The age-herald., 1901-05-12
Sketches from Everyday Life
The People Under the srIdoe

The People Under the Rrldoe.
 The Horse Swapping Exchange. of a city is not to be found in the principal business streets It does not have a re- spectacle home like the Stock Exchange and the Cotton Exchange, but usually slouches away to a remote corner in a back street where tobacco can be chewed without the use of cuspidor and where business can be conducted unfet- tered by any rules of exchange. except that fair exchange is no robbery. and therefore to be avoided The golden r,Is in horse swap is to do unto others what they are trying 10 do unto you. and ask whatever you think you can get,
 Many of the citizens of Birmingham m who daily pass over the TwenS Ssecond street bridge are unaware thai under- heath it Is the city's horse wapping ex change. Here every year hundreds of mules and horses are bought. sold and swapped. Probably many buyers are sold" without being bought, for all is fair in love and horse sale. While there Is certain element of speculation and chance in buying horse, 1t is not spec ulation pure and simple. like buying cot ton futures. but legitimate business. When you buy horse you at least get something for your money. besides ex- perience. Experience Is a valuable teach CT. yet people always hate to pay for it. It Is one of the many things they think they ought 10 get for rothing.
 Here under the Twenty second street bridge can be found at all times a hete- rogenons lot of mules. horses and horse traders. There are many gypsies en- gagged In the business. but they never stay long enough In one place to estab- fish reputation. Perhaps this Is tho very thing they wish to avoid. but their nomadic habits are chiefly the cause. Like the wandering Jew. they are doomed % wilder forever. They belong ;o the "move on'' class. This habit Is expensive to them for they are not allowed to do business without a license.
 If they did Judge FeaGin would fine them. It costs money to live In Birm!ng- ham as well as to die. and gypsies
  the city s96 for the privilege of selling horses under the bridge. and they pay the State and county s33 for the same license.
 Usually Gypsies only stay In place week or two, but in Birmingham they have to pay an annual license if they on- ly stay day. There are several white men in tho city who pay the same license and dc business all the year round.
 There is a vast difference between life on top the bridge and life below. It is the usual difference between the top and tho bottom of things Those on top are in the sunshine and fresh aid. those be- low live in an atmosphere of tin cans, rubbish. mules. dirt and bad language.
 Looking for a Gypsy queen to tell him when his bad fortune was going to end a man wandered underneath the bridge. Seeing him walking aimlessly around an- other man advanced towards him.
 Are you Gypsy?' asked the stranger
 "Yes sir" replied the man. Have you a horse to sell?"
 You don't look much like a Gypsy" said the stranger, gazing at the man who had blue eyes and light hair.
 Well. the fact is, l aint a Gypsy" said the man.
 Where Is the Gypsy queen?' asked the stranger, looking around for fat and slatternIy woman which is the usual type of the Gypsy queen. The young and beautiful queens that the poets tell about were all lean good while ago and are now fat old women.
 She ain't here" said the man. She's gone to Anniston."
 My usual bad fortune" muttered the man. "I know it will never cease I can't even draw a queen no matter how much of a drawing card she may be-
 May be you would like mule," sug gested the man. I've got fine one" he continued. Only ss5 cash-its worth at least a hundred" Here ne pointed out a mule which looked as If 1t ought to have been drawing a pension for many years as a veteran of the late war.
 "I don't believe I want a mule today" said the stranger. ''] am looking for queens not mules"
 1T bin tradin under dis bridge six years" spoke np bystander. an I ain't never see no queens hear yit."
 You are fool" saiG the blue eyed