The Winslow mail., 1900-05-24
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s Down East Traders Art 5
6 He Began with Gift Coon and }
" Ended with SIPS Horse.
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nCoME across the square with me:

NOME across the square WlUE me; f;
l want to introduce you to one of
our t51nsmen," said a Dover man to a
New Yorker, who was visiting Maine.
On the drivers perch of three-seated
blackboard, drawn up at the opposite
corner, was a tall wiry, shrewd-faced
years old, but who, the Dover man said,
was 20. The two went across the
square, and the man on the box was
presented to the New Yorker as Mr..
Elihu Sanford. The New York man
noted in him the keen, cold eye, the cal
culating expression, the sardonic grin
that in a down-east yillager indi-
Gates the practiced horse trader. Mr..
Sanford was waiting for passengers to
take to the camp meeting grounds at
Foxcroft. Until they gathered he had
leisure to talk.
''Mr. Sanford is known in this COM
munity, in which he has passed his
days, as citizen of good financial
standing and man of his word," said
the Dover man to his New York friend.
IF he agrees to carry you anywhere,
he'll deliver you on time if it's in the
power of horsefiesh to take you there.
But unless you believe in the doctrine,
1T is more blessed to give than to re-
ceive,' l should advise you not to enter
into any negotiations with him involv-
ing mutual transfer of horses"
Sanford grinned at the compliment.
'Oh, can't trade any more; I'm gittin'
too old" he said. Then smiling shrewd-
ly, all to himself, he pointed to the off
horsein his team: "D'ye see that horse?
He's LOO pound. sound as dollar and
worth 1925 any day I've mind to sell
him. What dye suppose he cost? 1 got
him for coon and $3.50. And the
coon was present to me-"
THAT was not a bad DEAL" the New
Yorker said, becoming interested.
''How did you bring it round?"
swell, the barber at the corner had
the coon; twas caught in the woods
below the village. and he kept it at his
shop as a curiosity like. He got tired
he'd give the critter away to anyone
who'd take it. If nobody wanted it he'd
turn it loose or kill it.
"I'll take it, says l, and lugged the
critter home. In week I'd traded it
for watch, a silver watch of no great
account, but it looked well, and, if you
wound it often enough it licked along
Just as if it was a-keepin' some sort of
time. Next comes along young fellow
from Bowerbank. He has this horse,
and he thinks he knows how to trade.
Well, to make a long story short, /
talked this watch up to him, and
showed him bad p'ints about his horse
till he was haIe scared to own the crit
ter, fearin' 'twould do some mischief or
die on his hands. He jumped at the
chance when / offered to give him the
watch and $3.50 for the horse, and he
hurried away after he got 'em as if he
was afeared I'd call after him to take
back the trade. No, can't trade any;
I'm gittin' too old for the smart young
chaps they have nowadays. But now
and then l keep 'em from cheatin' me
too bad in a Gicker, and l manage to
live" And Sanford winked and grinned
again all to himself.
"Mr. Sanford" said the Dover man,
show was it about those people that
you drove so fast to Sebec lake when
you used to run your stage there from
Dover? That city crowd that thought
you couldn't handle the reins like their
Boston drivers?'
''Oh, that was long time ago, when
we drove to Stedman's Landin' seven
mile. Twas mean stretch of road
after you past the Four Corners. Two
miles uphill and two miles down, with
Just dirt enough between rocks to
make mud holes after rain. That day
you speak of 1 had five passengers to
the lake, two men and three women.
They were all from Boston, and they'd
hired the whole coach for their own
use Everything passed off all right