Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-29
That Town Cow.
Editor Gazctie:

| have watched Win consiueraOi
interest the proceedings In the cit,
council against the '.town COW" an,
have felt some comfort from the ap
pearances OF the city fathers ut las
taking steps to protect those who arr
endeavorlng to bcautify not only thei
own homes but also the entire city.
had proposed keeping silent, but wher
the town COW will skillfully open my
yard gate at night and browse down
shrubbery and trees in fifteen minutes
that cost me Slh TO so, three or foul
years ago--and that number of yeare
of care and attention. confess TO YOU
| am inclined to get little mad. And
while / do not believe swearing will
hurt the COW any, a few pistol balls
will; and | have lately been driven ia
that last resort, for remonstrances have
lost all force.
] noticed in this mornings GA
ZErTE call for the friends
OF the town COW to meet
at The court house tomorrow
evening TO express their opposition,
etc., to to the ordinance in regard to
keeping them from running ut large
in the city.
can only speak for myself. am
not authorized to speak for others.
Nine out of ten I've heard express
themselves are in faXor of the ordin-
ance. | have residence lot 100 feet
square, on which / have lived the
seventh summer. | have paid out
over 500 for the shrubbery and trees
on the place, and probably expended
$3.50 in hired labor, river soil, etc.,
have had hauled up to put around the
roots. And three or four times the
town COW has gotten into my yard
and broken down more in o night
than | can replace in five years time,
not counting the expense mt all.
RESPONSIVENESS have effected nothing,
because my neighbor had right to
let his COW run in the streets.
Complaints have done no
good, because | might put more barbed
wire on the fence, and chain the gate
at the bottom where the COW could not
reach il with her horns. | have had
this remedy suggested by my neighbor,
who keeps well educated COW, and
he forgets or is indifferent to the fact
that my family and my friends have
to pass through the gate
have kept COW ever since | have
been in Fort Worth, save about two
years, and can say from actual expe-
rlence that this plea to let the cows run
in the streets to the annoyance of !
every one, and the damage of many, |
is only delusion. There isn't any |
thing in the streets for them to eat eX- |
cept what they forage from the stores. |
and | think If the grocers had one of |
TWO things to do, to-wit: to be pilfered |
by the town cow as they have been or
TO pay for her pasturage, they would
gladly do the latter, and it would
be cheaper for them 10 do so. There
S no such thing as lawful fence in
'lty. Fences are seldom broken.
JoWs learn to work gates open-wateh
or opportunities to get into the green
st, Smallest, prettiest yards i'm the
ity, catch the finest bush about mid
way OF it, MS you run at her, and runs
WITH 1t pulled up 10y the roots. And
ow probably one man in ten will pro-
est the cows innocence, and us he
asn't enough in his yard to invite
ven cackling goose into it, he will
lsist that his COW is public benefac- :
on, and must be allowed TO roam the :
reefs, pilfering tho grOcers and de- ,,
roying the yards. How many yards
IN you find in this city where parties
ave planted trees. and every wear y
Re town COW has broken Off =,
&c tops ANA branches +
It'll nothing is left but ungainly !,
jumps? Walk along East Weather q
rd street and you will scarcely gee .
'rd-no not one-that has ESCAPED !,
n ravages.
In my opinion, us between the town
w and the house breakers, this city
IS suffered more loss from the COW. q
ID hope to see good strais bit out !,
dinancc enforced against all animals i
inning ut large in the city, especially =
e educated, quiet, gentle, good
'turcd, browsing cow. And when
op!e VIII find they can have some
election from such expectations, the b
~ will be studded all over it with il
AIDE trees and beautiful yards. h
There are yards on Lamar avenue e
at are not only pleasures to the p
uses but are great credit to u
Q city. How long would o
take one COW to ruin the finest? b
,rchaDce there may not be an edu- S
ted cow in that neghhorhood. n
lere is one in my neighb0rhood that ii
have seen driven out of mt least II
even yards. She has very nearly Il
ined all OF them and the eleven
'ners can have nothing more in
cir yards than the owner of that
W has in his until he will be re- A
area 10 Keep her up. | think the u
uncll has acted slowly and deliber- ci
Ely IN the matter, and are not dis d
sed to craw-ii;h. Respectfully, ii
j. &. SCOTT. ~