Should a stranger seek information about the Charlotte “Boneyard” he would no doubt cause surprise by his question, and yet it is to the “Boneyard” that much of the countryside goes upon arriving in the city. For the “Boneyard” is none other than the back lot that borders on East Trade street known as Wallace’s back lot. It is in this huge lot that a revival of the old horse trading days may be seen every Saturday afternoon of the month.
Lean nags, fat nags, well nags and sick nags are led into the equine arena on Saturday afternoons and bargained away. Toward dusk the weary traders can be seen hitching their new steeds to their old buggies or wagons and preparing for the journey back to the farm. Even in that short time some have discovered that they have been stung, while others wear the elated smile of the satisfied bargainer. Occasionally, hot words are passed when a trade fails to turn out as expected and sometimes an affray is unavoidable. But taken as a whole, the back lot serves its purpose fairly well.
The “Boneyard” is the last link on the horse trading chain that stretches back to the beginning of the city. Long years ago, according to H.C. Irwin, former chief of police in Charlotte, the great trading center of the county was in the lot adjacent to the city hall. Here assembled not only those who desired to get rid of their trusty nags, but also the drunks of the town. Three barrooms faced the open space into which the horses were led and in between the bargaining came the drinks. According to Mr. Irwin, so much trouble ensued in this lot that, with a force of 15 policemen, the department made more money at that time than a total of 46 policemen are doing at present. The falling off of “business” in the police department, however, is attributed to better conditions in the city and not to the work of the department.
The trading in this lot was then carried on by a complete organization under a president and during a number of years grew into an organization that handled the majority of horse trading throughout this and several adjoining counties. The spot, however, lost some of its fame when prohibition came int he State, and gradually declined until it went out of vogue altogether.
Only the “Boneyard” is now witness to the fast disappearing traces of horse trading. With the increase in automobiles, tractors and other anti-nag machinery, the horse is getting to be less and less in demand, and the “Boneyard” less and less frequented. But unless some large building is put upon the lot in the near future, the lean, fat, well and sick nags will be led into the arena for a few more years at least.
From The Charlotte News, Jan. 2, 1922
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