The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-19
MARKET DAY.
Vivid Pen Picture of Life in the
Emerald Isle.
A GREAT DAY AT BANTRY
Mr.. j.. H. McKeeyer, the Clever Illinois
Writer, Sends the Review a Des.
cription of a Gay Market Day.

day in Bantry and a cattle and horse
fair was on. The morning had not pro
crossed much beyond a grey dawn an6
yet the streets of the little Irish villag,
were alive with a moving, changing
crowd of people and in the air Their.
arose a motley clamor from the drove.
of cattle and sheep, the horses and the
hogs which crowded the broad marke,
place and the streets nearby. The
shrill and plaintiff bleating of young
lambs cut sharply in above all other
sounds in insistent appeal for the green
meadows they had left; cattle lowed
and calves beloved frantically for par
ents they had lost; young pigs shrieked
in remonstrance as they were hauled
about in their beds of straw in cart
boxes by prospective buyers; horses
clattered ver the hard streets, put
through their PAGES by eager grooms;
heavy carts went jolting along; ever
and anon a diminutive donkey would
loosen his large and heavy voice to fall
upon the ear; market women cried
their wares and lusty lunged peasants
shouted pleasantries one to the other.
1t was the one day of the week for bus
mess and sociability.
Starting before daylight, many of
the peasants had been on the road two
or three hours for they came from a
radius of ten or fifteen miles. The fair
opens at 6 and lasts until s, after which
the purchases are driven away to new
quarters. There is however, much
buying and selling up till noon or /
O'Clock for on the stroke of 8 the bargin
hunter begins to ply his vocation with
the owners of unsold stock Offering
them lower prices as the alternative to
driving their stock back home, and as
the time passes he becomes the more as
siduous. Market days are weekly in
stitutions, this n being on Saturday,
but a horse and cattle fair is held.in a
district only two or three times a year.
Pig fairs come every month or so. The
fair is open to all to bring in stock and
offer it for sale in the open market.
One man may lead down a COW or per.
haps a single sheep while another will
drive in a dozen young bullocks. as they
are called, or perhaps a dozen or two.of
little pink and white pigs, which were
carried to town in one of the big two.
wheeled carts which are universal in
this country. Throughout the whole
of the country districts there is nothing
used for hauling but the cart drawn by
one horse. For riding the jaunting car
is mostly used but nowhere out side of
Ireland is it to be found.
The market place is given we to the
cattle and though 300 of them were
loose upon the broad plaza and men
and boys moved freely among them
done ran wild nor offered harm to any,
n Upon n side of the square
the pig carts were ranged in a row and
in a narrow street leading away were
the sheep markets. Near the corner
were rows of horse and donkey carts on
which cabbage, and other vegetables
were heaped and offered to the passers
by women of excellent business capa-
city aud extensive conversational
powers. The 100 or more horses which
had been brought together were assem-
bled upon a wider street and more dis,
tant from the market, where there was
room for them to be shown to advan-
tage. All sorts and conditions of horse
flesh were shown from the most humble
cart horse which might find a purchaser
in some poor peasant to the blooded
stock fit for the stables oe a landlord
and perhaps to be taken by his agent.
This market as we'll as the show of cat
tie drew buyers from towns for miles
around, men who had come in the day
before in order to get an early choice.
They would stand about the street
while up and down it the horses were
being ridden or led. Seeing one that
VIZ AoASJ a euDuG W Uuc Ilu0I
would bring him to the curb ready to
put the animal through any pace.
Sales are not effected without a great
deal OF bartering and this is especially
true with those made after s o'clock.
What price will we have for the
cow? said a man to a young fellow who
held the rope tied about the horns of a
black COW. This was after he had made
a minute examination of the animal,
the owner in the meantime paying not
the least attention to him.
Tn not carin' particular to SELL"
said he, but nine poun' we can have
her for an its far more | should have.
Yell not get another like her for less
nor ten poun' or twelve. Indade l
wouldn't sell her but we have no room
for her with the others, sorr, and veil
get no better"
God a W ye man, is it bloox she has
in her? Nine poun'! Would we be rob-