Milford chronicle., 1889-11-08
HERE IS A GOOD GOOSE STORY
Flowers Destroyed. Chickens Killed. MIX
Upset. and a School Depopulated-

Upset, and a School Depopulated.
Mrs. John Waller, who lives on the Cres
cent hill road, bought gray gosling OF the
female gender some time ago and placed 1t In
her small back yard. During its adolescent
period the gosling behaved itself well, but re-
Gently, when it developed into full grown
goose, the spirit of mischief entered its soul
It is a we'll known fact that goose has q
great taste for grass, and Mrs Waller's back
yard was soon swept clean of vegetation The
owner clipped the gooses wings to prevent its
flying, and fed it with bran and meal But
one night It got out into the front yard ate half
the grass, and destroyed all the flower beds.
A sympathizing neighbor told Mrs. Waller
she had better kill the goose, but she could
not make up her mind to do so She loved
the goose in spite Of its waywardness, and
she confined it again in the back yard Two
days later her 4-year-old girl, while playing
in the back yard, was attacked and received
several severe blows in the face from the
sharp bill Of the goose This decided Mrs
Waller The goose must die. Her l4-year-
old boy Jim captured it and attempted TO cut
its head OFF with an axe, but the goose man
aged to escape, and its wing feathers having
grown out again it few over the fence and
out of sight
the goose, but it had an affection for the
neighborhood of its youth and returned to
plague the people. In one night it devastated
three front yards, and when the indignant
owner of one Of them on the following morn
ing detected the goose in its work of vandal-
ism the bird gave a squawk and flew across
a common to place of safety. The afternoon
of the same day it entered she dairy shed Of
Pat Welch and overturned cans containing
at least fifty gallons of milk One of Welchs
children saw the goose and attempted to
drive it away, but it flew at the child so
fercely that the latter fed in terror
The last outrage committed by the goose
aroused the neighborhood, and the people de
termined that it should be exterminated.
They hunted for it individually and collect
lively man named Washburn saw it enter
bis back yard and gave chase. The goose
did not fly but confined itself to running
There was method in its flight. 1t wanted to
have fun with Washburn. The retreat led
across ditch four feet deep, and Washburn
in his haste stumbled into it, spraining his an
kle so severely that he is still unable to walk
without crutches. He says that when he fell
in the goose came back to the ditch and
looked at him.
In the quiet suburb where Mrs. Walters
goose made its habitat the good people on
washday were in the habit of hanging out
their clothes on a line in the back yard to
dry At least they did so until the goose
concluded that the custom should be broken
up, and invested itself with plenary powers
to accomplish that purpose. 1t pulled all the
clothes off the line in one yard, dragged them
in the dirt, and tore some Of them to ribbons.
A second yard was served in a similar man
ner, and a third was attacked, when party
of indignant women rescued the clothes -snd
drove the goose away.
A reward of $40 was offered for the capture
of the goose, dead or alive 1t was subse-
ouently raised to $50, but this goose had more
lives than Snarleyow 1t was shot at a dozen
times but was never touched. It seemed to
scorn its pursuers 1t was never in any haste
to get away from them, and tantalized them
by keeping in sight, but just out of reach.
All the small boys were after that goose, and
many of the men Joined them in the chase
The man Welch, whose dairy had been
entered, shot at the goose and killed his
neighbor's calf, which was feeding in back
lot. 1t cost him S1S to pay for the calf.
Immunity made the goose bolder It at
tackled the poultry yards, and in week
slaughtered more than a score Of young
chickens. Its beak was against all species Of
man and beast. It had no respect even for
its own kind, and killed a half dozen gos-
lings.
A small public school with young woman
in charge is taught about quarter Of mile
beyond Mrs Walters house. It is attended
chiefly by small children. The other morn
ing the goose few in at an open window Of
the school building. 1t perched on the back
of a desk and took a philosophical survey OF
the room and its inmates. All recognized
the terror Of the neighborhood. The teacher
seized a ruler and threw it at the goose. The
goose flew at her and gave her long scratch
across the forehead The children in alright
ran out of the room and the teacher followed,
leaving the goose monarch Of all it surveyed
The alarm was given, and some men returned
to capture the intruder. The goose was gone,
but what a scene Of desolationl The hooI
was covered with books. Most of them had
their leaves torn out Nearly all the win
dows were broken. While they were looking
at the ruin the goose hew by the window
with a squawk Two hours later it pecked
to death a little pet pug dog which had in
cautiously wandered out Of the house.
This completes its outrages to date, but
others are xpected.-Louisville Cor. Chicago
Tribune.