Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-07
YANKEE REv|VES
HORSE SWAPPING
Old Tom Turner Goes on Trading
Tour to Win a Bet
of $100
RETURNS WITH $125 PROFIT
Starts Out with $50 and TrampS
Over the Country in An
Cient Style
RETURNS WITH SIPS PROFIT

NEW YORK, July 6.-With his face
as red as the sun that was sinking
behind the horizon, his shoes dusty
and his collar wilted, but with smile
on his wrlnkled visage as broad COM
paratively as the before mentioned
horizon, T. E. Turner, 70 years old and
a revivalist in horse trading, entered
Greenwich, Conn, in triumph last
night, leading a spirited chestnut-col-
ored horse, on whose back in barking
glee rode Happy, the old mans pet
spaniel.
Turner Is the owner of a large stock
farm near Albany, and in days gone
by was a horse trader on the road and
a Snowman as well. Entering Green
wich he had just won a wager of 500
made to show that the art or science
of horse trading was still a live one If
the right man with the right shrewd-
ness and activity got into it. The con-
ditions Of his bet were that he should
start from Stamford, Conn.,, with a
capital of $50, tramp about the country
in the old-fashioned way and return
to Stamford in two days with $100
profit to show in horse trading.
He tramped more than fifty miles in
the course of his trading, part of it
under a blistering sun yesterday; but
he was in fine physical form as well
as in fine feather over his triumph
when he got to Greenwich.
The discussion that startetd him on
his gypsying arose at Stamford hotel
the other evening. He has been stay
ing there for several months with his
wife, A. guest asserted that with the
automobile and trolley interest in
horsefiesh was almost dead, and that
the old-fashioned trader would find
pickings so dry he'd starve if ne tried
his vocation in these days. Old man
Turner denied that and the wager was
laid.
Turner left Stamford at noon Tues
day with Happy at his heels and the
$50 in money belt about his body, un-
der his clothing, in the fashion he had
used to carry his money generation
ago. He walked eighteen miles to
Mount Kisco arriving there at in the
evening. He looked over horses and In
the morning bought one for $40. He
moved on to Milwood with the horse
and there met Harry Gedney. He
traded the horse with Gedney for an
other animal and $40 to boot.
Going back to Mount Kisco, he sold
his new possession for $85 to a Mr.
Williams. Then he moved on to Tar
rytown and there bought a horse for
$40. At Pleasantville he sold that steed
to a Danbury man for another horse
and $50.
Next morning he exchanged his
latest equine acquisition for another
spirited and classy but vicious nag
that the head of the Brace. farm school
for boys desired greatly to lose. Old
man Turner valued this animal at $500
and wanted to keep him. But the pro-
visions of his wager called for him to
keep on trading. He laid his plans
accordingly, and in the course of four
more dickers he traded his find" away
and traded him back again.
And this was the horse, acting not at
all vicious under the old mans hand,
that Turner led into Greenwich last
night. He had cleared $125 and had
the good horse besides. He put the
animal up at a local livery stable,
tucked Happy under his arm and went
to demand his $100 winnings and a re-
traction Of the statement that horse
trading wasn't as lively and profitable
as ever If man knew the game.