The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-13
FIRST TUESDAY N THE BoNEYARD.
A Pen Picture OF Horse Swapping
scenes in Georgia.

From the Carpouton CGa) TimesJ
Did you ever attend a real first Tuesday
horseswapper convention. and wade
around in the mud and listen TO the swag-
ger and bluff INDUCED in by the devOtees
OF the boneyard2 Did you never stand
around and listen to the hilarious greeting
to one another as they ride, drive, lead,
drag and God only knows how they 20 get
some Of the rips into town. Did you new
er take survey OF the limping, hating
cdvalcade OF fOur-for-a-penny stock, OF
when you can never see one 50 bad put
mat another Is worse, all drawn up on
ufst tuesdays to be sWappedE Then, dear
reader, you can tolerate a brief pen pic
ture OF a real horseswappers' convention,
where liquid stimulants are required TO
give CAB as well as cheek TO the trader
Judgement is not so much required, as
there Is hardly a bare possibility or loss
IN any TRANSACTION that may occur.
How u you swap cries one Would-De
trader with a limping jade with both bow
legs and knock knees, and Of such stock
the more a man owns the poorer he IS
Right, Is the answer of another trad
er with sway backed. big legged shadow,
that couldn't chew a lump of cold mush
Come this way and swap for the gray
are older than nine) Il want to trade her
for horse" And if such a trade is made,
in three minutes that same man is shout
ing a proposition to trade that horse for
mare or a mule
Whips and spurs are in constant denlsnd
10 keep awake or induce stir among the
stacks of bones that YEARLY drag aDont
on exhibition, where every apology is made
Tor any defects that may be apparent.
The SPAWN legged, hObbling skeleton Of
a horse, II IS explained, fell through a
bridge few days previously and slightly
injured his limb, but of course will be
all right in a day or two The sWeenied
shadow is tenderfoOted. if bare, and
pricKed with a nail IL shed. while some
better looking horse dOctOred I'D for
the occasion, but which in all probability
is not worth the club il would take to
knock him in the head, is represented to
be hopeleSSly afflicted with every disease
that horse flesh is heir to. By such rep
resentation the real condition of the horse
IS adroitly concealed and go back" as
they can II, FOR cheating, is estopped, be-
cause the horse was represented to have
every conceivable complaint though his
appearance did not Indicate It.
All sorts Of jeers were thrown out with
the shouting banters that are heard every
where, such as: How'll you swap that
race horse for pint Of peanuts" or "how
much boot will you give between that
stump sucker and a bee course"
These sallies are given good humoredly
ana received in the same spirit. Horses
are exchanged for pocket knives, pistols,
Watches, sulkies. dogs, anything. Last
Tuesday, one man exchanged his horse for
a COW, and saddling her up he mounted and
rode around bantering others for a trade
with as much complaisance as ever.
And there is another wonderful feature
about this business. Every boneyard trad
er, when his dozen trades are made and
his days work finished, returns home at
night to brag of what he has made dur
ing the day. but the most astute financier
would be greatly puzzled to figure out his
profits. Any man, 1t would seem, could dis
cover the loss incident to and growing out
of his possessions.
But this is a brief account of business
on the boneyards of Carrollton on each re-
curing first Tuesday.