Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-05-11
The Cattle DIstemPer-D oings of the Com
mIssloners, Yesterday.

ooIih h1dnOney, numbering SIX COWS, all th'
property the poor man possessed. This was a
very pitiable case. Having family of five
children to support he said, with fearful eye
to his unwelcome visitors, of you take away
from me these cows, l shall have nothing to live
on, and must starve." His house was burned
last fall, with all the clothes of the family, and
they had been living ever since in a mud hut
and his wife said she had been sick all winter
but the children, thank God, had been in good
health. This is but sample of many other
unfortunate cases.
One of Ebenezer Parkman's herd of eigh.
teen was then killed, which proving to be dis
eased, the destruction of the rest was ordered
which was done. A noble OK belonging to
Joel M. Kingsbury, who had eight head, was
killed and found to be infected, so the rest
were condemned. Three diseased animals OF
James Hunters herd of seventeen were then
slaughtered, and the remaing fourteen ordered
to be destroyed One OF the herd of eight OF
Richard Haley, being killed and found very
badly affected, the others were directed to be
killed.
The first case in the afternoon was that OF
Dennis Murphy, who, although very poor, is
blessed with large family OF ten children.
His worldly stores were principally summed
up in one Coz, which the commissioners, find
ing to be badly diseased, ordered to be killed
The lamentations of the ruined owner were
loud. His brother, Michael Murphy, with
large family of children, also had to lose his
only COW. He had paid several hundred dol
lars toward the purchase of his little farm, and
taken bond for deed, and had lost all he had
paid by not being able 70 meet the conditions
of the bond. These and similar cases show
how hard this calamity bears on some poor
farmers.
The commissioners found in the herd Of j.
w. Tucker, two animals that had been i'll con.
tact with Curtis Stoddard's oxen. One Of
them was killed and found so diseased the
whole were condemned, This stock had been
examined before, on which occasion they ap-
peared healthy.
There were present yesterday at the exam
nations, with the commissioners, Prof. w. S.
Clark of Amherst, and Rev. C. C. Sewail of
Medfeld, members of the State Board of Agri-
culture, the latter being secretary of the Nor
folk society and Mason C. Weld, editor of
the Homestead, an agricultural paper of Hart
ford, Conn. The latter gentleman stated that
Gov Buckingham was greatly interested in
the matter, and was about selecting delegates
from each of the various societies in that state
to visit North Brookfeld, and report the re-
suit of their investigations.
1t is considered well established fact, that
this disease is contagious, an d that infected
cattle can communicate the disease, after be-
ing exposed, a considerable time before eXhib
iting any signs of it themselves. 1t is also
thought that the only prospect of Graduating
| it, consists in the possibility of combining it en-
tirely within the present infected district
allowing no intercourse between all cattle
within those limits with those without, and
the immediate killing of all those within it
The thing most neece ed, to enable the com
missioners to finish up their work in
satisfactory manner, is money, which canno
long be forthcoming, if those interested in tn
matter, in the state and country, at large, d
their dnty, by subscribing literally to the pape
in circulation, for the purpose. The commits
sioners are working very laborously fror
seven in the morning till seven in the evening
and riding on an average each day, thirt
miles, visiting and examining the differer
herds. The course has received the unan
nous commentator of all who have witness
ed their examinations. All who who witness
ell the examinations, from abroad, are astonsl
ed at the alarming nature of the disease, grea
ly exceeding their anticipations.
The following are the resolutions drawn IL
by Prof. w. S. Clark of Amherst, and adopte
at the public meeting held at the town hall j
North Brookfed, on Wednesday evening,
which Rev. c. c. Sewall of Medfield, of til
Board of Agriculture, presided, and speeche
in their favor were made by Messrs. Sewa!
H. H. Peters and DR.. Burnett of Southboro
Col. Billings of Lunenburg, Freeman Wake
of North Brookfield, and Dr. Dadd =
Whereas, the terrible cattle disease or pleur
pneumonia, Is now raging with alarming effect
North Brookfeld and vicinity, and threatens
spread rapidly over the state and country and
Whereas, it has been demonstrated beyond
doubt that the disease is so eminently contagiot
that in every herd containing single infected an
NAL the Others almost invariably become disea sed
Whereas, the disease is intermittent and insidiol
in its character, often assuming a low and chron
form, and producing little if any perceptible ete,
for months upon the general health of the ANNA
and at other times developing itself with great raj
idity; and
Whereas, Notwithstanding apparent cures hay
been effected for time it is almost Inevitably fata
and
Whereas, in Europe after an experience of tw
infected animals is the usual method relied upon tC
arrestng the progress of this terrific scourge and
Whereas, The approach of the warm season al
pears to hasten the development the disease in al
finals which have long been affected by it in i
chronic FORM and the distribution of the cattle
the pastures Will soon render it utterly impossible
prevent the universal spread of the disease; and
Whereas, Not less than one thousand head of ca
tie have already been discovered by the commission
ers which have b9en exposed that they have eitl
err become manifesty diseased likely to do sc
and
Whereas, The sum of ten thousand dollars. amir,
prated by the last legislature for the suppression
this disease is obviously entirely insufficient for tl
purpose, and the commissioners are not authorize
to incur expenses exceeding that amount; thefor
Resolved That guaranty fund of at lenst ski
thousand dollars ought to be subscribed at once b
the people of the commonwealth to enable the con
missioneTs to prosecute their labors. This fund
be called for only i'll case the next Legislature refu
to make the necessary appropriation
Resolved, That subscription papers for the pun
anty fund should Immediately be circulated ii a
parts OF the commonwealth, that those persons NJ h
desire to secure the eXtpaion of the disease whiC
is still believed feasible, may have opportunity
do so.
The Tract Society and the Slave Trade.
The resolutions of Rev. Mr.. Walcott
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