The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-02
AN IRISH FAIR
Interesting Narrative From
Dublin Indepent.
How the Farmers Buy and Sell
and Engage Help.

From an early hour in the morning
the roads leading to the town are filed
| with seemingly endless string of
| carts and cars, men on horseback, men
walking, drovers and dealers. Big
boned, red-faced farmers of the yeo-
man type come rafting along on
strongly built jaunting cars drawn by
lazy, thick-set horses. Their progress
is slow, for every now and then they
are obliged to pull up to get through
the crowds of steaming bullocks that
block the way. Carts filled with bon
hams (young pigs) and covered owe:
with canvas, tent-shaped, and heavy
wagons, come by in turn, and here and
there boy astride a donkey is artfully
| lodging between animals and vehicles.
Within the town all is hustle and
confusion, says Cahir Healy, in the
Dublin Independent. Farmers living at
a distance have driven in their cattle
the night before. The beasts are said
to look a deal better than if they had
been fetched straight from the grass
this morning. Those townfolk who
provide accommodation for cattle and
their owners are about by daybreak
mixing mashes of bran and meal for
COWS, and preparing food for the lodg-
ers. The farmers are looking to their
own comforts; they are yelling Justify
for their breakfast, and incidentally
giving the temporary helps a bit Of
their mind, some Of them imploring the
women folk to "get them a bit for
goodness sake and let them be going"
Many of them, indeed, in their intense
eagerness to secure good position in
the green, hurry off without breaking
their fast. The Ulster farmer is never
greatly concerned about his dietary;
anything or nothing will do in pinch.
The whisky sellers, anticipating a
rich harvest, have been up the greater
part of the night. The fair people have
a noted prediction for a drop O. the
craythur" hot and strong, /. e., cheap
new whisky, and the publicans min
lister to the demand. A band of walters
and extra bar hands have been engaged
for the day, and the "haf vans" pass
across the counters at a rate that is
fairly amazing. Michael treats John
to half wan @ the best, and John at
once returns the compliment by or
dering two more.
The fair green and the principal
streets of the town present curious
sight; COWS and men, horses and carts
move backward and forward in a
struggling mass. +Yonder man is
| wedged between drove of bullocks,
and here a frightened, wild-eyed steer
from the mountains is encassed in the
center of a crowd Of farmers. Drovers
are yelling for clear passage for their
| hocks, and a horseman is plaintively
pleading for "weeshy bit iv ROOM"
In the midst of all this noise and con-
fusion you can hear the clarion tones
of the dealers driving their bargains.
1t is customary for the seller to
AXE nearly twice the amount he is
disposed to expect, and the task of
beating him down" to the lowest pos
sible penny is sometimes amusing, and
always interesting.
"Houl out your ham," says a fellow
with a look of cunning, "till bid
we the value iv your doncy wee cow"
out his opened palm; the other strikes
| it sharply and names ridiculously
low price,
"Arrah, go away with ye," the farmer
replies, Indignantly, "and dye think
stole herr" meaning that unless he had
come by the beast in some convenient
manner he would not dream of parting
with her at the sum named.
| The seller increases his offer eau
tiously, going away a few PAGES after
each bid to give the farmer the idea
that he is about to try elsewhere, and
coming back to strike the opened hand
again and again.
| After a while the amount in dispute
grows insignificantly small; you might
suppose that the bargain was about to
be concluded. But in that you would
err, for the buyer and seller never
haggle so hard as now. Neither of
them will make any more concessions.
Take it or lave it," says the dealer,
holding out a florin piece.
Del a penny piece less'll get her
tn day." the seller ayers, turning away.
Then ensues a pause; neither party
seems disposed to renew the negotia-
tons. 1t looks as if the bargain is
| off" But suddenly an onlooker
(there is whole group of them) steps
into the breach. Give me your ham,"
he says, addressing the dealer. That
individual complies with his request,
but with an air of studied Indifference
Give me yours" and the seller fol-
lows suit. The intermeddler brings
the hands of the two together over his
own. and says: III make Bellyshen-
ny of it, This is localism for divid-
ing the difference between them for
establishing a mean. will We abide
by it,"
Neither of the bargainers speak,
Come, come" says the voluntary