Hillsboro recorder., 1888-03-15
BULLS HEAD"
A Noted Spot in New York De-
voted to Horse Trading.
About Fifty Thousand Animals
Handled Yearly.

The great horse mart Of New York Is
called Bulls Head, not on the lacas q
non lucendo principle. but because Il
used to be the market for the beof cattle
supplied to the city. For thirty years
at least it has been devoted to horse
trading, and its old name stuck to it
chiefly because the Bulls Head hotel
still stands there, although enjoying
sadly diminished patronage. In out
ward appearance the place looks just
what 1t is, string Of about dozen
stables belonging to as many owners,
who have contrived to monopolize tho
supplying Of medium grade horses to
the street car companies and business
men of the metropolis.
The supply Of animals is drawn
largely from Indiana and Illinois, al
though q considerable percentage are
bred in New York state. Each Of tho
dozen dealers keeps buyers constantly
on the lookout. All the animals are
bought with the utmost care and regard
Cor certain qualifications. They must
be between fifteen and sixteen hands
high, Of about 1000 pounds In weight,
and between five and seven years cid.
The purchasers are busiest spring and
fall and keep registers which enable
them to tell pretty well where desirable
animals are to be bought. The breed.
ing Of such horses is the most profta-
bic part of the business of the farmers
In the districts laid under contribution.
They have gradually worked into q
stock Of brood mares the produce Of
which is neither too fne nor too
coarse, and run with great uniformity
in the matter Of size and quality.
About fifty thousand horses are han
died each year BY the monopOlists Of
the Balrs Head mart. The street car
companies send down man with an or
der for so many horses. The exsmin-
alton by the puyer Is of the most super
fetal sort. Both buyer and seller have
found that absolute fairness is the best
basis to trade on, and no difficulty is
experienced in rectifying improTidently
made bargains. II 4 horse proves to
have been suffering from some incurable
disease whea sold, the dealer takes him
back aad sends another in his place.
This, however, happens very seldom.
The systematic way OF purchasing leaves
very little room for misehance.
The horses sold to the car companies
generally fall bsck iato the traders
hands after from three to five
years use between the tracks. They be-
come tender in the joints and iammed
In the legs, SO thst they are Of no use tC
the car companies. who take anything
they can get generally less than $40
The horse soon finds his way to ths fur
rows o. Long Island and Jersey farmers,
who often manage to get many year
plough service out Of tho broken dowr
animals.
Bulls Head, since II became a horse
market, has contributed at least on,
Alderman to the City Fathers, and tn
members Of the guild who trade thsr,
have generally escaped the imputatio.
Of over-shrewd dealing which mos
horse traders are obnoxious to.
The hotel has come to be chiefly re
msrkable IS the place where DAME
Drew scraped together ths beginning
Of the great fortune which he accumu
lated but failed to hang on 10. Not
few Of the older men identified will
the place recall with interest anecdotc
Of Drew when he was young man an'
Of his shrewdneJs rs q bargsiner ovci
among the very shrewd men VIII
crowded the horse market at that time
-INew York Graphic.