Horse-dealing transactions—A typical horse-deal—“Splitting the difference”—The horse-trading conscience—A gathering at a funeral—Another type of farmer—The sordid life that drives the boys away.
There are some few persons in every community who have always a weather-eye open for a likely horse which they may see passing by. These men are usually free-handed, and know how to match horses and train them nicely, that they may drive quietly and travel evenly and slowly, so as to be desirable carriage teams. When they can make a trade for such a desirable beast they are in their happiest moods. Trade failing, if the owner does not wish to trade, they will buy for the cash at the very lowest possible figure. Disparaging others’ goods which one wants to buy seems to be the general rule among traders in our province. Not that it is thought that such tactics are disreputable, but it would seem almost inherent in the nature of such traders. Perhaps the farmer has a likely young horse harnessed beside a steady old one, which he is driving along, and the horse-trader fastens his eye on him.
“Wouldn’t you like to trade my off black beast for that awkward colt of yours?” and the conversation is opened and the “dickering” commences.
“How much boot would you give me?” and the farmer turns and looks attentively to the trader’s old nag, checked up so high and so tight that he champs continually at his bit. But it’s an old beast after all, although nicely groomed and made to look its best. On its nigh hindfoot is just a suspicion that a spavin has at one time been “doctored,” and on the whole the trader’s horse much resembles the shabby genteel man with his threadbare broadcloth and napless silk hat carefully brushed.
“As for boot, why I really ought to have $35, but seeing it’s you, I’ll trade for $25,” says the trader.
And the farmer chirrups to his team, becoming impatient with the man’s absurdity. “Hold on a minute, let’s see if we can’t split the difference,” says the dealer.
Now, there’s this peculiarity in many an Ontarian’s dealings that it is very generally proposed to “split the difference” where the buyer and seller cannot come to terms. It may be a hap-hazard way of doing business, and has no foundation in sound reasoning; yet it is a fact that very much of the buying and selling in rural Ontario is done by “splitting the difference.”
Our farmer, however, has not yet seen any difference to split, and thinks still that he should get the best. And the horse-trader tells of the merits of his horse, its weight, how gentle it is, how well and handily it will work, and impresses his idea upon the farmer that his colt is yet untried and scarcely broken. Up to this time in this “dickering” the farmer has not made a positive offer, and once more chirrups to his team and starts upon his way.
“Stop a minute. If you think you could not split the difference, how will you trade, any way?”
“Well, I might trade even, since your horse is heavier than mine and better able to do my work, but how old did you say he was?”