Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-03-08
DAVID HARUM IN REAL LIFE.
Tricky Horse Trader Finally Met HIs
waterloo at the Hands of n
N~eighbor.

Bii W VI "C9ASlh Nv WClC 4
ting around a table the other even
ing discussing the play of David
Harum." 81 do not believe such n
character as David Hnrum ever ex-
listed in real life" said one, relates
the New iork Tribune. "He makes n
good and seemingly realistic part in
n play, but for nll that he is not true
to life" "Nell," returned another,
81 disagree with you, and if you'd
ever had the good luck to know my
father you'd change your opinion, for
he was David Harum to the life. He
was an elder in the Presbyterian
church. but his propensity to trade
was frequently stronger than his re-
ligious scruples, md more than once
] have heard him say on the Sabbath
to the owner of a likely horse: "Well,
BILL or Tom, as the case might be,
If ii wasn't Sunday what would you
take for that horsc?' The desire to
trade was born and bred in him, and
he could no more forcgo 1t than he
could his daily meals. 1t was II of
the vital necessities of life, and, al
though n kindly and generous soul.
when 1t came TO trading ii was well
for the other man to keep his eye
! peeled. Although she knew it was
, Fruitlcss, my mother used occasion.
ally 10 demonstrate with him and ad-
iurc him to give up trading in geu-
eral and horse trading in Particular.
as she considered it entirely beneath
the dignity of an elder of the church.
She might as we'll have been King
Canute ordering back the advancing
tide, for all the good it did her. He
had n invariable reply: What's the
use of talking, Sarah? There's only
one thing I possess in the world that
] wouldn't trade. and hat is your
self This always ended the discus
sion. AS he waXed fat in years his
fame as n keen horse trader grew I'M
til It spread throughout the country
side, and people grew chary of swap
ping horses with him. While the IN
scrvativc element eschewed horse
trading with my revered parent, he
none the less had his hands full, for
there were many bold spirits who
tempted fortune and sought to best
him. They felt that if they could
but once get the better of Deacon
Smith their regulations would be
! made. And so. great as was the
hazard. the boldcr members of the
! community essaycd the feat for the
glory there was in il.
Zone and all went down to igno-
minious failure. and those who were
left grew charter and charter of trad
ing with my father. But in his lesser
field, like Napoleon, he, too, finally
met his Waterloo. 1t came about in
this wise. He was driving into town
one day, when he came across a
neighbor sitting on a roadside fence,
In the field within was a likely look
ing horse which caught my fathers
eye. The one he was driving was also
pleasing in appearance, but he was
afflicted with heaves. a fact temper
arily driven into the background by
liberal application of dope Want
to trade, Bill?' the governor asked as
he slowed up. oh, I dunno. deacon,
was the reply; that's n pretty likely
%critter in that field. / amt got nc
special cause to want to get rid o
him. Then came the skirmishing ant
a trade in which the horses changed
owners, something to boot going
with ours. Bill was to bring the horse
into town and swap at the churcl
shed, and so we parted, mutually sat
isfied. Bill appeared promptly, un
harnesscd our horse and led hin
away, in response to inquiry stating
that our new equine was on his wa,
and we would probably meet him j
we started along. We waited som
time and then started off to NEE
him. We found the horse all right
Tie lay in tnc ditch at tic edge of tn,
town, as dead as n door nail. Hear
disease had been his failing, and i
had killed him us would n blow fror
an AK. 1t wasn't Bills fault. TIL
horse had belonged to my fathe
when he died, and, anyway, Bill ha'
nine points of the law in being i
actual possession of our horse. The
the governor showed that he vas
dead game sport by taking his med
cine with never a complaint. HON
we went, and not a comment fe'
ITOm LIS ups. "a tihiSS eAS ~
was oppressive, but nary a kick di
he make. His luck had turned, an
he knew it, and he was not one t
complain. The next day he and
were Mt work in the wheat field, whe
the town constable drove up. Deacon
I'd like a word with you,' he said, an
the pair entered into conversatio
but so low that ] could not overhea
what they said. The constable talke
earnestly, even nggressivcly, but
could tell that my father was return
ing a stubborn negative from I'll
way he shook his head. Finally. the
raised their voices. No, JIM sat
. the governor, 4 don't see how I ca
do it, Don't be foolish, Deacon r
| piled the constable. IF You don't
!, it o you'll have the law after 20
, I'll bury that horse for you for 81
: II WAS indeed the deacon's Waterloo