The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-30

Editor Times: LET us consider the
question of the shark In horseshoeiDg, the
man of barter. The name given these peO-
pie is full explanation and exposition of
their true character The barterer is well
known by his title and the fact that this
class of tradesmen are so often met among
us makes the mere mention Of the name
so well understood that there is no further
need Of details But the shark, what Of
hlmg The shark III horseshoeing is
exactly the same kind Of an individual as
he whom Webster declines when he says:
SHARK, TO play the petty thief; or rather
to live By shifts and petty strategems.
That fits the case Of cur horseshoeing
shark to a knock down
For little insight to the ways Of the
shark Just select one whom the title fits
and call to your mind some of the tricks
which he is charged with, which, indeed,
he has been charged with ever since he
went into business. A shark will under
bid, slyly, any man in the trade, and will
shoe horses SO cheap that the profits are in
the pockets of the horse owner A shark
will take cash, wood coal, groceries, fur
niture, be has already taken piano and
two or three organs IN trade, cigars, liquor,
jewelry, even cheap diamond has been
secured in trade for hOrseshoeing. All
these things and more win the shark ex-
change his labor and skill for, and do II
all so slyly, so he thinks. A shark guar
antees to shoe a certain horse either by
the job or by the month, OF he will shoe a
whole stable Of horses by the month at a
certain rate and every job a perfect one,
the shoes to wear a month or no money
for extra Wok.
He does it and possibly comes out even,
but h0w2 Go to his shop aud look over
his scrap pile, there is not shoe In the
lot that has body OF iron or steel worth
the name, all the good old ones are on the
wall calked up or slowed away where
0nip shark or some of his helpers could
find them, II it were possible to see the
calked up pile, the names OF about all the
shoes in the city could be found stamped
on them. A shark win pay the driver OF
horse % per cent Of team, so per cent
and the boss Of team, we'll, he'll simply
keep living such fellow and his family
for the shoeing Of the stable of horses
Making all those exchanges has given a
shark more stuff than he knows what to
do with, SO heis In quandTy but only
for brief moment. Men he employs eed
goods, groceries, milk, coal, furniture, etc.
So 10 the employee the goods 60 in ex-
change for wages and consequently at q
gain for the shark, but at loss to the
men And SO 1t goes on.
1t is positively insulting to hear one Of
those swelled headed characters airing
their supposed grievances in various ways
to gain union sympathy to which they are
not entitled There is one soothing re-
Election which the consideration Of thi.
subject affords. Though the movement
may be marked by seeming slowness, il
is nevertheless certain that the methods d
the unsorupulous cannot long find favol
with the followers Of horseshoeing, for al
the months 90 by there is certain change
for the good setting in that will wipe oui
Of existence those customs which damn
our trade The entire list Of its perseeu
tors viii, before the solid phalanx Of ths
rising fraternity, find no room for the
practice Of their nefarious methods Il
will be merit recognized as such that vii
guard the profession and its honest and
capable followers from the infection Of tbs
shark and his ilk. j Al. Mcleod, r. s
81, graduate Of Dicks Dental FarrleI
school, Edinburgh, Scotland, member 81
the Master Horse Shoers National Pro
tective Association Of America, founded
for the protection Of the farrier's art.
q