The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-28
A SHARP HORSE TRADER
Sidney Diekerman and His Work
at Flewellin Corners.
Sunday the Day of the Week for
Swapping or Selling Equine AMI
Always "a Sharp Bargniner-PIay-
ing IA Trics on n Sporting Parson.

Always "a sharp BarSntneF-fi"y-
ing "a Trick on n Sporting Parson.
In this electrical age Of automobiles the
professional horse trader is becoming al
most unknown even in the country dis
tricts where he was once SO prominent a
figure. If this were not so no author
would think of putting David Harums into
a novel. and If they did the result would
not be satisfactory to the publishers. Once
in a while one will come across type of
the genuine old horseman of the cross
roads. generally lying in the sun in front
i of the nearest country grocery store, siz-
ing up with sleepy eyes every horse that
passes, and going over in his mind the
busy, happy Gays of twenty. thirty, and
fifty years ago. when the horse trader was
a man of standing in the community. Still
rarer is the old time horse trader, who is
yet in the business. who actually makes
living out of sharp bargaining in horse
flesh. without running the risk of raising
| the animals or keeping large stables.
! There is one of this latter class in West
chester County. not two hours ride from
the city hall, and he is known among
| horsemen all over New Jersey, Connecti-
| cut and Eastern New York. sid Dick
erman Is the name he makes his mark
| after, and no one would ever think OF call
| ing him Sidney. He rents a little plot of
land at FleweIlin Corners, where dusty
/ country roads from Sing Sing, Yorktown,
| Mount Kiseo. and several other places
meet. About half mile westward Is Gro
| ton Lake station. where those who have
| sold out to the old horseman can take a
| Putnam Branch train of the New York
| Central He has lived at this same corner
for the last twenty years, and every Sun
| day winter or summer horses IRE traded
| and 'swopped" in the roadways about his
house. Out of the boot money and oc-
| casional sales Dickerman has managed to
make good living and he is going to keep
| at it till he dies.
Horsemen, farmers, and liverymen for
| miles around come to sid" Dickerman
/ when they have horse which they want
to get rid of or to exchange for another
animal. Sunday is the recognized day fer
business. and from; twenty to one hu bred
men and boys are always to be found
/ there before the afternoon is over. Last
| Sunday was . slack day for some reason
| or other, yet there seemed to be a crowd.
The men 6angleG long legs from the top of
Il slOut ItItts Tue DO.S were iiuiIb tue
| horses up and down for inspection, ard
| the women folks visiting at the little
house on the hill. Dickerman was thsre
! in all his glory, whip in hand, putting
Dags through their PAGES up and down the
road as though he had been a boy OF if
teen. He looked at the horses which were
for trade, told their ages without exanin-
ing their mouths. gave an itemized list of
the diseases to which the various animals
GtIbiapf pniufFd with irfinifp 6
elimination any possible defects, and in the
same breath told the kind of a trade he
would make.
OF course, being true horse dealer, his
eyes were blind to defects in the horss lie
had to offer in exchange. and he varied his
Ito boot demands if his opponent in the
trade was inclined to beat him down. He
did not seem to get the worst of any of
the bargains made. although his long face
and exhaustive profanity would hardly
have indicated it. He kept the crowd
laughing with his droll jokes, some OF
which were told upon himself
sid Diekerman was born in Yorktown
sixty-fve or seventy years ago, and |
has traded horses ever since he was old
enough to. He started life as a peddler of
tinware, going all over New York State
with rickejy wagon and a more or less
decrepit pair OF horses. The nature of his
business demanded constant changing OF
horses. and necessity made him sharp
bargainer. He knew all about horses, and
was seldom fooled in the animals whic,. |
he took in exchange. He usually drifted
back to Yorktown with a much better
team than he had when starting out. He
finally quit the tin business and settled (
down to trading horses for living. He !
used 10 keep forty or fifty horses on hand
all the time, and when unable to sell he /
was always willing to trade.
-
hair is grey, and long. bushy. yellow /
white beard falls down over his flannel |
shirt. He wears knee boots, into the tops |
of which his trouser legs are carelessly /
stuffed, and usually has big quid of to.
haeco in one cheek. His eyes are as keen /
end sharp as ever, and horses still fear
his glance. They seem TO realize that he /
knows all their bad points, and the most
tricky animal seldom tries to fool him.
Every hOrseman in Westchester County /
knows some good story in which Decker /
man figures. One of he favorites mas to /
do with a sporting" parson. Dickerman
sold the minister a horse for racing pur-
poses. He guaranteed the animal to do I
mile in three minutes, and the parson was |
pleased. for that was fast time for coun-
try horses in those days A few days after |
the sale the parson returned with the |
horse.
'"You have cheated me in this horse
deal, he said
wall, what's the boss been doin' now?"
drawled Dickerman.
IT'S not what the horse has been do |
ing, but what he hasn't DONE replied the
parson. 1--WE tried him on the track and |
he won't run a mile in less than four
minutes"
For the Lords sake, dominic, you're in
a great hurry if you can't wait minutes"
was the ready answer.
Dickerman had all but closed the sale
Of bald faced nag to an up-country
farmer when the prospective purchaser
happened to notice that the horses tail
had been cut off.
Il reckon I won't take the horse" said
the farmer shaking his head.
What don't you like about him." asked
Dickerman.
His tail is too d short" objected
the farmer.
We'll. I calculate it'll ne a darned sight
longer before he has another ONE
sid" Dickerman's third wife watched
the trading last Sunday from the ''stoop'
of the ramshackle, old-fashioned house,
which they find very comfortable. She is
somewhat of a horsewoman herself, and
when out with a fast team will not let
anything that drives over a Westchester
road pass her. 1t is no wonder that their
tenyear- daughter, Title is an expert
with horses She has a pony of her own.
takes care of him herself, rides him astride
at frightful PAGES, and is as comfortable
without a saddle as with one She drives
and makes her team cover ground with a
ion, 81 a,.I. /, Il