davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

Of family names doesn't change An members
of the group are related by blood or marriage.
As clannlsh as gypsics but quick 10 resent
any comparison with the wandering tribes
Of Romauy. the Irish horse traders have re-
tanned their racial identity even after several
generations In America. They talk with an
IRISH broguc overland by "a southern drawl.
which really is quite hunk OF dialect
They live in large tents on the road The
traiIcrs which are hitchcd behind their ears
aren't for sleeping In bat merely 10 carry their
furniture from hamlet 10 hu.Ict And TINS
furniture is likely to Do the best that money
can buy
several families viii travel together Seek
ing ont tho rcmotcst corners Of the South they
make rtgilar calls on customers with whom
they arc as familiar as The mail man They
lod| lbtor thC livestock on q farm suggest
what additions or rcplaccmcn's are needed and
usually get carte blanche from the owner 10
make them
The Irish Traders have several hcadquar.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

one of the nags may have fifth degree
curvature Of the spine, ingrowing hoofs, wall
eye and a bad spavine and the other may be
emaciated looking and ring -boned. But TO hear
the two traders discussing their fine points
you'd swear that Man War and Gallant Fox
were the beasts under discussion
Lie and let lie" is the motto Of horse
traders They don't tell the truth themselves
and they don't expect it from their business
rivals.
"Caveat emptor" is the first principle Of
their art and if the buyer doesn't beware it's
his hard luck. But the lying is so accomplished
that no horse trader worth his oats is ever
caught in a whopper
There is one rule of horse trading that
even the most accomplished liar adheres to,
strictly. When he unloads a kicker" on some
else it is his bounden duty TO inform
the new owner of his nag's perversty. 1t isn't
necessary to tell him in as many words that
his boss is an equine Charley Briekley,
The usual procedure is for the elated bar
terer 10 remark casually: Friend I wouldn't
stand too close TO that beautiful critturs hind
end if | you. He's been known 10 get
a bit shttish and reach out for more elbow
room"
Horses to be swapped are examined mi
nutcly Objects are waved before their eyes
10 make sure that they aren't blind Their
teeth are examined for tctale evidence Of
filing 20 conceal the true age.
Trader Kane makes no bones about the
dccrepit condition of his nags- probably be
cause they bony enough already ON he
opening day Of the Almond sal, this yo r.
hc hcidcd his Old Dobbins together ncar the,
willow shaded creek that runs through the pas
ture lot where the auctions are held.-It-se-
happened that all the nags were chestnuts or
bays except one. sturdy looking white animal
others grouped closely around it, like corn
stalks in a stack
sharp-eyed trader, spotting the white
steed, decided he'd like 20 do business with
Kane, ne suggested trade for his dappled
gray mare.
Which Of these sleek beauties do you
want for her." demanded Kane squirting "A
stream of tobacco juice onto the greensward
and shifting his quid TO the left or non-contro-
versial side Of his mouth
III take that white Crittur over yonder,"
said the owner Of the old gray mare.
oh no you won't" snapped Trader Kane.
If | moved that baby, the rest Of EN- would
fall down"
a trader isn't obliged TO tell another that
his nag is blind That's up 10 the other fellow
TO find ont for himself During the Almond
convention, a farmer IN one Of the outlying dis
tricts swappcd his plough horse for buggy
animal and started OF for home through the
village OF Almond AS the steed poddcd down
the main stem, his new owner was first sur
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01
\ Modern David

prised then shocked TO find that the tired
old beast stumbled over obstacles and crashed
into other vehicles in his path Turning
around the victim drove back 90 the swapping
lot and Indignantly sought out the rogue who
had unl0adcd the myopc beast on him.
Say nctghhor complained be who had
been stuck, why didn't you tell me this beast
blind Hes been crashing into everything
in his path"
"Hells fire that snappy trotter Of your'n
amt blind said the sly snapper. He just
don't give a hang no more"
Not all the clients at the horse trading
shows come Just 10 swap horses There IS
great demand for old horses by laboratories
which manufacture serums and find the blood
OF even the humblcst dump-cart nag suitable
for their purpose Agents from glue factories
also frequent the sales proving that the gal
looping glue pot gag isn't far fetched, if-the
nags themselves
When Trader Kane saw q pair OF Walking
skeletons being led off 10 be converted into
muciIage. he paused and. in rcyerent tones
said:
Those two noble boasts are gong off 20
serve their country. TIE next time l see
them they'n be working FOR uncla Sam"
You mean IN the cavalry asked by
stander ncrcduously
NO" sighed Kane "on The backs Of pos
taEc stamps
But There are no real losers Every hoas
trader attended the convention, not TO make
profit but TO satisfy the primordial yen with
which his blood was impregnatcd by his first
troglodytc ancestor who snapped his Wild
pony for another tat ear. ht his r".irr owe
as Isis nc.ghtor pa "a on tho way la'i from
a hunt
The remnants Of the once numerous band
of tttnerant horse traders started the Worlds
Horse Trading Convention when they met
more or less by accident in George kames
pasture in Almond II wears ago Tho coz. M
ton has grown at such an astouEdlr. "a'c
that there are now more traders than horses,
which is just another piece Of evidence attest
ing 10 the lasting power of the horse-swapping
urge.
1t strikes the rich and the poor alike.
Saratogas yearng sales, also held in August
annually are the rich mems vcr"ior e.. the ,
Horse Trading Convention The difference is
that there horses are bought not traded; all
are thorouChbrcds and always has
chance Of buying an Alsab for $500 as Al
SABBATH of Chicago did in 1870
But the same instinct hat prompts ono
horse trader to try go outsnart another AZ
Almond is what motivates the bidding in the
swanky auction tent at Saratoga.
All Of which seems TO prove that even after
the last Old Dobhin has been stuffed and
mounted for tho museum. horse traders VIII
still be at it, swappnl the maple merry 90.
round charger with tie lavender eyes. for a
saw horse because whereas a species may die
out an instinct never becomes extinct,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

One OF the flrSt BrlnClplPS OF tiOINC
Swapping Has Always Been LET the
Buyer Beware" The Teeth of Pros
pective Bargain" Being Carefully En-
amined for Telltale Filings or Other
Attempts To Conceal the Nag's True Age.
ters in the South. One group puts up at Nash
VILE and another at Fort Worth But the main
body which was formed after the Civil War
when the Irshmen headed South after selling
out their horse market in Washington, still
puts up at Atlanta. They send their dead
back to an Atlanta undertaken while the
road and every year during the last week Of
April, hold a mass funeral in the Church of
the Immaculate Conception
Later at the cemetery the old Irish GUS
tom Of keening is carried out. The group
moves from grave to grave, wailing and she'd
ding tears ut each But once out of the ccme-
terry, the horse traders shed not tears but
their sorrow and prepare right away for
week of revelry.
The embodiment of the shrewd York
state" and New England horse snapper was
David Harum the banker-horse trader hero Of
Edward WeStCotts novel of the same name,
which is classic among horse-overs.
In August annually for the past Ia years,
the real-hfe David Harums have assembled
for one week outside Almond. y Y, the
BANKS Of the CauaCadca Creek and engaged
m such a spell of boss swapping Is would
have made the shrcwd hero of the novel want
TO go back TO school and study his quadrupeds.
Some 200 dealers assemble for this, the
Worlds Horse Traders Convention as its
founder and president lanky tobacco-chewing
George Kane calls IT, Kane. we'll Known in
western New York as "a shrewd barEainer
with a Dobbn is a witty gent who has at
tracted wide attention to his annual conven-
ton through his colorfu personality and the
showmanshp with which he stages the nag
bartcrinE.
The keynote of the convention is sounded
by President Kane who greets old acquant-
ances in the profession with such frank com
ments Well. you old horse thief l see
you're back again! Make yourself at home"
To others he'll say: Welcome stranger.
Come in and bc robbed"
ON a large pasture lot beside the state
road. through which flows the purng Cana
cadea and which is shaded here and there by
clumps of willows. the horse traders who at
tend the convention do their stuff
Two of them viii get together and in voices
that are intended To let the entire world in on
their secret transaction VIII start arguing
about the respective merits OF the horses they
propose TO swap.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01
BY DAN PARKER,
Famous Sports Commentator and Collector
of Odd Characters.

-WO odd conclaves held in recent months
brought to light a charming anachronsm
that made many Americans become nos
talgic and forget for a while that the world
has been converted into huge charnelhouse
In Atlanta, during the last week Of April
as has been their custom for over half "a con
fury, the Irish horse traders of the South
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

dllltI tu lOI liltll all
nual funeral and mar
riage ceremonies, after
which they dispersed
once more 10 the four
corners of Dixie TO re-
sumo again their age
old horse-swapping oc-
Cupation.
And willow shaded
CanaCadea Creek I'm
Almond. y. Y. during
the third week Of Au-
gust witnessed the four
teenth annual Worlds
Horse Traders Con-
vcntlon Just as COM
placcntly as If this
weren't the Machine
Age and a horse some
thing short Of a mu-
scum piece
The relentless a d.
vance OF the motor
soor may drive the
horse into its last
refugees the race track
and the 700. but Judg
ing from the cuthusl-
asm displayed at the
two hors, swapping
conventions, no man
made machine can ever
drive from the human
breast tn e primeval
urge 20 swap the noble
beasts whether while
crossing 2 stream or
hI-h ou SOME T--.d
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

In This Machine Age
There Are Fe wer
Horses Than Traders.
But as Dan Parker
Norro+es. the AIIuring
Barter That Was
Greet Sport as Far
Back as Man Can Re-
member. Still Thrives
With All It's Tricks
and Traditions
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-01

~ An'T'ln Wr'ky IN Gl'0i El'un 'Ieh's Rcserycd
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18

rate musicians to in-the-flesh per-
formances by fourvh-raters.
Petrillo, incidentally, is generally
aared but not too well liked by
Tegro musicians who accuse him of
r..a' irdice The Chicago local
of which he is head negotiated a
ontract specifically barring Ne
groes from radio employment and
or many years he refused to allow
Ie2ro oEchestras to appear at any
f the better clubs and cabarets in
white sections of the city.
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
SEEING STARS

colored cast and the traditional
bullfighter is d prizefighter in the
1--WE version.
Cab Galloway, in pleading to
Transportation Director Eastman
for buses for colored travelling
bands travelling in the South wa.
thinking of Lionel Hampton, whose
bus was taken away and left him
stranded in Miami.
When Noble SiSsle leaves the
Diamond Horseshoe, he'll 60 on g
vaudeville tour, but he won't fine
any place like New York.
JUST BREEZED IN Ida James
that chic little bit of starduSt who
chirps with ErSkine Hawkins was
in town last week when the boys
brought their talents to the Apollo
Backstage She propped an aqua
blue embroidered hat on her head,
wore matching slacks, red jacket
and talked of going home to bed D..
Pigmeat, old-time favorite around
Harlem shared spotlight with the
Hawkins gang The band went on
to Washington to 1--WE at the Ho-
ward Theatre for seven days.
Bennie Carter and a new pianist
have taken over the Apollo stage
for this week,
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
Cab Galloway Is
Lauded For
Bus Fight
Band Leaders
Plea Praised
In Resolution

NEW York; -(ANP)-The Ne
gro Actors Guild CT America, Inc,
Noble Sissle president, and Elmel,
A. Carter, vice chairman, exec
utiye board, last Monday sent q
copy Of the guilds resolution to
Cab Galloway, nationally known
orchestra leader, thanking him for
his plea fer the continued use of
business by Negro orchestras as
they fill engagements in various
parts Of the country. The resolu-
tion:
WHEREAS, the eXigencies of war
have i!npelled the director of the
Office Of Transportation tc issue
an order sharply curtailing the use
of the buses, anG
WHEREAS, the said order would
work a tremendous hardship on
bands composed of colored mu-
sicians whose itineraries demand
this type of transportation, and
WHEREAS, Cab Galloway, a dis
tinguished member of the executive
board Of this guild ard the chair
man of the executive committee
voluntarily and use1fishly appear.
ed before Joseph Eastman, direc'
tor of the Office of Transportation,
to plead for relaxation of the
order controlling the movement Of
buses because Of its inimical ef-
feet on the lives and fortunes OF
Negro musicians, therefore, be it.
"RESOLVED that we, the men,
bers of the executive board of the
Negro Actors Guild of America, do
hereby express Our appreciation to
Mr.. Galloway for his efforts, and
extend to him the gratitude OF the
Negro in the entertainment field
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
News Of Theatres
Negroes Score Highly In,
Berlin;s New Army Sho1u

was Stumpy of the dance team
Stump and Stumpy before draft
ed, and appeared in his last pic
ture "Ship Alloy" which, while
showing at his camp, he was asked
to take a bow and perform "in
the flesh" Stumpy is married to
charming Ida James, singer with
Erskine Hawkins. But now, back,
to the show.
"This Is The Army is not mere,
ly a magnificent soldier show. IT.
is one of the greatest musical
shows in this country. To Irving
Berling, who wrote and produced
it; TO Ezra Stone, who directed it,
to all of the soldiers. colored and
white, who are in any way parti..
cipating in it and to the United
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
Selectee From
Fort Benning Is
Hollywood Veteran

States Army which was intelligent
enough to realize the value of such
a production to the wartime spirit
of ali Of us, there must go more
credit than it is possible to set
down here. Because This Is The
Army" does not try to capitalize
on patriotism. it is one of the
most truly patriotic works / have
ever encountered Because it al
ways keeps its sense if humor and
never tries to be emotional, it is
one of the most moving events in
theatrical history.
One difficulty in setting down
the admirable details lies in the
inescapable fact that the show
really has everything. That is,
everything except girls. And the
terrible truth is that you don't
miss them. The impersonations of
the girls are screamingly funny
Berlin's delightful music in
cludes: / Left My Heart At The
Stage Door Canteen; Mandy; Oh
How I Hate To Get Up In The
Morning and The Army Made A
Man Out Of Me.
This Is The Army" was Berlin s
own idea, revived twenty-five years
after he had worked it out as
"Yip, Zip, Yaphank" at Camp
Upton, Paphank, Long Island, in
1918. And today, 300 actors and
musicians have cooperated amazing
ly to make the soldier epic a sue
cess.
It's marvellous soldier show
Good for our morale and theirs.
Good for recruiting too. And bono
sales. And especially good for the
faith that it conquers. When the
country'S Number One song writer
sang his "Oh, How I Hate To Get
Up In The Morning." he was near
ing the close of a remarkable en-
tertainment and a gallant adven.
ture.
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
BaSie's Manager
Turns Composer

JERSEY CITY, N. J-(SNS)-,
Milton Ebbins, business manager
of Count Basie's orchestra, ii
rapidly winning recognition as &
prolific writer of hit tunes, The
eX-trumpet playing maestro, who
has been plotting the Jump King
for the past two years, has just
turned out a patriotic swing ditty.
titled Hip, Hip, Hooray", which
is shaping up as Sure-fire can
didate for the Hit Parade
It's scheduled for recording by
Vaughn Monroe, Kay Kyser, Woody
Herman Thornhill, Barry Wood
and other artists and will be given
its coast-tocoast air debut by
Vaughn Monroe on his new pro-
gram for Camel cigarettes on the
Columbia Network Monday, July
20 at 7:30 p M (EWT).
In collaboration with Basic, Eb..
bins turned out TUNE Town Shut
file" and Coming Out Party a
pair of swing specials, which were
waXed by both the Basic and Mon
roe bands.
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
With DOLORES CALVIN

NEW YORK-(C) - (EXCLU-
SIVE) - SONGWRITER SELLS
SHOW TO WARNER BROTHERS
FOR $250,000. All this talk OF
Irving Berlin's This Is The Army
epic of soldier life as Berlin sees
it, has gotten him $250000 con-
tract which gives the rights to
Warner Brothers for production in
movieland. That means big break
for our Hollywood actors as well,
because they'll need colored boys
to replace the colored soldiers in
tae show now. Berlin has agreed
TO furnish some sort of story OF
plot for the music and comedy
material. SO he is working on a
father -and-son theme, bringing to-
gether the two World Wars, which
will enable him to tie in "Yip, Zip,
Yaphen" with the new show. In
cidentally, that $250,000 check went
right to the Army Emergency Re-
lief.
THIS is NEWS. Max Gordon
plans to do the swing version Of
Carmen" after all, which writer
Oscar Hammerstein, End, calls
Carmen Jones" 1t has an all
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
Murder Picture
Is Considered
Study Central
Avenue Story

LOS ANGELES-(AN Stories
conferences" by two motion picture
companies on the Talisman lot
where Joe Louis Spirit of Youth"
was filmed have been going on
all week over Murder on Central
Avenue" by Eddie Burbridge form
erly of New Orleans. Jed Buell.,
producer of Dixie National Produc-
tions has the first rights over the
copyrighted mystery tale which at
tracted great attention while run
ming serially in the Los Angeles
Sentinel.
Other companies interested are
the K. B. producers of Paper
Bullets" and Associated Theatres,
Inc, both independent corporations
Although the film will be all
all-colored star feature, there are
two white characters in the story,
one of whom is found dead at the
start.
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
STEEL WOOL FOR BRAZIL

About 70 per cent of Brazils de-
mand for steel wool is supplied by
domestic producers, the remain
ing 80 per cent coming from the
United States and England.
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
BY DOLORES CALVIN

NEW YORK-(Calvin's News Ser
vice)-No firecrackers were needed
July 4th, for the whole world was
exploding, forming an ideal back
ground for the opening of "This
Is The Army" the show which
blew up Broadway like a bomb"
she'll The boys mopped up $45, ,000
for the first night, real record
breaker Kate Smith, alone, paid
$4,000 for two seats which sell for
$500 apiece. Every cent went to
the Army Emergency Relief
Some of the Negro actors had
never appeared on Broadway
stage. One of the most famous OF
the unit was Pvt. James A. Cross,
from Fort Benning, Georgia. He
The Phoenix index., 1942-07-18
Order Slated To
Be Effective
After July 81
Petrillo Raped
AS Unfriendly
To Race Artists
BY FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS

BY FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS
CHICAGO, (ANP) Unless James
Petrillo, car of the American
Federation of Musicians, changes
his mind and rescinds his ban on
making of phonograph records
and electrical transcriptions sche-
duled to go into effect July 81 Ne
gro musicians will be hard hit.
Petrillo has informed all record
manufacturers that the 100000
Negro and white members OF this
powerful AFL union would stop
making records except for war
agencies unless the companies
found way to prevent their use
by radio stations and in juke boxes.
Since the manufacturers know OF
no way to insure exclusive home
use for platters, they plan to sit
back and wait developments.
LOSE 500, 100000
The union leader bases his stand
On the contention that members
receive about So, 100000 annually
in recording royalties but close"
S1OG,O0O,OOO yearly as result of the
reduced employment opportunities.
He says that many places which
would otherwise employ musicians
now use canned music" estimating
that between 5000 and 5000 musi-
clans could be put to work in
places that now rely on juke boxes,
The Petrillo order will work a
greater hardship on colored musi-
clans than on white. Most of the
colored bands depend largely upon
records played over the radio or in
juke boxes for their popularity as
well as part Of their income. White
bands can expect to have consider
able air time on the big chains,
thus keeping the organization be-
fore the public, but Negro orches-
tras seldom get a chance to broad
cast. Most of those who do have
only the smallest Of local outlets
Records have built UP a followin,
for many leading colored artists
that man money when these musi-
clans appear personally. Lii Green
zoomed from the relief rolls to
star now earning several hundred
dollars weekly on the strength OF
one recording, Romance in the
Dark" Louis Jordan is currently
drawing crowds because of the
popularity of his I'm Gonna
Move to the Outskirts of Town, )"
while Erskine Hawkins was great
w aided by Tuxedo Junction.
ORDER UNWARRANfTED
The Petrillo order is unWar-
ranted in view of existing condi-
tions. Priorities have ended the
manufacture of juke boxes, which
means that when those now in use
wear out they cannot be replaced.
The cut in record manufacture is
also having it's effect on nickel-in-
a-slot monographs. At the same
time, it is well known that many
leading bands have been hard hit
by selective service, with many OF
the best musicians already in the
army. Some leaders are having
difficulty finding adequate replace
ments and are considering using
girl instrumentalists.
If unemployment is so great
among ATM members, the hard hit
leaders should have no trouble find
ing requirements. Often it is lack
Of ability that is responsible for
joblessness. A large portion of the
public would prefer records by first