Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-17
Sheep Jnterest.
THE MERlNO QUESTION AGAIN.

| ! TIE mGHlNO QOGS lON A1HiN.
WEST CORNWALL, VT, Jan. II, 1890.
Editor Register My questions were to
the breeders, and who ever heard of any
one so ill-mannered as to accuse Albert
Chapman of being one? SO my first
thought, after reading the article by one
of the officers, was that would not lower
my manhood (even for the time) to
answer it for the article itself is enough
to stain the character of any good citizen.
But upon the urgent request of my
friends | condescend, remembering that
it is only few years ago that VIM. Lloyd
Garrison was dragged through the streets
of Boston for proclaiming that slavery
was an oppression and curse that the
American people should not foster. But
even this did not stop the good work, for
Mr.. Garrison well knew, although the
press, the pulpit and the courts Of justice
were against him, that "truth crushed to
earth must rise again" So, taking cOur-
age from the acts of that patriotic soul.
while re-reading the misrepresentation
of Albert Chapman in your late issues,
the second thought occurred to me that
DIR. johnson must have been personally
acquainted with the secretary of the YER
mont Merino Sheep-Breeders' association
when he wrote; "Some men relate what
they think as what they know some men
of confused memories and habtual in
accuracy ascribed to one man what be-
longs to another and some talk on with
out thought or care"
But must get down to the question.
Mr.. Chapman says, sin the very outset
the question is asked why those II car
loads of lambs originally written rams,
and misprinted) bring but little more
than the price of mutton lambs. TO show
that this assertion is misleading it is on
ly necessary to say that the principal
part of the shipments of Mr.. McCaughey
were included in those shipments" Now
to show the readers of the Register that
this statement is a falsehood, and that
Mr.. Chapman knew it to be so when he
wrote it, we have only to refer to his own
words in your issue of Oct. IS, 1889. to
prove it. He said in that issue: ''Not
less than II carloads of those rams have
gone to the West and Texas from one
station in our county within a few
weeks" Those are the II carloads |
spoke of. We all know the station re-
ferred to was Middlebury, but let us
follow the matter a little further and
see what we may discover. In the first
place we find that the McCaughey ship
ment was made in the spring of 'SS, fully
Is months prior to the shipments he re-
fers to in your issue of Oct. IS. We also
find that the shipment started from East
Shoreham station and that they were the
only sheep that left that station in 1888
by the carload for stock use.
But we must not dwell. "Unwarrant-
ed assertions Again Mr.. Chapman
says: "'The drift of the article is an eff
fort to show that there is no demand for
Vermont sheep in Australia, South
American or anywhere else" That is
his view, not mine. But | did wish to
impress upon the minds of your readers
that the wool-growers of the world dc
not demand an Atwood sheep, or a
Paular sheep, neither a French sheep,
but that they do demand Merino sheep
that will produce both wool and mutton
Now for the demand for sheep in the
| above countries. We have made ship.
re nnnh
81, and to Australia years before that
During that time we have shipped in one
year to South America over 200 head, and
large shipments have gone to Australia
in one year. Now we will see about the
growing demand. In 1899 Messrs. MorrI
) son & Clark shipped to Australia IS head
) Messrs. Bssell, Chapman and Close &
Dimmock shipped to South America GS
a. were shipped by Mr.. Chapman tc
Uruguay, where but very few of oul
2 sheep have gone-not enough to tes
! them. The remaining 20 went to the
: BuenOs Ayres market, but not at a pro
' fit. Let us see if this is a trade we
. should cater to, forgetting our home
] trade and its wants. We find the whole
number exported to be 1876 head divided
among the members that haye been ell
rolled we find it would be about one
, seventh of one sheep to each member, or
q in other words, each member stands ,
e chance to sell sheep once in sever
years.
To be Continued.