The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-04
A Patent Milk Pail.

| county, Hes Ill Vic CIdCh VI oliO ouhithoi
peddler, and is constantly visited by
them. Mr.. Gosman is o respectable
milk person, who, with the help of
thirty-seven cows, sends very large
quantity of milk to the market. Though,
during the six months from the LIST
of May to the lst Of Novem.
Der, an average number of five
peddlers and two-thirds call on him with
articles for sale, he rarely buys any
thing Still, being kind-hearted and
just man, he never drives the peddler
from his door with violence, and it is
only when he is unusually busy that he
sets the dogs on an intrusive peddler, or
reminds Mrs. Gosman to throw boiling
water on him. There was, nevertheless,
one peddler whom Mr.. Gosman rather
liked. He was a pleasant-faced and
cheerful fellow, who never descended to
anything as low as lightning-rods or as
exasperating az subscription books, but
who occasionally offered for sale articles
that were not wholly useless, and who
always dealt literally and fairly with
his customers. For example, he once
sold to neighbor of Mr.. Gosman q
small monkey wrench, and when the
purchaser objected that he never had
any monkeys to wrench with it, the ped
dler offered to procure for him gross
of monkeys of the proper size, at the
wholesale price. 1t is true that the Of
fer was not accepted, but that it was
made is proof of the peddlers anxiety
to please his patrons.
One day last October this compare
lively tolerable peddler made his last
visit for the season to Mr.. Gosman's
house and was permitted to engage in
conversation with the owner thereof.
1t SO happened that Mr.. Gosman, who
always MIXED his own cows, was at that
precise time in an unusually gloomy
condition. He had that very morning
witnessed tho loss of seven pailfuls of
milk, which had been kicked over by de-
PRAYED cows, and he felt the loss Sc
verely. The pcldler, seeing his oppor-
tunity, produced from his wagon pat
ont milk-pail, which he said he had in
vented himself, with an especial eye to
Mr.. Gosman's cows 1t was certainly a
most ingenious affair. When not in
USE it shut up in such ii way as to oc,
cupy very small space, and when
properly expanded, by means of springs,
it not only had II capacity of four gal
Ions, but it served as seat, thus doing
away with the old-fashioned milking
stool. The peddler lectured on this in
ventlon at some length, showing that it
would be impossible for any COW to
kick over pail on which Mr. Gosman-
who weighed oil pourds-was seated.
The result was that he sold his pail, and
Mr.. Gosman was so much pleased with
it that he ordered six more, to be deliv-
cred at the earliest opportunity.
The next morning the pail was put in
use. Mr.. Gosman expanded it, sat on
it, and MIXED seven consecutive cows
with perfect satisfaction to himself.
The eighth COW was all animal of much
prowess, who had kicked over a score of
pals in her day, besides several milk
maids. Mr.. Gosman approached her,
smiling as he thought how completely
the new pail would thwart her wicked
designs. He sat down on the pail and
filed it nearly half full of milk without
an accident. At last, however, the
COW fancied that she saw her opportu-
nifty, and, after demoralizing Mr.. Cos
man by switching her tail in his eyes,
she dealt the pail tremendous kick.
Unhappily, her hoof hit the very spring
that kept the pail expanded. Without
= moments warning the cover of the
pail sank under Mr. Gosman's weight,
while tho sides clasped him with an in
exorable grasp. Being thus firmly held
be was danced upon to some extent by
the hilarious COW, and when her enthu-
sasm cooled and he gathered himself
up, he was ready to go home and re-
fleet, in the seclusion of his room, on
the merits of the milk pail That dia-
bolical machine could not be induced to
release him and as he walked slowly
homeward he excited good deal Of
speculation, it being the opinion of
most people who saw him, that he was
on his way to advise the editor Of the
local newspaper how to conduct his
journal and had wisely adopted An iron
clad style Of dress with a view to con-
tingencies.
Mr.. Gosman is now awaiting the re-
turn of the peddler with the other half