The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-12-27
AN IRISH HORSE FAIR.
The Curious Customs Obtaining &C &h@
Horne Markets Of Ireland.


Horse Markets Of Ireland
To novice an Irish fair appears Go
be pandemonium let loose. The main
street is the show-ground and ride. and
convenient field, with astone wall or
two. serves the purposes Of the "man-
ege." Such whooping and yelling!
Droves of wild young colts. rough. un-
kempt looking animals. rushing madly
| about with Pat riding bare-backed as
easy as glove. with nothing but
'sbit of twig" and halter for .
bride. whist! but that's q Topper,
yer honor; be aisy now, on her, Tim."
shouts the proprietor OF some raw FLY,
as T i'm negotiates the wall with 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 whole troop.
Pulled this wav, 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. III you
happen to be in the know you will see
a horse bought for thirty pounds sterl.
ing ready cash, which for market pur-
poses was to have been q seventy
| pounds sterling transaction. Every
conceivable class of animal is here,
both biped and quadruped. The
hunter which, Il properly got up, win
fetch in England souplc 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
little. Indeed, few of the knowing
ones do not complete their bargains
until late, excepting in the cases OF
some really high-class gees. But what
is going on in the corner of the wallp
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 small ring, and
seemingly either fighting or endeavor-
ing to shake him by the hand-whichg
You can not quite make them out.
Presently the crowd breaks up with q
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 IL we come q
little nearer to this new lot that are
| forming ring we shall see. AS we
| approach 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.
"Well, 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 E120. and
that's dirt-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 q
haste like that. that the Lord Lieutenant
would be proud to be seen on. Is it
trying to barney me that you arep I'll
just let you have it for E100 and not q
penny less" and out goes the hand
again. This time England springs q
tenner. and the same pantomime 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 90 of to-
gether to cement the bargain with q
s.dhrop of the cratur." This is the
way most of the deals are carried on,
and it IL 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 AgrtcuIt-
urGt Gazette.