Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-02-19

Each year, just before the holidays. a
large percentage of the male population
of the county of Madison, N. Y, is in
terested in the strangest conventions
ever held in any part of the Empire
State. They are called in the vernacular
of the locality "hoss traders conven-
tions, or "hoss swapping fairs, and
part of the county and often visitors
from other sections.
Generally these conventions are held
in the little hamlets of Lenox Basin
and Five Chimneys, but the first of the
series was held this year at Morrisville,
the county seat.
On these occasions the hills, valleys,
"baok deestricts," hamlets, farms and
towns Of the county send out their stock
of swapping nags and jockeys in great
numbers, and when the collection is
made and the convention opens the
Madison Square horse show is not a
comparison to the wonderful array here
presented.
The delegations begin arriving the
day before, and the night is an anxious
and busy one. Some of the nags come
in sadly out of repair and must needs
be braced up with wonderful conooc-
tions, the ingredients of which are
known only to the shrewd owners of
the animals Where they have learned
all the tricks by which deception is
practiced is mystery, but it is believed
that some of them are secrets handed
down from father to son for generations.
Certain it is that some of those who
make it a practice to attend these con-
ventions yearly have the art of turning
sorry looking nag into presentable
animal in the course of few hours.
When all is ready, the doors of the
various barns in the neighborhood are
opened, and the swapping commences.
Horses Of all colors, sizes, ages and
breeds are shown. There are cribbers,
bakers, kickers, hackers and runaways;
horses that are blind, toothless, lame
and wind broken; beasts that have done
time on the canals, the farm or the
dray; broken down carriage horses and
occasionally one that il years gone by
had been a favorite ON the track.
The sparring for advantage is always
interesting and furnishes many char
acter study. For instance, a farmer
from the northern part of the county
drives respectable looking chestnut
mare down the road. As he nears a
group of men, who stand with their
backs against barn, each one industri-
ously whiting, he is greeted with
challenge to swap.
"Waal" he replies, 81 dunno as l
want to get rid of her. She suits me
putty we'll an is kind an gentle fer the
wimmin folks to drive I didn't come
over to trade her, but thought I'd come
down an see what was goin on.
Then the several members of the
group walked out in the road and COM
menced looking the mare over.
"Where'd yer git herr" one inquiries.
"Waal, she uster belong to Doc
Smith, up to Durhamville, an she's
pulled him more miles than any hoss in
the county ever travelled, an she amt
hurt mite. Jes' as good as she was the
docs gettin so big an fat that she's
hardly heavy enough fer his long drives.
If 'twasn t for that yer couldn t bot her
of the doc fer 5000. l traded him big
bay hoss that paid $125 fer an give
him $50 to boot. She jes' suited me, all
| hain't got any reason to be sorry fer
my bargain. "
"Sound, l s'pose?" questions listen
er, with wink.
Then the voluble owner of the chest
nut mare starts off on 10 minute de-
scription of the animals health and
physical condition that would take q
novice off his feet and lead him to in
merely heard by the veterans of the pro-
fession and believed in no particular.
Finally the owner of the chestnut
consents to get out of the buggy and go
in the barn and see u roam, and il he
doesn't trade for that he looks at
black, brown, a gray or sorrel and
makes "swap" with some one. In the
meantimea half dozen other trades have
been started up, but the excitement nev-
er increases. The professional country
"hoss trader" never betrays anxiety, ex-
citement or even interest. He is as in
different as log and plays his cards in
the coolest possible manner. He whit
ties necessarily, chews straws and to-
bacco, talks as loud as campaign ora
tor, swears moderately, lies without
knowing it, spars and parties for ad-
vantage, but is never led into showing
disappointment or chagrin.
Most of the transactions, or "changes,
as the members of the profession term
them, are on an even basis, but occa-
sionally few dollars boot" money
will change hands. Sometimes two men
will talk half day about trade, and
both horses in the deal may not be
worth $40. When the trading grows
dull, a venturesome dealer will put up
one of his nags at auction, and the sums
realized range from 80 cents to So. Of
ten one man will own dozen or 10 diff
ferent horses during the day, and yet
the actual cash value of his entire hold
ings might not reach 800.