Litchfield enquirer., 1857-08-13
agrtrutturaI.


 HISTORY OF THE MER1No SHEEP MANIA.-1n con necton with the history of the Silk Worm Mama, and the Rohan Potato Fever, the Merlno Sheep spec ultion is we'll worthy to be aed, because of It's stnpendous character, exceling every otber humhug pruplbly, except the Tulip Mania of Holland. There has always been enough ofmen in the United States to lay hold of any novelty and make money out of it. whether beneficial or otherwise to the cOmmunl- ty But present any thing before the public whlt Il looks like great benefit and the furor becomes in tense for speculation. Such was the case with tle Mcrino Sheep first introduced into this county in lSi5. lii the summer of that year, a haii-doze. sheep from Andaiusia. in Spain, were imported into Boston. They were immediately investet with mysterious character. It was said that their Heeces Of the finest tex tule and that the lntroductl of the breed into this country would enable our wooen manufactures then ill their Infancy 10 produce broadcohs that would compete successful ly with the finest European fabrics. Our farmers became excited Henry Clay was consulted, ana ne imme ateIy gave the opinion that these sheep were exactly what required to enrich both our agri- .cultursts aiI our manufacturers The manm spread itself rapidly The six sheep at Boston were soi.. for fifty dollars each they cost ill Spain about one dollar This marvellous profit famed the flame of speculation, and it not long before fleet ses sail from shores in pursuit of the golden 1leeces of And.lsa. In December, 1916, there were one thousand MerinO sheep Ill the United States, which were valued at twelve hundred dollars the head In 1917 the importation and the value increasel In the summer of that year select sold in New England at fifteen hundred dollars, and bucks at two thousand! By the close of 1877, the spe3u- lation in New England began to decline on account of the excessive importation but it increased rap idly in the Western and South Western States, and particularly in Kentucky, in consequence of Mr. Clays opinions. It is narrated that iii August lSl, Samuel Long, a contractor, living near Ashlanl, paid eight thousand dollars for merino buck and eve i; and he believed that he had secured fortune by the purchase Some of the oldest Inhabitants may remember Samuel Grotter, who resided at that time ill Lexington. reputed the wealthieSt man in Kentucky, and the controlling manager of the Uni ted states Bank. He owned merno buck and which Long anxious to buy Irotter offer cd to give Long the meinoes if he would build for him certain house upon celtain site The offer was accepted At an expense of about fifteen thou sand dollars Long built and finished four story brick house. about fifty feet by seventy, and deiiv cred it to Irotter for the two mcrinu shecp In six months from that time, the value of the merinos had fallen to twenty dollars. Long kept them un- til they had fallen to the value of other sheep, when he killed them, made a feast of the costly mutton, summoned his friends and, like the ruined Venetian, thanked God that he not worth du cat! He died soon after of broken heart as did nlany others who also had suffered from this extra ordinary Merino Mania.