DRIVING AS I FOUND IT. 



THE AUCTION MARTS. 



The auction mart conducted as it ought to be is a fair 

 place to either buy or sell horses, but a concern which 

 depends chiefly upon its OTv^l animals really hangs out 

 the red flag simply as a disguise. It is unfair to both 

 buyer and seller. A person may possibly wish to dis- 

 pose of a horse or some other property; and if the sale is 

 legitimately conducted the highest bidder obtains, but 

 if it is sent to a mock auction mart the firm buys all the 

 bargains for themselves. They will know more about 

 them than any intending buyer, having a better chance 

 to find out and try them. If they think they will 

 suit they are shown to a disadvantage the first time of 

 offering and consequently knocked down cheap to a 

 representative of the firm. Neither the seller nor the 

 public get any benefit^ the concern gets all. But how 

 different the following sale day! If it be a horse it is 

 shown with an appropriate harness in a suitable vehicle, 

 and the public are then given plenty of time to bid. I 

 don't wish to imply that the purchaser, whoever he 

 might be, is swindled, what I wish to infer is that the 

 seller got less than he really would if his horse had been 



