Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-08-06
From the Rutland Herald.
An Incident in the Early History OF
Chester.

Among the first settlers in Chester, ON
and south of the village, were two fam
lies who lived near together, named,
Mann and Ide.
One day as they were at work, MIR. lde
said to his neighbor that winter was COM
ing on, and he had no meat to lay up for
his family, and he did not know how he
was to get any, unless he stole it. To
this Mr. Mann made no reply, whereupon |
Ide renewed the statement, and proposed
to Mr.. Mann that they should steal a
COW from the ueighboring settlement,
near Rockingham line in the south part
of the town.
Mr.. Mann, astonished at the PROPOSE
ton, and confirmed in his previous sus-
picions that Ide was not an honest man,
avoided giving direct answer, out said
he would think the matter over, and tell
him in day or two.
Meeting him few days after, he asked
if he was in earnest. Ide replied that
he was. Mr.. Mann replied that he did
not think such transaction exactly
right, but he did not know but he would
take hold of it. and asked few more
days time to think upon it.
In due time Mr.. Mann told his neigh
Dor that if he was still in favor of steal
ing COW he would assist in the matter
and accept the proposal before made by
Doe to share equally in the beef.
Ide owned cow and so did Mr.. Mann.
These we're allowed to range together,
through the woods, and the heavy COW
bell that each wore announced theli
whereabouts if they were not about al
milking time. One evening just as MIR
Ide had fni,hed milking his COW, Mr.
Mann stepped over to his house and sait
to him that he would go that very nigh
/ if desired, and steal, and help butche
| the COW. Ide readily assented to tn
5 proposition.
S With rope, butcher knives and leathe
}, apron in hand, the two men started a
! soon as it was thought the people OF tn
settlement would all be sound asleep.
r For time after their arrival at tn
0 settlement, they we're unable to find an
S cattle. They had evidently strayed OF
e for in those days barn yards and cattl
pens were not common, and cattle wei
n allowed to range at large in the wilde
Sc ness that skirted the settlement.
O. At last they discovered solitary co
~ which they readily captured and led O
It As they were leading it off towar'
" their homes, Ide remarked that she WI
e. the best COW to lead he ever saw exec
ul his own. He remarked, too, that if 81
ur only had a white face, and three whi
in spots on her shoulder, he couldn't II
IS her from his own COW. Just before reac
/ ing home, they turned from the roa
ng through dense thicket, into a sm'
ID clearing, and there, by starlight, tn
ed butchered and cut up the COW. To qua
+ against the discovery of the theft, tn
he took the precaution to bury all the bloc
ad offal, and even the hide, in a hole, viii
MS Ide had previously prepared. Just
to fore day light, they finished their VIC
,as and carried home their beef,-one h
If to the house of Mr.. Mann, and the otl
NO to Mr.. Ide's.
ur. When milking time arrived the M
7 morning, Mr.. Ide's COW did not appe
ed nor could the jingle of her bell be hea
- IMr. Mann's COW came up, and as 1t
nd unusual for the two COWS to be separat
n search was made for the missing one,
,as. she could not be found. Night car
,ta- and was followed by the morning,
the COW could not be heard of.
ike Before commencing the second ds
one search Mr.. Mann asked his neighbol
d I it were not possible that they had m
,ev- a mistake and killed the wrong C
ing that by chance might have wandered
tied to the neighboring settlement where t
he found her. Ide replied that could
be, for three reasons, his COW had q D