The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-17
Slight Mistake That Interfered With
a Horse Deal.
THE BLUNDER OF JOSEPH
HE NEGLECTED TO ASCERTAIN
THE SIZE OF THE COURSE.
Trial On a Half-mile Track That
Spoiled the Sale of His World
beater-Horse's Time Wasn't So
Fast By one-half as Joseph Be-
ieved.
\ CNew York SUM

81 never could miss a horse deal,
said one of the former proDrietors Of
the Gutenberg race track the other
day, with a chuckle of satisfaction, but
my last venture was a Jim Dandy.
over in Jersey a few weeks ago 1 was
driving along the pike, about five miles
from my country home, when an old
farmer know pOked his whiskers over
his fence and asked if 1 didn't want TO
buy an ancient plug which he held by
the halter to keep from falling down. L
stopped, of course, and examined the
steed. There was about So worth of
meat on him, 50 worth of vitality and ,
cents worth OF speed. 1 didn't exactly
see what | could 90 with such a mOnu-
mental wreck, but the horse trading
passion grew strong within me, and l
said:
How much for the equine gold
Thirty dollars returned the
farmer,
For how many?' 1 asked, politely.
This is selected stock. Comes one
in a box was the retort.
"'Tn give you ten said l, and no
questions asked
Let's divide the pot ne said. Call
it twenty and this beautiful HANDLE
tonian is vour'n.'
well, 1 liked the farmer, and liked
his sporty talk, and as 1 had spent some
previous time in dalliance at the road
house, money had ceased to look as
lovely as usual. So l gave him the
twenty and led the four-legged grave
yard home. l kept him on grass for a
week or two and noticed that he began
to pick up a. little form. This also at
tracted the attention of a coal-black
gentleman whom 1 employ on my place
as valet to the cows and lesser stock.
One bright, dewy morning he shufiied
up and said:
Boss, what you taak TO de new
hoss?"
Does some benevolent association
want to buy him?' 1 asked. The black
gentleman grinned till his teeth looked
like a monument builders exhibit at
a worlds fair.
No, sab, said he. Abs lookin' TO
boss flesh 20 myself
Bat this is a very valuable animal,
Joseph said l refiectively. and his pos
sibilities in speed are unlimited. The
only thing that worries me is his impos-
sibilities, I should think 500
'Ah'll give yo' fifty. boss, broke in
Joseph. 'Cawn't spare no mOre'n dat
"A kind heart and a generous, noble
nature have always been against me in
matters of commerce. SO sold the nag
TO the black gentleman for mis- half
century and dismissed the transaction
from my mind as unworthy of regret.
But a few days after he came around
to discuss his purchase
Boss said he, abs Dowful sorry
TO yo''
What's the matter with me" 1
asked. Am 1 sick again?'
'Yo' done viii be wen yo' heahs de
news he answered. Boss. dat fifty
dollah boss yo' done sole me goes in
twO-thuty-sevenl'
Don't. Joseph said I. panied be
yond expression at this evidence of de-
cadence. Remember Ananias and
what one puny little effort did for him.
Fact, boss; deed hit is he insisted.
Then he called runt of an African
who had recently appeared in the
neighborhood to come and back up his
assertion.
Two-thuty-seven's his time, sah.'
said the runt, pulling out a handsome
stop watch, which he explained in some
confusion had been presented to him
by a lady friend for being good. Me
m Joe done had him down to the track
"a trotted him round in yo' ole sulky
in dat time, sub, 'cOrdin' to de watch
JOSEPH" MAKES a TRADE.
eff that is the case, Joseph. said I.
L all Nllllll5 10 Duy the animal Ddck at
a comfortable advance. Looking a. the
horse now in a charitable light, l per-
ceive that his days are numbered and
will soon be tabulated on a cold, cold
stone. You may touch me for $50 and
I'll take the animal off your hands
But the low-down African grinned.
Bid him up, boss said he. Ans
used to auctions
" Joseph, said I. you grieve me
deeply. Would you. for the mere greed
of filthy gold. restrain the hand of
benevolence? III give you 500.
" 'MOney'n have t talk louder'n dat,
boss, said the perverse one once mo-,
eff yo' please.
Seventy dollars, then, if you're
good
Oats \. B. C, boss. Sling some
good ole diction'ry langwidge wild free
figahs in hit
We'll, before got through with Jo-
Seph he ran me up TO $125. Then l
started over to the track with him, his
runt friend with the stop watch, and
the bony old glue-pot filler of a horse
to witness a performance before pay
ing my cash. The track In question is
an abandoned bicycle course which I
overhauled last spring as a sprinting
place for my own horses and the horses
of my friends. When We r;syived the