The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-27
CoNusL JARVIS 1.-TWO EWES

William JARVIS, of Weathersfield, who
was United States consul at Lisbon,
Spain, from 1902 to 1910, in letter writ
ten in lS41, narrates the circumstances un-
der which he purchased and imported
Spanish Merino sheep into this county.
He states that when the Spanish Junta
were driven from Madrid, in 1909, by the
second Eruption of the French army, they
were without money or other resources and
dare not levy taxes, so that no alternative
was left them but to sell =" the four flocks
I" of Merinos," which had been confiscated
as the property of four grandees who had
Joined the fortunes of France, with license
to transport the sheep, so sold, out of
Spain. These hocks were the Paular,
numbering seven thousand five hundred
the Negretti, about six thousand in num-
Der some four thousand Montarcos and
about three thousand Aqueirres, or Muros.
Jarvis and General Downie purchased
three thousand five hundred of the Paulars
the remainder being sent to the king of
England. OF the other flocks he states
that Sir Charles Stewart, the British min
lister, purchased the Negrettis, ''of which
" selected a small part, and the remain
I" der he sent to England" ; and that he,
Jarvis, also, purchased thirteen hundred
| Auueirres about two hundred Montarcos |;
and, subsequently, 'two hundred of the
:. Tv,v ine oniy Escurials ever sent to this
country" In 1909 and 1910, he shipped
| TO the United States three thousand eight
hundred and fifty of these sheep "being
"all which purchased in Spain which,
| after reserving three hundred and fifty for
himself, were distributed as follows FIT
teed hundred to New York six hundred
and fifty to Boston and Newburyport, a
small number to Wiscasset and Portland,
Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire
and the remainder to Philadelphia, Balti-
| more, Alexandria, Norfolk and Richmond,
being disposed, as he said, ''to distribute
these valuable ANIMALS to every state
which would be likely to profit by the
acquisition"
VIC nuNC tilo olbll, AOl DCCdutt
we suppose that it will be particularly new
we presume it is already as thrice told
tale to our sheep breeders-but as introduc-
tory to brief letter, just discovered, writ
ten by James Madison, then president of
the United States, to Robert Hoar & Co.,
under date of October 10, 1910, showing
that, in some parts of the country at least,
these sheep were so highly appreciated and
in so great demand that they had to be par
celled out and allotted. The letter, now
published for the first time IN Vermont,
reads as follows: "Mr. Emo, the bearer,
beng authorized to select and receive the
"two ewes allotted for j. Madison by Mr..
Jarvis, Mr.. Hoar will please furnish him
with the opportunity. He will pay the
freight and other charges. James Madi-
" son"
This letter s doubly interesting. II is
especially so to Vermonters as memento
of the importation and distribution of
Spanish Merino sheep by one of her most
distinguished and honored sons. 1t is in
teresting to the whole country as showing
the scrupulous exactness of the fathers OF
the republic in transacting business. Mr..
Jarvis had been all United States consul,
and James Madison was president of the
United States. If All allotment of two
ewes had been made between similar par
ties in the year of grace 1876, would an
agent have been sent forward to make a
selection and "pay the freight and other
charges? We regret to say that we
have no such Anticipated notions now-a-
days. James Madison obtained his "two
ewes" and paid for them. William Jar.
Wis received his money and did not seek
re-appoin!ment to his consulship, but re-
tired to bis beautiful farm on the Connec-
ticut and devoted himself to more congo.
NAL pursuits than politics. And that is the
difference between 1910 and 1875.