The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-20
COVERED WITH ARMOR.
An Ingenious Method Of Protect
ing Cow.
The Animal Was Exposed to Indian Bull
let's and Her Owner CLOTHED Her
in a Complete Coat
OF Mail.

a late copy of the Buffalo Gap Is. d.
Mirror gives an account of al ingenious
invention of citizen of that place,
Bloohitt Ferguson. We learn from the
Mirrors excellent account that Mr..
Ferguson is a blacksmith, having n
shop in Cheyenne avenue, and living
with his wife and family in the sub
urbs. He has long been known to his
fcllow-townsmen as a most ingenious
man and has been responsible for sew
eral inventions of more or less merit,
among them being n safety dog-catch
on mine-hosting apparatus. We claim
no expert knowledge on -hoisting
machinery, says the New York Trib-
une, but we should say that dog
catch must be very important thing
about the mouth of the shaft, and it
can not be pleasant to have dogs con-
stantly tumbling down on the miners.
But Mr.. Ferguson's present invention
is something as far removed from min
ing Us possible. He has lived on the
frontier Though born in Connccticut)
and been through several Indian dis
turbanccs. In these he has always lost
more or less stock, for, though never n
stockraiser, he has been in the habit of
keeping COW and sometimes n calf or
two. These the Indians have invaria-
bly, swooped down upon and killed.
Buffalo Gap is situated only u few miles
west of the Bad lands, and when the
late trouble began it instantly occurred
to Mr.. Ferguson that it probably meant
the loss of another COW, as he owned
one of these useful and nutritious ami
mails. The thought was depressing,
and he began to cast about for some
plan to prevent the coming sacrifice, if
possible. While turning the matter
over in his mind MIR. Ferguson hap
pened to glance in IN illustrated copy
of Don Quixote." He had scarcely
opened the volume when the idea came
to him: Why not construct bullet
proof armor for his cow? TO think is
to act with Blookitt Ferguson, and in
side of thirty minutes he had the pa
tient beast in his shop and was busy
hammering out thin plates for her
back.
Mr.. Ferguson is rapid workman,
and at the end of a weeks time he had
the COW clad in complete mail. Her
body was covered with large plates, and
her neck, head and legs with smaller
ones, all carefully articulated SO that
she could walk, lie down, and indeed
perform all ordinary movements with
ease. In the helmet holes were, of
course, left for eyes and mouth, though
these were no larger than were abso-
lutely necessary, and had she been as
bibulously inclined as the knights of
Branksome hall she would have 'drunk
the red vino through the helmet
barred" Unlike the ghost of Hamlets
father she wore her beaver down. Her
horns Mr.. Ferguson had tipped with
sharp steel points, thus rendering her
armed as we'll as protected. Mr. Fer
guson had considerable difficulty in de-
vising a suitable covering for her tail.
Plates were found out of the question.
Finally, however, he hit on the plan of
winding her tail with wire, like gar
den hose, and he found that it worked
admirably, interfering but little with
Its fexibility and affording reasonable
protection The complete arnor weighed
about three hundred pounds. When
every thing was finished the cow was
led out to the Ferguson homestead and
allowed to Craze about in the ncighbor-
hood on the dry prairie grass, there be-
ing but little snow. She soon became
accustomed to the coat of mail and paid
no attention to it. Twice n day she
would go into Buffalo Gap to drink at
the town pump, and it was an interest
ing sight to see her come stalking down
the center of the main street clanking
her armor and occasionally switching
the steel-covered sides with her garden
hose tail. The other town cows gave
her wide berth after having once felt
her reinforced horns And the most
important part of the whole affair is
that the arnor was brought into actual
test several times and was not found
wanting. She had it on but two days
when Big Snort and some twenty hos
tiles bore down on her and began firing.
1t is estimated that they wasted one hum
dred and fifty rounds of cartridges on
her She scarcely moved during the bonn
bardment, but stood and contentedly
chewed her cud and occasionally
switched her, as it were, insulated tail.
The Indians finally retired disguised.
Several other attempts were made on
her, all equally unsuccessful. She was
the only COW i'll the neighborhood that
was not killed. Since peace has been
declared Mr.. Ferguson has removed the
armor and laid 1t away for the next out
break.
Tho IIucmpIozed In ustroIt,