The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-10
Tricks Practiced by Willy
Horse Sellers.
How Ancient EQuineS Are
D0ctOred Up for Market.
Old Stager's Camp Experience--Ex-
PLANTATION of Florida Smoke.

The agents of the Society for the Pre-
vention OF Cruelty TO Animals are very
vigiIant In these plantations, and most of
those who i'll use dumb animals ore pun
ished for their wrong doing. There is,
however, kind of cruelty which the
society has not been able TO reach as yet,
II the Gossiper is correctly informed. IT
IS the bolstering up OF worked-out and
worn-out animals so that they will make
y good showing on sale day.-A man who
says he knows all about such matters
claims that one of the recent expedients
OF unscrupulous horse dealers is that OF
filing out the eyes OF antiquated animals
so that they will not appear sunken when
the equine comes under the hammer. Ihe
operation consists in the making OF an
opening near the eyes into which is in
serted the nozzle of an air bellows. Wind
is then pumped in very gently and the
effect il that the sunken eyes are pulled
out and the horse, so far as hia optics are
concerned, is very youthful in appearance.
But Ii Is in appearance only. for the wind
that gives the desired fulness to the eyes
leaks out, and as the man with the bell
lows is not at hand TO repeat the opera
tion the deluded purchaser learns that he
il q victim OF horse sharp.
"Another way OF doctoriny up broken
down horses," continued the Gossiper's
informant, sis the injection OF a large
dose of whisky into the tho an imal,
hypodermic syringe being employed TO
pump the invigorator into the beast to bo
disposed OF. Several secret compounds
are also employed ny unscrupulous tn ders.
In fact, there are many injections COM
pounded which contain a limited amount
of the jre of youth. Then the broken
down animal Is often fed on alcoholic
essence of oats, while we'll moistened hay
will ill out an emaciafed frame In short
order. Add to these careful grooming
II doesn't take long to bring about
complete metamorphosis. There are
tricks in all trades, undoubtedly, but in
mono are there more than In that OF horse
dealing"
Former members OF the militia are very
much interested In everything that goes
on or concerns the brigade during its
week in camp at Quonset Point. One OF
these ex-citizen soldiers in talking
about the rain, which made things un-
pleasant at the opening OF the camp, this
week told several friends TO whom he WAS
talking last evening that II he was in
camp he would rather have rain than not.
Naturally he was asked why ne preferred
dampness to dryness and that question
gave him an opportunity TO tell his story.
"Rain in militia camp" he said
makes fun for the old stagers. That's
why like 1t. was in the militia in the
early encampment days, and on one oc-
casion we had very wet weather down
at Oakland Beach. We didn't have tent
floors or cot beds tfen, but bed sacks
filed with straw to sleep on. Early one
dav II began to rain aud the prospects
were that the downpour would continue
IN m n N d.
among them, made preparations accord
ingly. We dug little bitches around our
tents to carry off tho water. We were
laughed at by the youngsters. They
wouldn'r dig bitches, but that very same
night their tenrs were Hooded, their bed
sacks soaked and they came out in the
moning pretty much the same as the
proven bial drowned rat. The ditch dig
gers, however, had no trouble from the
rain. We were as dry as a bone and had
the satisfaction of laughing last and
longest at our friends who wouldn't
profit by the advice Of the old stagcrs'
A friend OF the Gossiper who has Just
returued from Jacksonville. Florida. says
he heard during his stay there much talk
about what is called the "Florida Vol |
cano.' He became Interested i'm the |
subject and began an investigation, |
which resulted in his learning that the |
mystery OF the Florida smoke, or vol |
cano, as ii is ropulerly called, like that |
OF the Gnnges gnns has never been satis-
factorily solved. Though many attempts |
have been made TO ascertain the cause of |
40 singular phenomenon. Ii is believed |
to bo caused by burning peat beds, |
which, accidentally ignitcd, have Deeu |
known 10 smolder FOR many years, and |
the smoke from which. rising on clear |
and still days, would naturally resemble |
that from volcano. Tine Investigations |
made by some adventurous explorers a
few years ago seem 10 confirm this |
theory.