The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-08-01
The Tale of a Pig.

To the Editor Of the Wdtchmdm:- although
a stranger to the WATCHMAN for 10, these
many years, albeit it was the first news
paper / ever read, and supposed it the only
one printed in the world, way back in the
twenties, when the first f. p. Walton was
editor and proprietor. | desire to express
my qualification at its consolidation and
union with The Rural Vermonter, with which,
by the courtesy of its editor, | have been
familiar. In token of my approval of this
journalistic marriage / venture to relate
for the columns of the new groom and bride
what | know about farming" or rather
what l think / have discovered about swine.
Somewhere about 1925 somebody, / know
not who, introduced into Vermont re-
markabe and popular breed of porkers,
called the Byield. For time at least they
superseded the old-fashioned, long-legged,
long-nosed, lop-eared, slab-sided racer and
rooter of that day. The Byfield was a short
legged, short-nosed, small-eared pig, with
plump and rotund body, and as white and
pretty as baby. He was no gormandizer
but was as delicate and dainty as a lady in
the matter of the quantity and quality of
his food. In his relations and intercourse
with the family he was social, conversa-
tional, intimate and friendly. His tail was
an ornament more graceful than the pig tail
of the Chinaman, for it had the cork-screw
twist OF the rams horn-the blast from
which Frustrated the walls of JerichO-and
out of this tail the boys could indeed make
a whistle and out of his bladder a balloon.
His pork was of the purest white, solid and
sweet.
Where did he come from and who can tell
of his ancestors and pedigree, or write his
biography? In a volume of Reminds
cences of a Nonagenaran," edited by Sarah
Anna Emery, published at Newburyport,
Mass, may be found some brief illusions
to the subject of which l claim the discovery
and solicit a patent. The volume is largely
devoted to the genealogy of the Moves
| anil WI at in ntrx
| 1854, when Rev. James Noyes came to New
bury, Mass, from England. His was an
ancient clerical family and his descendants
embraced several New England clergymen.
A branch of the sixth or seventh generation
of the family from the Rev. James are not
unknown as citizens of MOrrisville and
Hyde Park, VT, including Messers. Sawyer
and III. n. Noyes, prominent and enter
| prising citizens OF Cleveland, Ohio, for more
than thirty years. Mr.. Sawyer Noyes, /
think, represented Hyde Park in the legis-
| lature of Vermont about 1853
The original town of Newbury, situated
on the coast at the mouth of the Merrimack
river, was subsequently divided, creating
West Newbury and By6eld, the latter town
| lying south OF the little Parker river which
is the dividing line. Newburyport is the
commercial city and harbor within the
original township. The book is fascinating
relation of the historical settlement of New
bury and adjoining towns by a venerable,
|
years, and whose actual personal knowledge
of families and events dates from before the
revolution. She heard the guns at Bunker
Hill saw Tallyrand and Montesquieu in
1880 and Washington in 1889; graced the
banquet given to President Monroe in 1917
and to Lafayette in 1S24-all at New
| buryport
Thus much for my authority, and now for
the statement concerning the pig. This
venerable lady, in discoursing concerning
tha lfnlnanG RyHA11 for lx
about 1884, relates the following: Zone
morning Mr.. Colman was called to his door,
| where he found strange woman, whose
home he failed to inquire, Offering pig for
sale. She was on horseback, her wares in
pannier baskets. Mr.. Colman did not need
the pig, but the little fellow looked so cum
ming, peeping from the basket, that the old
gentleman, fond of pets, concluded the bar
gain, and the small porker was placed in
the pen, where he became the distinguished
sire of the famous Byfield breed of swine
This caused Mr.. Colman's pork to be in
great demand" She also relates an event
of some years later in these words " well
remember David Emery's first visit to
Boston, then lad of twelve-a most re-
markable event it seemed TO me, a ten-year-
old girl. How eagerly listened to every
minutin of the tour, which was made with
his elder brother They took two pigs of
the famous Byfeld breed from the
fatherland farm to Brighton in a
named Dorcas. The journey was made in
one day, and they returned on the next.
The night was passed at the residence
of Mr.. Eben Parsons in Boston. This
was an ancient structure on Summer
street" Now, if any gentlemanly pig fan
cier, swine syndicate or pork trust " is
disposed to except to the foregoing history,
the present is the time to "squeal," or for
ever acknowledge the " corn"
Cleveland Ohio. II. Il. WALLACE.