The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-03
~Hoss~ SELLING IN KENrUckY.
sales That Are Not Always Conducted
With Absolute Honesty.
DanviIle 90 CInclnnau Tribune.

With Absolute Honesty.
Danvine cor Cincinnati Tribune.
\ "hoss" sale in the back counties Of
Kentucky is an event. There has been
one in progress here this week, and It has
drawn spectators like a dog fight on a
dull day. There were buyers from Chi
eago. Philadelphia and New York, and
there were spectators from all over this
region. Where several HOSES are gath
cred together there will you also find
Kentuckian.
one OF the most imposing figures at a
kentucky combination" sale is the aue-
tioneer. He is a good feller." He seems
TO know and to realize that the success
of the affair rests upon his shoulders. He
has a voice like a tragedian, ana struts
upon his small stage like Macbeth In his
rawlings. A nag OF uncertain temper and
unknown pedigree Will be led before him.
The auctioneer Will take a photograph of
the animal with his minds eye ana pro-
coed to his business.
Now, gentlemen" he will say, here
is a Jewel. / believe, sir, thatsyou will get
a bargain in this animal Ny. but amt
he q good one. Look at those eyes and
those legs, at that name and tail. Why,
SlLs his every at QGA4JNCo lis 10y al AltEA-
ing. He springs from the loins of an
ancestry that has been noted for years
and years for its speed and stamina. He
is as gentle as a dove, and will make a
horse that any lady can drive with perfect
safety. What am 1 offered to start this
one. who viii make it hundred?'
The bidding begins, and the auctioneer's
tongue works as fast as the wheels of a
dynamo. He gets bids everywhere. liter
ally grabs them out Of space, and If you
but nod your head or wink your eye in his
direction he calls it a bid. If a buyer is
anxious to procure the animal the auc-
tioneer will notice it, and he will get bids
from all sorts of mysterious places in the
crowd. Some auctioneers viii do this. All
of them will not. of course.
The system of "by-biding" came very
near running The horse trade at some
points in Kentucky where auctions were
held before the practice was stopped
This was when the craze for trotters
was at its hight and any sort of an ami
NAL, just so it had a pedigree, would
sell for a big price. Fictitious values
were placed on them, and the excite
ment at the sales was great. Many
trotter has been knocked down for $4,000
In Kentucky, hundreds for half thaE
sum, and thousands at prices ranging
from $1,000 to. 5000. When the dead stall
lion Bell Boy was put up for sale he
bFOuBnE s0lsVVus ana there were not over
five bids made for him, either. 1t was a
very select party of bidders that surround
ed the auetioneer, and before the
sport opened up champagne flowed like
spring water.
1t was a very common thing a few
years ago for a trotting horse of fash
ionable blood lines, but with no record
and with no progeny that was famous
to bring from 5000 to $10O00 and year
lings and 2-year-olds sold at fabulous
prices. 1t was a craze, gambling specu-
lation-like dealing in boom town lots
and paying $1,000 per acre for S25 farm
ing land. The sharks took advantage of
the fever. Swell buyers would come to
the auction, and horse that they want
ed would be put up for sale The Wis
itor would make legitimate bids, and
friend of the owner of the animal would
stand by and run the price up. When
the lemon was squeezed about as dry
as It could be, the trap was sprung and
the horse changed hands.
Another scheme was to put an animal
up, have a friend or several friends run
the price away up, and finally knock the
morse on to one of the gang at a fancy
price. This would not be a sale, but
the other animals bred the same way
are related by blood to the "baltg horse
would sell we'll on account of the high
price the original had commanded. Swell
fanciers from the money centers were
made to pay dear for the love and ad-
miration of royalty bred trotters. But
change came at last.
There were too many trotters and rot
enough buyers. Dealers became suspicious
OF the sales and there was a funk Trot-
tiers got TO be a drug on the market ana
they sold cheaper than hogs. YearIines
and 2-year-olds that were once converti-
Bile into gold at a ratio Of about 16 to
could not be given away. The sharks oc-
cupaton was gone. The depression lasted
for two years and then confidence began
10 return, and now trotters are beginning
TO bring their full value. The sales of
late are clean and square, and no no dis
reputable methods are countenanced If
they are discovered.
heard of a smooth bunlxo game that
was worked on a tenderfoot from the east
VINO came to Kentucky to buy a stock
farm and go into the breeding of trot-
ters upon an extensive scale. He had
more money than brains, but could not
be instructed in the horse business He
bought a blue grass farm and then looked
around for stallion to put at the head
or his stud. He sought the advice of an
expert. The expert told him he knew of
very finely bred son of the great Ham,
bletonian that could be bought for S25 600
1t was a rare bargain, and the tenderfoot
thought so, too. The expert thought so
much of the animal that he would go
halvers with the young breeder. The ex-
pert left the tenderfoot to study over the
matter, seeing that the game was landed
Then he proceeded to buy the horse in
question, secretly, for 5000. The trade
was made between the tenderfoot and the
ostensible owner of the stallion on a
basis of $4,000, the tenderfoot putting up
slz'5OO and the expert $12,500 $50 the ten
derfoot believed). The result was that
the expert made 81, 800 clear and still owned
one-half of the stallion, which he finally
disposed of to his partner for $4,000,
leaving him clean $19,5OO on the deal.
Tickling Up the Jehu.
An English gentleman travelling in
france, says Tid-Bits, was very much
annoyed at the slowness of the pace. and