New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-28
GOING TO BUY A HORSE?
BETTER LOOK OUT FOR THE GYPSIEs.
FAKE DEALERS WILL CHEAT YOU OUT OF
YOUR EYES WHILE YOU ARE USING THEM
SOME TRICKS OF AN OLD TRADE.


SOME TRICKS OF AN OLD TRADE
There exists n class OF swinders in this city whose
practices and crooked ways have not been ventlat-
ed by the I.exow Committee. They ave particularly
busy just now. and ply their trade with n vigor
and energy worthy of better cause. and with the
green goods man. the gold brick SHARK, the
"bunco steerer." and the confidence" man. draw
inspiration from the crooks belief that there's
sucker born every minute" Like most swinders
they advertise big values for little money but IN
stead OF counterfeit bills gold bricks or castles IN
| Spain. horses and carriages are the tempting bar
gains held out. Some people wonder how the legti-
| mate horse dealers can do any business in New
| York. when horses OF superior quality are being
offered ridculously low prices. and at terms so
fair that they become temptation even to him
who has for horse. These are few OF the
bats:
"A physician will sell sound horse. accustomed
to city work; gentle. afraid of nothing; and almost
| new buggy, for less than half value.
Lady going TO Europe offers pair well Inatched'
! stylish carriage horses at sacrifice
| housekeeping cob blood roam. beauty, ISL:
hands high reliable. sound; veterinary Inspection
asked: one-third value"
! These are only fair samples" said well-known
| horse-deaer "of fake advertisements, which APP
| pear daily by the hundred, and they are all an
swered too and every advertiser gets n customer
| for his alleged bargain, and simply because every
| man thinks he knows all about horse. Take the
first fifty men You meet" he said. land ask them
| II they are posted any one subject. don't care
what It IS. from stree-sweepng to mechanical cleo
| tricity from political economy 10 the government
methods Of New-YoIk city; don't care what the
subject may be. only few out OF the hfty VIII
claim to know all about II, but II the subject be
! horse the chances that AT least forty out or
the fifty will know all about II. and at the slightest
hint Will be only willing 10 sit down and en-
! tighten you the subject. That Is the reason
| he added that SO many OF these fakirs make
I,up MIN IN
| them up get up yarn about them. throw out
| bait and along comes the knowing horseman; he
| nibbles and finally takes the hook, and Is landed
The tricks resorted such that few people
| would believe them.
| 81 have seen "A wind broken plug fixed mp by
| gvpsy-that Is what call these horse swndlers-
and sold as Sound "A dollar TO a man who knows
all that's worth knowing about horse and |
have known a poor old beast that had done years
Of hard work sold a green horse
The horses shoes had been taken of. his tail
| was done up in bag. then the horse was put down
| cellar in the dirt and fifth for week. All the time
he was fed all he could eat. little arsenic was put
| I'm his fodder and when he sufficiently dirty
| and was fast assuming the dimensions OF the pois-
| oncd pup he was brought up and sold TO sucker
| as green horse.
| Look at this ad'" said the dealer. showing a
clipping which read: "a gentleman going to Eu-
rope Will dispose OF gentle. high sadde-horse
at one-thrd value. Must sell"
Now" continued the householder. the chances
are II YOU call this advertiser you VIII see an
animal which belongs to gypsy. The owner VIII
! tell you cock and bull story about the horse lie
may even show you the animal in some private
stable. that * an easy matter. the people being out
Of town and the servants in charge Of the house
standing In with the gypsy. The horse being a.
| Mr. Y own stable removes doubt from the mind
% the wouli-be purchaser. and between the ser
wants and the gypsy the fool and his money are
soon parted
why. 1t IS only few weeks ago that one OF
these sharpers advertised n horse with pedigree
as long a. your arm. and record that was out OF
sight. The man who went 10 look at the horse
was told that he could buy him only on promise
that De- would Use the horse gently for the beauty
Was not oAly prize trotter. but had won the love
OF the family who had to sell him. because OF the
hard times. The value OF the horse was 5000. bu,
the right person might get him for $500 The horse
WAS examined and driven short distance and the
nan offered $40 FOR him. and when the gypsy said
make it 80 The offer was promptly withdrawn
Another dealer srcak.ng about the gypsies. told
a Tribune reporter. We have known men TO be UNI
mercifuly sold hut the sharpers were not RESPONSE
bic. and rather than have people laugh AZ him.
the victim pockets his loss. takes his old plus.
which IN some Instances has even been painted TO
improve It's looks. and the next time he needs a
horse stuck again"
There are gyp.ies who do business In carriages a.
we'll as horses. They buy mp Old rickety traps.
doctor them with putty aud paint and varnish. Put
on new shining metal pieces. and turn out patch
buy buggics and runabouts Of Western make.
drive them about short time 10 take the new
ness ont OF them" then put on the name plate %
come maker Of high repute and sell the trap a; n
Il vas asked recently" said a maker OF high
staar carriasrs 20 in"kr an estimate on inc eos,
looked AT the trap knew We had never made IT,
name IN the ga" prSpT pa " y W Vas n
as9'nt but was e, NOR so 1 %pem pr2y T to him.
| getting
A neat but old trick is instantly played on you'd
taken from one S' Of The ar~er fake stable
Are you dealer" sad Gypsy No. 10 the
visitor.
Want to- to make '2' dead easy?"
"wer you See the man who 81 runs this s stable
desler, his customers are all gentGmen who want
what they buy for their own use Wish you'd buy
the horse for me; whatever YOU have 10 pay. I'll
give you S2' advance. because my customer Will
never kick At price"
went to the stabIc rccognzed The hSrss fro n the
the owner OF the stablc-were talking about price.
You assure me you are not a dealer?
well. then I'll sell you the horse for 500"
The spfcnatoT PAID ha on acc9mn got ms niil OF
bonus or course he did not find him. and he ID
| looking for him yet
"Once in a great while" Bulls Head dealer said
you will find "A who actually thinks that some
} one knows moro about horse than he. He wants
TO buy a rig looks the fake advertisements
and then takes the one man In whom he has conn
dence, ard who Is the one man IN All tne Wori1
who is better posted the horse question than
he takes him to and pass Judgment on tho
| animal His friend Is usually small stable keep
er, blacksmith. or n veterinary surgeon Ths
man brought to pass Judgment on the sorT1
| purchaser because no man has the moral courage
to Acknowledge to real friend his lack OF all
| around wisdom on the horse question.
> | I'm nineteen cases out of twenty, continued the
horse-dealer,. "the consulting friend gets com
. | mission The sale. and simply helps pull the pur
, | chaser's leg. Whenever see one OF these smart
Jays go to stable with an expert. think OF the
time when I took n long haired. innocent looking
| German music teacher along when / bought 4
, | piano lie gave me a great song and dance about
tone and octaves and volume OF action and
: | played a lot OF classic music which my wife
, | said was grand. and bought the piano
I and he made stin commission. Just so with
, | those fellows who bring expert TO stable
He talks about cart. and .ngbones. and wind. and
action puts the animal through course OF sprouts
| plays on him just my German friend played or