The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-12-20
A LEAD PIPE CINCH.

"A dozen years ago, when kept
in Adrian, said the livery stable man,
.'Ihad an experience which it gives
me pain even yet to think of. A
fellow rode up to my door one after
noon and asked if cared to buy the
horse he was on. The animal was a
seven-year-old dark bay, with no
blaze and only one stocking, in pref
ty fair condition, but rough-his tail
and name full of burrs. I found him
sound He seemed gentle, and the
chap only wanted 1925 for him; not
dear for such a likely looking horse
for livery work, as prices were then.
There was nothing suspicious
about the man. He said he had been
teaching school back in the country,
and looked it. The horse was taken
for debt, and he had regular bill
of sale for him. But the animal was
no more good to him, because he had
had the shakes, was sick of the west
and was going back home to Massa-
chusetts by the cars from Adrian.
To cut it short, got the horse for
800, with good saddle and bride
thrown in. and he went off on the
next train east, as he said he would.
1 had the horse cleaned up and was
well pleased with my bargain, espe-
cially after gave him a jog of few
blocks in harness and concluded he
would be mighty serviceable road
ster.
The next morning two men, who
named themselves Sutherland and
Hutchinson, got Off the train from
Detroit at Adrain, to sell county
rights for new patent ch1rn. They
wanted a horse to take them around
among the farmers and 1 let them
have my new roadster When they
came back in the evening they en-
gagged him for the next day, and
was glad see he had not been driven
very hard So it went on three or
four days. Every morning they
drove him out, and in the evening
engaged him for the next day. But
they didn't seem to have much luck
in selling their churn, and talked
about giving up and going away dis
couraged. suggested they had bet
ter stay over to the county fair, which
was to open the next week, when
they could show their churn to every
body in that part of Michigan, and
would be likely to do well.
After little talk the idea seemed
to please them, and they agreed to
stay. posted them on where to get
their license and space, and hire a
tent and SO ON, for all of which they
thanked me warmly. Then they
concluded they would have to hire a
horse to take them out to the grounds
and back, and maybe drive around a
bit, and they would engage the one
they had been using. They would
pay for him for every day, whether
they used him or not, only they stip-
ulated that was not under any cir
cumstances to let any one else work
him during the fair week.
'AOf course agreed to that, and
one of them handed me $50 bill in
advance to bind the bargain. ]
couldn't have violated my part of the
agreement if had wanted to, for
they took him away early every
morning and kept him until long
after dark, but he never showed a
sign of hard work, so had no reason
to complain. And they remarked,
two or three times, what a comfort
! it was to have the horse one was used
to and had learned to trust, particu-
larly for person who didn't pretend
to be much of driver. Sutherland
always drove. He was a stout.
healthy sort of man. Hutchinson
was a little dried up looking chap,
who said he didn't know much about
horses and was rather afraid of them.
AT our county fair-the same as
it is nowadays at pretty much all
county fairs-the fat hogs and blood
ed cattle and patchwork quilts and
such like were just good excuse for
horse racing-the only near home
chance the deacons had in the whole
year to do a little quiet betting on a
trot. and as our managers gave lib
eral purses they used to draw good
stock and have fine races. So they
seemed to the public anyway. but the
fact was that there was regular
ring of racing men who had it all
fixed up among themselves to divide
the purses and milk the public pock-
cts by throwing the races. Inat was
all found out afterward. but not in
time to do any good.
.sThey had one mare of the Gold
Dust strain Sultana they called her
that could have won in every
event she was entered for if allowed,
but that was not their game and
there is no doubt she was pulled in
the two mile trot, best two out OF
three, ON the third day, letting 9
black horse named Nabob come un
der the wire, winner by a head.
.sThat evening Mr.. Sutherland
who had bet on SuItana and solaced
himself afterward with hard cider
accumulated quite jag, and wher
.