The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-09-19
HORSE TRADING
IN EARLY DAYS
Wild Bill Makes S475 Out of a
Loaded" Team.
COST HIM A KEG OF BEER
LEAVES TOWN SUDDENLY FOR
BENEFIT OF HIS HEALTH.

Them was purity good days" said
! Wild Bill, the veteran horse trader, as
he Is ned back against the tree and bit
off a generous chew of tobacco. They
wasn't>no laws agin man tradin' off a
boss in them days. and l tell you bust
ness was right lively at times.
Il remember back along about 80. -
continued Bill to the crowd down back
OF Bailey's livery stable. Il made Il
rattlin' good boss trade down where
the metropolitan hotel now STANDS. 1
was comm up through Murray one
afternoon that summer and | met Bill
Watson. Bill was the superintendent
over at the shelters in them days, and
he says to me- .
1--we got a couple of bosses over
here that you kin look at if you want
to. I'm goin to lead EN- out ana
shoot EN-, and maybe you kin take the
pair offn my hands,
Il went over with Bill and looked at
the critters, and if there wusn't two
of the blamedest good loOkin bosses
that ever wore hair. l knew right off
that they Wus loaded. but didn't say
nothing until Bill spoke up and says:
What will you give me fer the
two?'
Bought For Keg of Beer.
:" Well says l, Kind of careless like,
1 can't give you nothing fer EN-, but
l would send the boys over a key of
beer to take 'em off your hands,
It's d go, said Bill, and the bar
gain wus made. l sent over the key
of beer and the next day | sent a kid
down TO bring the bosses to town.
well, it took the kid just three days
to make the trip from Murray here.
The plugs was loaded most fearful but
by leadin' 'em along by easy stages he
to get EN- in. Every day 1
rode down to see how they wus comm
along, and finally the third day he
came in with the critters an took 'em
over back of the Metropolitan hotel. |
The next day l planned an auction. I
dug up Joe Nelson and arranged fer a |
big sale. Joe wus a slick lookin' Teller |
and had a tongue that could fool the |
best of 'em.
well in couple of days or so we
held the auction, and a purity good |
crowd wus on hand Joe wus the auc
tioneer and | wus there to bid up the !
loss. We brought out one of the crit (
-ers and put him up fer sale. He wuS
L fine lookin' animal, with nary blem-
sh on him. One of the owners of the
;melter had fetched the team out from
he east fer buggy animals, and they
vus daisies till they got loaded. The
smoke finally fixed 'em. though, and
lary one could trot a block without
allin' down.
Auctioned One Off For $3.50.
LAS soon as they put the boss up /
id $50 fer him. Some Teller with a
ong linen buster ON examined the
,east, feelin' of his joints and lookin'
er spavins and ringbones. Finally he
teps back and says to Joe, I'll
i've $50.
After minute or two 1 come back
t him with $S5. and he makes it 500.
here she stood fer quite awhile.
assent raise him agin. fer l wus
cared that he would lay down. If L
uit now L wus $3.50. to the good, fer
he beer cost me $3.50, and L still had
he mate to go on.
Finally [ plucked up nerve enough
. raise him $25. He waited a minute
nd then says:
. I'll make it $780,
MY knees wus knockin like a :
cared kid, and l turned to the Teller ,,
nd said
Well, pardner. you want that boss
orse than l do. and 1 guess you kin
ave him. | wanted him powerfully
du, DIS nave DEAD ringer Ter MIN,
ut $3.50 is most too much.
THE man give Joe the $3.50 and come q
D to me and said: >
!" You say you've got mate fer o
inn? t,
~ have, says l; but he's not fer
lie
q Kin l look at him?' says he. Il
" Certainly says I; but he's not :.
+ sale >
He looked at him and right away
1cided he must have him. They wus
much alike you couldn't tell 'em
'art and he asked me to set a price. g
Sells the Mate For $175. e
+" Well says /. seem as 1 couldn't h
t mate for him, l might sell him, 81
ough | hate TO mighty bad. If you a
ant him for S175 you kin have him.. a. q,
2 thought minute and then said: 81
Will you take check?' G
. Not me- | said. / don't know you.
have to have the money. He looked
me purity hard and says: :,
Don't you know who L am? I'm o
r. X, and / own nigh half this town. ai
You may be right says I, but I III
MT know you. I'll have to see the u