The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-03

ordinance Is before the City Council,
70 be voted on by that body in
the near future, which provides
for %impounding all cows. found here
after, running at large in the streets
of the city. THIS fact has given rise
to some considerable feeling and no
little indignation Oh the part of those
who own these valuable animals.
Hence the question: is the absorb
ing one for the present and will be
until the city fathers definitely settles
it one way or the other.
While something may be said in
favor of the ordinance the weight of
argument seems to be on t e side of
Bessie. 1t is true she sometimes gets
where she ought not to, and COM
mits a few offences against the peace,
dignity aud good order of a commu-
nifty, and often robs the christian cit
izen Of his placid temper-especially
if she be some one else's cow-.when
she breaks in his back yard and
ncses around his kitchen door in
search Of the potato Feelings, and the
partially decayed vegetables and cab
bage leaves which the good wife has
heedlessly thrown out. But in doing
all these she has performed the part
of an unpaid scavepger and removed
the disease-breeding, death-dealing
garbage from the premises of many a
household, and may possibly have
turned the Grape from the front door,
and the coffin from the little crit at
the bedside and sorrow from the
hearts Of loving parents. "Bossie"
does these things and yet how few
are they who, when she IS cruncbipg
and munching the offensive gar
bage, rise up from their beds
and call her blessed. They are more
liable to call the dog.
But there are still other powerful
reasons why "Rossie' should not be
deprived of her freedom. Butte is
surrounded by an open country, un-
fenced and u%ntenanted. There the
COWS belonging to the families in the
city pasture nearly every month in
the year. In the spring and summer
months these cows are herded by
paid .:erders who drive them to and
from the range. But in the winter
months the east is different. Mich
COWS are, as a rule. kept up and fed
at home, but permitted to
run out occasionally for exer-
else, and if the hills are
clear ofsnow they will go out, browse
around awhile and come home. She
may stop by the wayside and skirm-
ish for something green in the shape
of rejected vegetables. Should that
wayside happen to DE in the city linn
its, she would, provided the ordi-
nance pass, be impounded and the
little ones depending upon her milk
for their supper would be left"
Again there are many families who
depend largely upon their COW for
their support. They cannot afford to
keep their COW stabbed and feed hay
at S25 to $50 perton. They can feed
some at night, but rely principally
upon their cows "rlstling"i in the sur
hills for their food, but as
it would be impossible for
them to herd their animals during
the winter months, Bessie is left to
find her way to the old pasture
grounds and t, come back when the
frosty air warns her to
seek her accustomed feed aad shell
ter. Should she, however, loiter on
the way to forage on some stable offal
or straw from an emptied mattress,
Or to clean up some garbage thrown
in the alleys, forthwith she goes to
the pound, aud redeemed only after
much trouble, more disappointment
and some expense to the owner.
Now this would work a great
hardship to many families of
po5r laboring men, and no
corresponding advantages would
be gained by any one. If
this ordinance pass the poor
man must give up his COW and
IN giving her up larger drafts must
be made upon his slender means for
5he support of his family. This not
only looks hard, but it is hard. If
surrounding country was fenced
Up and nothing but roadways and
anes were left for cows to pasture
Upon, there would be fewer reasons
Why they should be permitted to run
It large. But it is not, aud farrow |
COWS that are good rustlers can gain
| pretty fair living during the winter
months with very little hay. Be-
ides this Butte is hardly ready yet
O put on full sized Metropolitan airs.
When we have flag pavements
sidewalks, dry street
crossings and asphaItum laid streets
With all the other adiuncts Of a we'll
Kept city it will til n be in order to
make war upon Bessie. In the
let us repair u yard
ences. and close our barn and gran
Try doors, and if she then breaks in
md does damage we have a Terri
orial law which will make her
,wner foot up the cost. Therefore
aking into consideration all the
and cons in the case we are
orced to says. City Fathers! Don't
,ass the ordinance. Give Bessie a
chance. But make her owner take
IF the bell. We would draw the !
inc at a COW with a bell on her
leck. !
James r. Boyce, Jr., OF the firm OF
Tl,o II Ns. |