The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-01-30
The "Milch.Cow Racket,

during his Wanderlngs through the
yards yesterday the reporter stumbled
onto another little scheme which il was
thought was cxterminated few months
ago, but while there are suckers" in
the world scalpers and other not over
scrupulous persons will always do a
crushing business The "milch-cow
racket is the term used by those who
are posted, and from the profits derived
therefrom the racket is profitable one.
Mich cows are always in demand. and
the prices obtained approximate sixty
dollars When the demand exceeds
the supply the "scalper," in order to
accommodate" the customer, goes to
some remote pen and purchases COW
called ''stripper'' is. one whose
days of usefulness as mixer are over.
A calf few days old is then purchased
for a few dollars and tied in pen
along with the COW, which is supposed
to be its mother The customer soon
makes his appearance and a trade is eff
fected-the purchaser takes the bogus
cow and calf and the accommodating
''scalper" the sixty dollars The trick
is soon found ont, and the buyer makes
a strenuous complaint, but there is no
remedy, and he has to accept the in
evitable. Tho trick was practised yes
terday, and came to the surface shortly
afterwards. The buyer on this occasion
made an unusually strong break, which
was subsequently settled by COM
promise -Tncdgo Tribune.
According to the report of the Scot
fish herring fishery for 1881, the yield
consisted OF I'LL. 1856 barrels of cured
behring's. This number has only once
been exceeded 1880. when 1,473, 600
barrels were obtained. In 1881, 14,809
boats we're employed in the fisheries,
with AZ, 121 men ana boys, being an in
crease over 1880 of So boats and 900
fishermen.
Virginia has 172 tobacco factories,
which consume $4,000, 900 ponds ol
the weed annnallx
An Apology for slang.
In slang humor or implied fun satire Of
some sort is more or less an element. For
example, when gentleman, who is in
clined to talk somewhat tediously upon
o subject which he has at heart, and on
which his hearers don't care to listen, il
told to ''hire hall, he is generally able
to see some satire and the others some
fun in the recommendation. Slang has,
in many cases, pith and pungency
which makes it not only pardonable, but
tolerable. 1t often expresses a feeling,
if not thought, OF the passing day,
which could not be 80 forcibly expressed
for the day--in any other phraseology.
1t is generally evanescent; but some
times it endures and becomes part Of
the recognized vocabulary Of language.
For example, the word mob was origin
ally slang. 1t is supposed to be con-
traction--the first syllable Of mobile
vuigus, q scornful phrase for the lowest
order Of common people. Tandem,
also, was originally slang word. II is
Latin for "at length" but as applied to
driving two horses Of length instead Of
abreast, it is just such Latin as nun.
quamanimus for ''nevet mind. Another
slang word, swell, meani, 2 grand, fine,
pretentious, is now percep IDLY passing
into the recognized vocabulary Of good
usage. It is q very convenient and ex-
pressive word, and is now .used by the
best speakers of English without hesita-
ton. It can hardly fail to appear in
'the dictionary" Of the next generation.
Richard Grant White. sla