The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
COPERS AND eYPSIES.
THEY PATCH Up LUNGS AND MAKE
WEAK LEGS GOOD FOR 4 DAY.
There Are Tricks In All Trades. But
the Trick in Horse Trades BEAT the
LOf-HOw LameneSs II EquaiIzed.
From he PhIladeIphia Time.

tors ana nNes up old horses so as 10 make
them look like young ones, and for pres
ent purposes so DISCUSSES incurablede-
fects IN the animal which render him
valueless as TO completely deceive a pur-
chaser until the money is paid. His scrv-
ices are also frequently demanded to iix
good and valuable horses. making them
appear lame. troubled with glanders or
some other defect impossible to cure.
Many an owner OF a stable Of horses
has been surprised to find valuable
animal affected in some unaccountabie
manner and Immediately FASTENED 10 dis
pose OF him before he died on his hands.
He has been equally surprised. a few days
after, to discover what a wonderful ana
unexpected cure had been effected. and
that the horse was as good and sound as
ever. This trick is worked by the copper.
with the assistance of the owners jock
ey. who comes in for a share Of the profit
on the Illusion. Some years ago ] held a
close relation with a copper Of renown AMI
extensive business. II may seem strange.
after this admission that 1 claim TO hav-
been an honest man at all times of my
life. 1 lived in the midst OF a great horse
market, occupied a back parlor for my
workroom and Immediately adjoining with
horses afflicted with age or incureble dis
eases. Conversation held in the stable
was clear and distinct to my ears, ana
frequently interrupted me at my. work,
ana by this means, as well as others. I
acquired complete knowledge Of nc
science.
The man VINO comeo down from the
country TO purchase one or more horses
thinks he is smart" and that tho rock Of
Gibraltar can be moved sooner than he
can be persuaded TO pay his money on a
sWlndle- He sees and advertisement in a
reliable newspaper-you can see them to-
day-and snaps at the "cinch' like
hungry trout at an artificial fly The ad.
would fool the father of lies. II states IN
an missionary manner, that a gentleman
about TO go TO Europe" or a gentleman
having failed in business, for pecuniary
reasons is about to part with his valuable
horses at ruinous prices" and so on. The
man who has money thinks there can he
no harm in taking a look and judging from
personal observation what a soft snap
there may be in this. I suppose you will
recognize the fact that he is ready to take
advantage of the misfortune OF some rich
man in great need OF immediate cash.
When the man with money once gets into
the stable of the copper he seldom gets. out
before he is persuaded TO buy horselesh.
which, alasi he subsequently, finds tit only
for the equine graveyard
The place of business Of the ccper is
generally in some respectable looking sta
bic in an aristocratic neighborh God or in
the immediate vicinity of the horse mar
kct. The air OF the place seems honest
anu the open cOUntenGnCE OF the Ursngf-
POI SWlndler IS as innocent as that Of
clergyman. But he is a man of wonderful
devices, and what he don't know about a
morse Is scarcely worth knowing. You
can imagine what the ad and other dc
iusive attractions may be HAT bring the
1901 purchaser to the den. and Won can
picture him entering the stable and being
heid there by the spch-binder. who can
tax horse like book. Now permit mo
TO Introduce you TO tho secrets of the
trade.
Horses which come under the r,aninu-
lating hand OF the copcr may he divided
into three classes, namely the Adam
the 'bobb'e' and those afflicted with ali
diseases horse fesh is heir to- The Adam
is the aristocratic old horse who has by
many years crossed the meridian line
Of l.fe and seen his best days The bob
bic" Is fine looking 4,ols4g horse. but
incurably afflicted with a ifsoase Of the
Vertobral column which renders him an
bat useless for either drawing o wagon
or being mounted. and If put before
cart or If man is put upon his back he
Immediately betrays his vorthlessness
essed horses, for their defects are SO
easily disguised that even sharpers arc de-
ceived At times after the copper gets his
science to play upon the horse. II is the
height of science for the copper to dis
guise tho marks Of age in an old horse
and, Of course. this cannot be done cTec-
tually any more than 81 may be accom-
plished m the human being. but the tell
ing marks may he put Out eof sight for
short time and long enough to give the
swindler an opportunity to disnosc IF Tho
, Adam In an Oh horTc tho teeth slant
outward at q very acute ANGLE, ard this
is an indisputablc sign OF old age Other
unmistakable evidence of antiquity are
the deep impressions over the ewes and
the white hairs all over his coat These
signs arc removed by The coper, and in
doing this he resorts to many devices
With file he reduces the teeth of the old
animal to the proper length Of he tee.h
of a 5-year-old. and by "5ishoping" he
initiates the dark marks only to be found
on the biting edge of the teeth of all
young horses. 'Bishoping" is done by
means OF hot iron which burns out a
cavity in the tooth. The coat Is easily dyed
by means of chemicals mixed upon we'll
known and scientific principles, and the
color is chosen which will restore the
coat of his youth. Another process nee
essary to the general disguise is "gyp-
This latter IS fully as necessary as the
"bishoping" of the teeth The sunken
space on the head OF an old horse Just
above the eyes, is as certain a mark OF
age as protruding tusks OF teeth and this
must be doctored so that the cavities dis
appear unttl after the sale of tho animal
with the old fellow this defect is removed
and the Adam Is rejuvenated as far as
the features are concerned to the casual
observer. In very old horses the loose skin
over the eye is very prominent feature
and drops down over the lid. The skin
is punctured and the copper blows UP the
hollow with his lips, or with a small bel
lows made for the purpose. After this
blowing up the punctures readily close
up. the depression disappears ana the old
| horse has the smooth brow of youthful
animal.
it must be admitted that all these manip-
Ulations effect cures which are only of a
transitory character but the results last
long enough to deceive the buyer, and that
is all the swndlers desire, as they can
make themselves scarce as soon as The
Adam" begins to fall in" of course
the purchaser grasps at such a profitable
bargain in It. for the price is given at a
very low figure for a horse such as this
particular one seems to be, and in order
that the other man who is coming and
wants the animal at the figure stated
may not get ahead of him, he w!hsks out
his plethoric wallet and leads the newly
purchased animal to another stable When
the buyer looks at his bargain next morn
ing he thinks his eyes must deceive him or
somebody has substituted an old nag in
place of the sprightly young horse he put
in the stall only the day previous But IL
has not been a practical joke 1t is a sad
reality, and a costly one for him
Before a knowing buyer purchases a
horse he pinches him all along the verte-
bral column to ascertain II that important
part of his anatomy is at all affected, and
If II is the animal is refused When thus
affected as already stated the horse rs
called "bobbie" The knowing buyer Of
course. does not go to copper to purchase