Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-06-06

"Noa, siri don't say that" appealed the poor
farmer, earnestly. "I've lost 'em all, and
don't know hats TO become of Us"
"No~, look here" argued the inspector, per
suasively 3" that COW must die. If you kill her,
YOU will receive half her value, under the new
regulations if you do not why, you know, as
she is in such state, l must and then you II
get nothing"
Thi. was to the point and the farmer gave
way, ordered grave to be dug, and said he
would destroy the COW in hour from that
time. IL was arranged that the policema should
return to witness the,death, and the owner Of
the animal having STATED its value at sixteen
pounds, l. made a memorandum, assured
him that compensation would be paid, ana with
few words of kindly coincidence, took his
leave.
Taking up the cons able into our vehicle, we
drove away 10 ano'hsr larger farm where 10
less than furty-five cows rad died. It's tenart
had never sold from the time of the frs;
appear Of thu disease. He was an old mar
(he had been seriously i'll, conductor told
Us, from the shock be had experienced, and The
savings of lifetime were gone.
- I've lost my little ALL ne said us, heart
broken.
could not help fancyin. that his voice re>em-
bed IN Of poor Robson. VIXEN be used to play
10 p,thetic dramas but there real trouble
IL this mans qulvering tone, and real ruined
home At the back Of the scene. With trem-
bling hand he pointed silently to a field about
quarter OF a mile distant, where huge letter |
described by the arrangement Of forty great
mounds. 10 the graves under those mounds
lay forty animals, and buried with them the
thrift and industry of forty years Of the farmers
LIE.
Newspapers give graphic accounts no doub;.
but never realized the cattle plague until then.
| looked out over the fields-pei haps somewhat
longer than necessary-in order to give the
mer an opportunity of steadying his voice ar
gltncng II The Government Inspector, detec
cd him tIlilny his nat little more out Of The
perpend cul1r than usuai, in uneasy fdgei,
way. One COW was dying II an Isolate shed IL
the sard. We went to hook at her (p-.. sig
more If the empty stall, that gave so chilli al
pect 70 the place.; the poor beast lay pros
trate, her tanks heaviug, her protuteraat oass
scarcely covered with skin, and her ribs raises
with horrible dl-tluctness above her ALLEN ana
almost tl-s bless sides. She Was in pitlabie
,-.e. aud bad lain thus loI lnauy days, un il she
became CoreFed with sores. The former inspect
O, carrying out some absurd notions Of his own
had SAID that she need not be destroyed ana
50 the wretched animal had been inhumanls
left to a terrible lingering death. Some young
farnl-ab jrers standing round were trying TO H.
dLce her TO eat, anxlously watching her, for she
had been he pride of the dairy. My compan-
ion after examining the COW, with an ex preston
Of concern an his face that London physician
might have coveted, turned 10 the farmer and
sd, as gently he could " am afraid she
must be killed il IS impossible for her TO
er-
The poor old sorr0wfully nodded his
set {.
Here, said - which OF you fellows
will do il ? will you - he inquired OF one OF
the I4borers
The lad shook lis head
:, Moo replied he. " OF emma do thot," with
a tone meant TO convey that he usua ly was
ready for any amount OF slaughter, but on this
occasion he was not i the VEN.
E" Her, will YOU " said the inspector turning
to another of them ; but he only received the
same answer. Damn it then, fseald the in
~pector =" fetch me an axe" | confess have
never looked Upon the exIletive, " damn IT,
proper amount of rlght-manded horror, and
have always, l am ashamed TO say, secretly ad-
m.red The many delicate shades of inf -cton the
pronunciation OF it is capable of receiving. %
thls occasion there such world OF kindly
sympathy expressed in the tone IN which It was
erred, that the recording angel might have
mistaken the vague curse for blessing ar new
rr nave even entered 1t in his volume. They
br ought i clumsy, heavy hatchet, and gave IT to
my frs nd. He sprang over the rail that fenced
head forward 20 receive the blow. ! did so not
feeling at al ike butcher, and in another mo-
ment the Young doctor had eased his patient
s,.tft r!n2s tor ever We fetched cart-hCrse
and Placed cnain rouod the dead animals neck
IN order that it might be dragged away TO add
the siZ- of tie monster L. There was posi-
lively bare path worn across the n. adow, by
the number OF bodies drawn across il tor burial
Inc horse ,mourntuly fulfilling his novel duties,
slowly moved Oh.
Inc best mich COW l ever had ?" the ola
man sadly said, as his fav ,rte-dead, and oh
so wretched- looking, with strained neck, and
glazed eye-passed at his feet. | remembered
another funeral oration-one i had learned al
schooi-of far more grandiIoquent character;
comparIsop seemed grottsque. out the rulne0
farmer 8 parting eulogiun touched me far more
nelly Than the elaborate speech OF one Marcus
Antonlous had ever bzen atle TO d..
|, was a p.iafu. The desrted yard, the
vacant IN d, sie..t dairy, and iistle.s unoc-
cupisd herd-m r, composed saddenirg picture,
which might have been aptiy emit led Trouble.
Expr ss'ns our SORROW for the mis0Itu:es tha,
mad bsts!lrr him, ard mentioning the c1mpen-
sa'Ion he would receive tor the last animal he
mad lost sum that would scarcely pay the
=Apeuse Of digging that terrible I've took
leave of the poor farmer but the hospitality OF
his clsss struggled through his grief, and he
sisted on procuring Tor us goblet OF homemade
wine before our departure.
We then visited another farm and anothe !;
all had been attacked by the plague, and all haa
suffered severely az all We Oehed the awfa
des,l iai ion this mur:ain had eiused. Al
alone the tenant had been fortunate he had
led on he day the plague had commenced.
The farmers received US well, and were ready
10 listen 10 and accept any advice my friend OIL
red them as 10 precau ;ionafy measures they
prevented. But all their CAPT al IS been invest
ed in cattle, all their cattle rad been destroyed.
and very dark future opening before
them, they all seemed overwhelmed and para
|. sed thuOgh, far | could observe, t1ey
were patient a ID accomplishing enough; and
This not bee use they had no blame TO lay Oh
feiiow-men, for grievous injuries have been 10
many distances inflicted on them. Tales OF
atrocity already limited at and in y to
come, vi hen The story of the nlurrain is tod in
the chimney corner of homes,eads, they viii be
remembered and related.
l. WAS late when we drove homewards.
was not much Inclined for conversation as
when set out, and my companions flow Of
| anecdote had somewhat abated. He had not
| previously the phase in the cattle-plague
| we had tnen witnessed. The infected farms he
| had visited n bis own district either held
! by wealthy amateurs, who, after trying expens
| i've experiments, and losing all their stock, de
olared with disgust that they would "give "
farming =" else b. men who could turn fol
consolation 20 well-6ed s.ackyards, and deter
mine 10 buy no more cattle until the disease