Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-04
MORNING LEADER.
An AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS FROM THE
SPIRIT WORLD.
LETTER FROM RED OK.
Valuable Post MOrtem Suggestions to Cattle
Owners and Drivers.
LETTER FROM RED OK.

hhiuaDie fost MOrtem suggestions TO Cattle
Owners and Drivers.
lUnder this title the Springfield Republican
publishes better Agricultural Address" than
nine out of ten delivered at State and County
Fairs. It's humorous style and sensible practical
suggestions induce US TO publish it entire
THE RED OK OXEPISTLE-RAPPED OUT
To the race Of 6ipeds in general, and 10 those IN
HanPdsN county IN particular.
From my early youth have felt great desire
to address you on some subjects of much great
er interest to you than to me or my particular
friends. That pleasure, through the kindness
OF distinguished spiritual medium, / am now
permitted to enjoy. As l am limited to an hour
IN making this communication, and write slow
from want of practice, have no time to des ;ribe
the manner in which l am able to hold converse
with your race. For the same reason, l must
treat briefly subjects that to be fully and cor
rectiy understood, require more extended ex-
| animation.
was raised in the beautiful town Of West
field. At an early age came over to Springfield,
in company with my dam, and at your cattle
| show" was written down,-"best calf" A young
fellow from LOngmeadOw was my strong COM
petitor, and we were brought together side by
side for a closer comparison, as the committee
were in doubt, (which was the best" A bare
majority turned the scale in my favor. My young
friend Oor we had licked faces and become such)
said that for himself he did not coVet the honor,
but he was grieved at the result on account of
his owners sOn, Il bright, active boy, who first
taught him to drink milk, and in all things had
treated him kindly. l returned home where |
N.Nn ofk
lille. In summer, in company with three OF four
others of about my own age, l was put in a rich
pasture and left to the freedom cur own will
We cropped the ''verdant mead as appetite d.
rec ed, and gamboled for exercise or recreation
from one end of the field to the other In the
heat of the day we grouped in the shade of wide
branching trees, and there slept as nature
prompted, OF in ''sweet discourse reasoned high
of things that you assert, (without evidence, }
| are beyond our comprehension Nor did We
fail, OH such occasions, 10 ''yindicate the ways
Of Providence to calves as well as men"
Again / made my appearance at your show,
and with my yoke-lelIow Golden took the
second premium for steers" Sam muttered
about the award all the way home, and Golden
said he heard something very like an oath, Civ
ing emphasis to the assertion, that chad the COM
mittee been competent Judges the first premium
had been ours" We thought differently. For
when | first those bright, lively symmet-
rical fellows from Wilbraham, | whispered to
GOlden-"we must knock under"
For want of time / must pass over the many
interesting incidents of the next three years,
and come directly to the announcement that
am now in lIampden Park, on my third aud pos
ltlyely last" eIhlbiilOn,-being entered on the
list of "lat oxen fit lOr the slaughter" | am
truly on my way to the shambles You have,
my friends, read many farewell addresses and
many dying speeches from eminent saints and
sinners of your own race. Listen, if you please,
to the last leOrds Of dying OF.
In behalf Of myself aud late associates in
st-.II--.-L 1..,s--~, grievances TeIaUe
hone certainly worth believing about But
| wish to say 4 few words as to our treatment
in general They are intended for your benefit
In regard to the quantity of food furnished us,
there is little cause Of complaint but will Just
hint in passing, that some of you put too many
of us in the same dasture. You are certain Il
lose by that operation. Many of you keep us
in pasture too late in the season Bring us q
mean my surviving representatives. under cogel
at the beginning instead of the end of an au
tunnal storm. q BE very particular TO keel
our managers clean Never put fresh fodder il
till the residue of the last feeding is taken out
One nc night last winter, there being thir
teen of us in the ''long stall, " the question o
''cut hay" was discussed. Much was said OF
both sides, but majority decided that it wal
not, on the whole, desirable, SO far as we wer,
concerned. "Star," (the name of steer wh'
. is great in mathematical statiStics) stated tha
he had gone through with the calculations
and was satisfied that the feeder gained nothing
2 by that process-ppoyided, however, that th
hay in no case shall be placed iu the manne
matted, as it often is, when thrown from tn
NOV, but in all cases shall be well shook VI
and aired before it is offered for food
One word on watering,-we frequently su.
fer from your ignorance of our wants in tina
: particular AS a general rule, v hen workin,
: with US in the field or driving the road, yoI
: find yourselves thirsty; presume that loe are s.
likewise, and ''do by US as you would be don
e by"
Great improvement has been, made in the US
of, or rather the non use of, the 'cart whip,
since was a calf; but have recently wit
> messed instances, where the driver, from mer
l habit, struck one or the other Of his team a
= least once in half minute, and where ther
8 was not the least occasion for the act Las
n November we were standing in the street nea
a farm house, the occupant Of which and on
own driver were talking about the selection re
> turns While there, his man drove into th
e back yard with load Of potatoes; l was we
IS acquainted with his team. They were broker
Je ready and willing 10 execute any order as 500
ir as it was understood. The man Il suppose
= must give him that appellation) turned the ca
70 around with the team for the purpose of lettin
the load through an aperture into the cellar
-s For greater convenience, it was necessary
J. back few feet The driver bawled out "back
as loud as the word of command from brig;
der general on "trsining day, and at the SEN
y instant brought The butt end of the whip stal
5, in contact with the head of the near OK, an
q with SO much violence as TO start the bloc
D. from his nostriIs. 1t is your duty as well :
interest TO redress these wrongs.
From my own experience and observation,
RI think there is but little cause Of complaint fl
: ~ overloading," and when it is done it almost il
variably operates to your injury l give but
+ single illustration. On dayin the summer
D. 1856, we were hauling hay from the gre;
st meadow in the afternoon. Two loads had bee
le taken to the barn, when black clouds in I'll
ne northwest gave notice of a sudden shower
" Shall we take half and come again ~ sal
Sam. Jim counted the eocks:-'NO, put it a
b. on, think they will draw it." 1t was all Pl
=, on We knew by the bearing that 1t was IT
. mendous load, but Golden said q remember h
y noble words - Let us be strong and show on
he selves oxen" Without much difficulty "
lg crossed the meadow and came to a small hill
/ the entrance of the pasture. They can't po
u. sibly take it up" says Sam "Wewill give Il
lie to that assertion again." said Golden. "
did SO and with super bovine efforts reached Il
~ top. Unfortunately few rods of moist grour
n lay between us and the barn, but over whlC
l3 ordinary loads were carried without difficult
but the heft of this sunk the wheels so dee
10 that we were Obliged to stop 1t began rainin
at violently, but rails from the fence were used
I'd levers. Jim put his brawny shoulder to tt
It. wheel-there was having and geeing and wh
IT. ping, and Il am sorry to say) some swearin
of but no onward progress. We were let loo
of from the tongue of the cart-the men fled