . "Hoss"-variou
Tricks.
When good man wants to buy q 'ehoss,
the wicked encompass him round about, ant
he gets no peace until he hes acquired. at al
exorbitant price, some specimen Of equin.
antiquity. The Mexican trader in horses Ii
as astnte as bis brother Of Boston, and add.
to bis many accomplishments a dignified
courtesy and polished Difference never
found in the American Some time ago
made it known to & friend that wanted tc
buy horse, and whether that friend went
and informed the world Of jockeys from the
vantage point of housetop or not l have
never found out, but from that fatal day the
procession OF nag merchants began, and has
been three months passing given point, as
young reporters are fain 20 remark.
respect age, and wher Don Pedro Murci.
aga Alcantara, who is himself a man OF
seventy Aprils, disguised with wig and false
teeth, comes riding into my patio with horse
which. despite his twenty-five winters, tries
to pass himself off for q child boss OK siS
summers, am somewhat strained to pre-
serve my feeling OF reverence for that which
Is venerable. Old age masquerading as youth
is ridiculous, and it is sad TO think of an aged
horse being tempted into a hollow display Of
| juvenility.
A GAY OLD BUCK
Dom Pedro Murciaga Alcantara, who is
what Mexicans cali a vfejo verde, or gay old
buck, invariably disnounts with feigned
! agility, stretches his rheumatic legs, and be-
| gins in sonorous Spanish discourse on the
merits OF tie led horse which he thinks
ought to buy. "Muy nuevecito," be remarks,
which may be freely translated ''pretty little
| young fellow" look at the nice little young
nag who has had bis eyes frightened with
beiladonna, his none crimped and dyed, bis
tusk teeth carefully filed, his coat vanished
and his boots blackened with Mr. Mason's
best Boston backing. and remark, cynically.
Ives, he was very new twenty years ago"
Does Don Pedro Murciaga y Acantara get
madf Oh, mol He becomes more suave than
before and admits that, possibly, the horse is
eight years old, and adds that he is ''muy
mansito" very gentle, "aunque tiene brio"
although spirited,
"Can this ancient steed which came over
with Cortez in one of the ships that that man
Of iron burned at Vera Crnz, can this horse
trot" ask "Por supuesto, senor," says the
don, and he takes him out into the street
where, before gods and small boys, this relic
of the past, known to elderly citizens as
lang syne faithful coach horse, begins a gait
that is as elastic as hemlock board seat on
gravel cart. "He is out of practice" saws
my jockey friend, ''but you can get him into
it in few weeks" remark at which the
small boys now clustered about US begin to
smile stealthily. Then the equine relic is
tried on the gallop, gait which he has to
perfection, being able to bounce the most 70
bust rider foot and half out Of the saddle,
so heavily does he come down with his stiff
ened legs.
Don Pedro is dismissed and told not to
show his head again inside the patio till be
can bring really new horse with some life
and genuine gait about him. He DOTS his
sombrero politely, and, with courteous
"Adios, senor," this worthy jockey is of
again. A patient race these people; you
may be sure that Don Pedro Mu,ciaga
Alcantara will come again and again and
never be rebufed, and even if he never sells
any one Of his collection of unrivaled anti
quities, he will not he angry, but will salute
me gravely when we meet Such is Spanish
courtesyi
OF A DIFFERENT TYPE
There is another veteran jockey Of quite
different type. This is large, robust man
OF mature years with Ben Franklin smile
end a look Of sturdy honesty. His role is
that Of the man who has good horses but isn't
a bit anxious to close a bargain, and must
confess that the tantalizing manner in which
this clever diplomat gives you glimpse of
good looking steed, and then carries the ami
NAL OFT into hiding for week, Is likely to
bring the wearieSt purchaser to the sticking
point. If you admire the horse of Don
Mariana Fuentes de Carbellada he will i'm
mediately take that horse to some equine re-
treat and inform you that ''you lost your
chance, as some one met him on the street
and bought him Off hand, although you.
with your inezperience, gre to be pardoned
for not at once discerning the superior points
Of the animal" In fortnight perhaps.
you hear that the man who bought the horse
has died, and that you have another chance
to buy him at a slight advance, for the
widow doesn't wish to sell at the price the
defunct paid for it. You have misgivings
about the entire story, but Don Mariana
will look you out Of countenance IL you dare
intimate the slightest skepticism in the !
matter. / have found that a horse trader
can sell yoa a clotheshorse and sQuelch you |
with q look if you doubt It's ability to clear
q five barred gate.
Then there Is the countrJman dodge. a |
couple OF worthy rancheros, with the hayseed
still adjoining their locks, will ride up Of q |
having casually heard that the
senior wanted to buy horse" They have
one which they will sell, the man for whom
he had been brought to town having moved
away. This horse is described as second
tanned down. Bucetalo is brought
forward and ranchero gets on him to show
him off. The animal is rushed down the
street and turned at full pace within the
space covered BY blanket He will do any
thing, this brilliant animal, except turn
But something about one of his
legs seems suspicious and You don't bug
our ranchero friends are not bit angered
but viii happen in again in a week or two
with Bucefalo second led by rope.
Then there Is the stableman, who tells you
hat he Will charge you good price, but viii
not condsscend to cheat you mo. not to the
sItent Of a single centavo, senior" His
,orses are shiny and their names are well
,ombed out, there Is a look Of style and swell
iom about these stable kept steeds, but dis
Interested friends inform you that such q one
has swelled leg though the swelling Is hot
that another horse is dosed up
INTO semblanc.. of spirit, and tia: another
S only fit for the bull ring.
But it is not worth while to run over the
opg procession Of stations and Rozinan.es
the mares and the nightmares TIA. have
been brough: for me TO look at by The frarer-
lity of jockeys some Of whom III take my
,ath are gypsieS skilled in horse painting.
eeth fling. hoof mending, aware OF the Uses
IF bdladonna, nux vomica, ecc.-Csty Of