The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-08
BY N. A. AGEE.

our future to attend the courts and witness the proceedings to equip us for future combats. We left Ciai- born horseback for the forty-six mile ride not expecting or desiring any business or case. but simply as "1ookers on in Vienna"
 McCaskill was young man of Scotch descent of nne sense. sterling charac- ter, pure morals and liberal education. 1e was elected as Representative in \ the Legislature from Monroe County, and was q f1t associate of another of the Scotch Camerons from Henry County that session. A. ]. McAlister. It was during the political excitement that year as to the compromise meas ures passed by Congress when Judge John Bragg defeated c. c. Langdon for Congress in the First District. Mc- Caskin and Bragg were both State Rights Democrats. and LAngdon was a fWhig and Union man, and of Northern birth. Colonel Langdon had for long years been editor of The Mobile Ad- vertiser. intensely whig. and for Henry Clay. All this was used against him. and successfully. with disastrous defeat. I came later to know Charley Langdon, as he was familiarly called. in Mobile, as one of the boldest and abiest defenders Of the Southern cause.
 Colonel Langdon's fidelity to the Lost Cause was afterwards recognized by his election as Secretary of State. and rejoice that there was then no discrimination between Whig and Democrat, Union and Secessionist. But [ have got away from McCsskill and Sarta. He died in 1852. . victimp of typhoid fever-the first case I knew in Monroe County.
 Judge Robert Daugherty was hold ing court that term. He was man of large body. of genial conutenance which indicated fine humor.
 He lived in Macon county and came from Georgia Like all the judges and lawyers of Georgia. of that day he was full of it. in fact. was overfiowing with 1t. It was irrepressible. After adjournment of court one day we q having plenty of leisure) took a stroll around the town.
 En route the judge quietly remark ed to one of the party. Well. this is a finished town.
 Now. what do you meant
 mean. replied the judge. 'that it is finished. completed. nothing more to be done to it. It reminds me of the building of King Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem. Not the sound of axe. hammer. gavel or any tool of Iron or metal is heard. It is a finished town. did not see the Spartans. not even a band of music. but I saw q horse trader from Kentucky.
 My First Horse Trade.
 I was a young man -setting out and my father thought it\ would be nice to ''set me up" with a nice horse and buggy, which he did. liked the buggy but not so we'll pleased with khe horse not even grey horse or another sex and did not favor either the color or sex q mean of the equine famfly). Yearned to have a large blood bay, a thoroughbred I found him in was . beauty, large, well formed. or si1kan, glossy, shining hair.
 The drover's name was Christian, but whether the christians of Bunyon's PilgrimAs Progress. did not inquire 60 interestad was I on exchanging my grey for his bay. He was my ideal of | horse, and I did not test him at all. Cook the Christian's word for qualities and swapped. even. Had he asked me a25.OO .sboot' would have gladly paid 1t and thought had made a good trade Kut he wes a Christian and took pity on q green horn. congratulated my self that had, secured my ideal or a horse. that would take the girls driving on the bikes to their great. admirations of my beautiful bay and the envy of the young men for my
 
 I mounted my Paragon and my friend and I set out for Claiborne. We got over ground very we'll for ten or twelve miles, then my horse began to lima. The further we went the more he linaped and was in a strain to move at all What is the troublea Some thing wrong. He had stuck nail in his foot; let us see. No, there IS no nail. Perhaps he was founderedf But on examination we could discover no disease or ailment we were acquainted with. We could not diagnose his case: never thought of looking above his feet and legs for the seat of trouble. So we trudged on at the rate of two miles an hour and reache home at the end of the second day. sent for a veterinary surgeon at once i've called them horse doctors in those days). He said the horse had been stove up and had the swinny |. what is swinny? It's a wasting of the shoulder, a shrinkage of the shoulder blade. See? I did see 1t. What ia the remedy. the cure? None. By resting six months he may regain some flesh on the bone and do light work I can't wait so long. Then came a chilling blast, biting frost that nipped my young hopes in the tender bud and left me disconsolate. No drives with the girls on the pike and no envy from my rivaisl ..rwas ever thus from chiidhood's I've seen my fonuest hopes decay."
 But what right had to oensure the trader if he was a Christianf I OCT / tainly had no legal redress, for re- quired no guaranty as to soundness. :. He may have violated the moral law by suppressing facts and deception. :. Besides, what was e100 in horse trader
 An old Express Horse.
 I found out afterwards that my fine blood bay had been an express horse and the drover had picked him up at Midway in my county, and placed in his drove as a Kentucky importation. The express company operated a line between Mobile and Montgomery and required the fleetest horses of best bootom, for ten miles an hour. having Selay stations every ten miles. Mid way was one of the stations and my Bonnie Bay one of the victims.
 After that I avoided Kentucky horse traders (even though they might be Christians) and dealt exclusively with a local trader. His name was Sol Metzger, a Jew, who lived at Claiborne and after the war moved to Mobile and engaged in the same business. When I wanted horse by purchase or exchange, I told Sol of the style and qualities wanted. If he had none to suit me he never failed to find one. I could try him as long as I wished and if not satisfied. return