The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-19
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

400 head of stock was to be sold by Fles & Sons I knew I would be there when it started of.
 was summoned as a witness in the criminal division of the circuit court. but went by and luckily found that the case in which I was wanted would not be reached during the forenoon. So made a bee line for lower Second avenue. for didn't want to miss watching. the crowd and taking stock of the animals before the auction began.
 Unless you have walked down the row of pens into which Fies & Sons is di- vided, and then back on the other side. you have no idea of how much space 1t takes to care for 400 head of stock. was surprised to learn how they spread out over the ground. It seemed to me as if there were more than l,ooO of them.
 
 Each horse Or mule had to have his number, in order to be identified in the sale. and after, and to keep his record straight. There is a whole lot of de- tail work which has to be done before a public auction can be held. Every anil nal was put in the best possible condi- tion. to give it a chance to bring it's full worth. Men were busy with curry combs, shears and clippers. soon ran across Rufe Rivens, who was watching over the county's mules to see that old Jefferson got a fair price for them. He was busy in the lot, and when the sale opened he took a seat up on the stand by Moxie Fies so that he could watch the show below and 1t was well worth looking over. for an auction brings out whole lot of human nature, and it's a. study to watch faces as the bidding gets fast.
 Parker, the auctioneer, did not waste much time in his opening talk, for he realized that he had g. full days work cut out for him, and so he jumped into l the sale with rush. The first thing put up was a covered wagon belonging to ! the show outfit, and it was soon snapped up and others rolled in to take it's place. It was soon seen that if anyone wanted 
 to bid it was necessary to do it quickly | or get left
 There is all the difference in the world between cattle traders and horse traders. I was conscious of this the moment I got inside the building. The typical cattle man carries a stick with a crook in it, while the horseman satisfies himself with a. longer straight one. I called my friend Frank Derby's attention to the l difference for he was the first man I ran across. He had his famous stick swung over his arm-the one he had here at the Red Cross bull sale.
 I
 | It seems he had come up with the fa- nous little gray pony which was raffied l off at the rooster sale and won by his 1 daughter, if I remember correctly, or in l any event presented to her. I recall see 1 ing her drive through the streets of De | mopolis proudly driving her to a swel cart She being here at school, Frank de cided to sell the mare. and brought along a lovely spotted Shetland. the property of one of his neighbors. They are bott beauties and were bought in by MT. Bar rett He also purchased smaller spotted | pony. He now has a quartet of Shet- lands.
 | He came very near buying another, but when he saw that Dr. Blackwood of On eonta was after a brown Shetland for one of his children. he gracefully retired ir his favor. as he said he did not feel that he ought to corner the market on Shet- land ponies. I saw the little lad ride the brown pony into the stable, and when out that his first name was Barnett. He gave as an excuse for selling his pet that he wanted a bigger pony.
 It was loads of fun to see the negroes bidding on the cheaper priced horses | mules and wagons. Parker seemed t1 particularly enjoy getting a negro ant some white man going after one another for the class of animal known as pool skates" I witnessed one old, dercepi mule knocked down to a darky for s13 l which gave the auctioneer chance t, say Why. uncle. you didn't even pa, a dollar for each year of his age. ough to have gotten at least s2o for him"
 
 While there was quite a lot of second hand animals sold, yet there was som, mighty classy stuff put up. There were scores of extra fine mules and som, choice saddle horses. but got more fur out of the fights over the low-priced ones because in each instance the bidders be came highly wrought up over the transac tion It meant more to them than 1t dit to those who had good bank rolls ant could pick the best in the bunch. For thi. reason a dollar raise appealed to mi more than five-dollar ones.
 
 A negro in one corner was doing a fin, business in selling barbecued pork ant beef sandwiches, and in dispensing colt drinks. had to leave about noon, bu his trade was getting brisk. Some da, when you are feeling blue and want t. get your mind off of your business O whatever is troubling you. just run dowr to Fies & Sons to an auction sale ant you'll socn forget everything but the ex citement going on around you, for some thing is happening every minute and fellow on the ground has to keep awak or get run over.
 But one of the things that I got mos