The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-03-12
COVERED WITH ARMOR.
IN Ingenious Method Of Protect
ing q Cow.
EAs Animal Was Exposed to Indian Bul-
dots and Her Owner Clothed Her
In Complete Coat
Of MAIL

"A late copy of tho Buffalo Gap IS. D.)
Mirror gives an account of an ingenious
invention of q citizen of that place,
Bloolzitt Ferguson. We learn from the
Mirrors excellent account that Mr..
ferguson is blacksmith, having q
with his wife and family in the sub
surbs. He has long been known to his
fellow-townsrlen as a most ingenious
man and has been responsible for sew
eral inventions of more or less merit,
among them being q safety dog-catch
on mine-hoisting apparatus. We claim
no expert knowledge on mine-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 as possible. He has lived on the
frontier Though born in Connecticut)
and been through several Indian dis
turbances. In these he has always lost
q
stock-raiscr. he has been in the habit of
keeping a co., and sometimes calf or
two. These the Indians have invaria-
bly, swooped down upon and killed.
Buffalo Gap is situated only a 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 Mr.. Ferguson hap
pened to glance in an 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 q rapid workman,
and at the end of weeks time he had
the cow clad in complete mail. Her
body was covered with large plates, and
her neck, head apd 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, 6
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 81
Branksome hall she would have drunk
the red wine through the heliAet
barred" Unlike the ghost Of HamletS
father she Wore her beaver down. Her
horns Mr.. Ferguson had tipped VITA
sharp steel points, thus rendering her
armed as well Us protected. Mr. Tes-
guson had considerable difficulty in Dr.
vising suitable covering for her tad.
Plates were found out Of the questsa.
Finally. however, he hit on the plan of
winding her tail with wire, like gss-
den hose, and he found that it worked
admirably, interfering but little with
It's flexibility and affording reasons6le
protection. The complete armor weighed
about three hundred pounds. WheA
every thing was finished the COW wes
led out to the Ferguson Homestead I'D
allowed to Craze about in the neighAos-
hood on the dry prairie grass, thegs ~
ing but little snow. She soon became
accustomed to the coat Of mail and paid
no attention to it. Twice DAY 80
would go into Buffalo Gap to drink at
the town pump, and it was an intersskr
ing sight to see her come stalking down
the center of the main. street clanlxing
her armor and occasionally switching
the steel-covered sides with her garden
hose tail The other town cows gave
her a wide berth after having once felt
her reinforced horns. And the most
important part Of the whole affair =
that the armor 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 isestimated 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 in the neighborhood that
was not killed. Since peace has been
declared Mr. Ferguson has removed the
armor and laid it away for the next out
break.
The Unemployed Ia Australia.
'"The streets of Melbourne and Sgd
ney," says gentleman from Australia,
S'swarm with the unemployed. They
are not vicious or laZv-on the com