Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-10-14
Wiley Horse Trading.

A few days since a horse-tradlng
convention was held on a farm in Bea-
yer County, Pa. and 1t was a unique af-
fair where peculiar people and a
motley lot of horses had been brought
together, the people to get the best of
each other in their swaps of antique
critters. The Plttsburg Times thus
tells of one of the swaps:
A farmer with whiskers that would
have made him Populist in Kansas
three years ago stood pulling the tail
of a gray horse that would be Popu-
list now if hard times is ever a justi-
ficatlon, for the creature looked as If
had not had enough in the house to
make square meal for 19 years. A
stubby man with billy-goat beard ap-
peared. "Grampap," he said, you're
a-pulling that horse around as If you
was interested in him. Got anything
you want to trade for him?"
Il got horse here, but l don't
know as want to swap him for that
crltter," replied the understudy of
Krlss-K Krlngle, still pulling the horses
tail.
Bring up your beast and lemme see
him."
He's in the shed there and If you
want to talk about that thing there
you better take him somewhere in
shelter too, for hear a crow a-cawlng
up on the hill, and like as not it's after
your hoss."
However, after little more parley-
ing, the granddaddy brought out of
the Shed tall, slender brunei, with a
chest development like a picket fence,
and set of bumps on her that would
have given a phrenologlst a days
work. There she is, and she's as
stiddy as a deacon. Anybody can
drive her."
Wouldn't thought anybody could
a drove her except somebody big
enough to drive her with a maui How
old is she, grandpap?"
"Leetle past nine"
you don't say. I'd never thought
to look at her that she was a mite old
er than am. But if you want to
swap,how much'll you give me for that
gray?"
Give you? l ought to have $25.
.--at's stopper She can make her
three minutes any day."
"Grampap, can take that grey and
start even with you and come back and
meet you, and go back with you and
meet you then. If she can make a mile
in three minutes you will have to wait
a minute or two after time Is up That
grey can go around her for money"
He can? Lead him away from the
fenoe once and lemme see il he can
stand alone How did you get him up
here, carry him? l swan, | don't be-
llevethat thing will live till spring.
An say, If you was going to speed him
you'd have to limit the distance. l
wouldn't look for him to get around a
full mile track before he dies of old
age"
And so they jollled. But ultimately
the man with the billy-goat whiskers
informed me that "grampap" had Civ,
en- him $40 to trade, "and it's a shame
to let horse like that go without get
ting more money. l ought to had 500
at least"
What you doing with that thing up
here?" asked man with a roam mare
of half-grown youth with bicycle,
whose last few years work has been
over time.
Thought mebbe I'd find someone
who had some trading sand in 'em, and
would give EN- good bargain. Want
to trade?"
Don't think I'd want to trade for
anything l had to get off and pump up
to make it CO." was the whitening re-
tort of the man with the roam.
If you'd pump up that there hide
yer hoss would De worth three times
as much as 1t is, and wind isn't worth
very much, either"