Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-03-18
COVERED WITH ARMOR.
An Ingenious Method Of Protect
ing a Cow.

N COpy LIlc III
Mirror gives an account of an ingenious
invention Of q citizen of that place,
Blookitt Ferguson. We learn from the
Mirrors excellent account that Mr..
Ferguson is a blacksmith, having a
shop in Cheyenne avenue, and living
with his wife and family in the sub
urbs. He has long been known to his
fellow-townSmen as a most ingenious
man and has been responsible for sew
eral inventions of more or less merit,
among them being safety -og-catch
on mine-hoisting apparatus. We clair.
90 expert knowledge on minc-hoisting
machinery, says the New York Trib-
une, but we should say that q dog
catch must be very important thing
about the mouth of the shaft, and it
can not be pleasant to have dogs con-
stantly tumnling down on the miners.
But Mr.. FerguSon's present invention
is something as far removed from min
ing as possible. He. has lived os the
frontier Though born in Connccticut)
and been through several Indian dis
turbances. In these he has always lost
more or less stock, for, though never n
stock-raiser, he /. as been in the aabit of
two. These the Indians have invaria-
bly, swooped down upon and killed.
buffalo Gap is situated only few mixes
west of the Bad lands, and when the
late trouble began it instantly occurred
to MIR. Ferguson that it probably meant
the loss OF another cow, as he owned
one of these useful anS 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 m illustrated CODY
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
10 act with Bloollitt 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
Dir. Ferguson is n 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 and legs with smaller
ones, all carefully articulGtcd 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
BranlISomc hall she would have 'ttrunk
the red wine through the helmet
barred" Unlike the ghost of Hamlct's
father she wore her beaver down. Her
horne Mr.. J'>r"usou had tipped with
Sharp steel points, thus rendering her
armed as well as protected. Mr.. Fer
guson hatt considerable difficulty in de-
visiug 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 n gar
den hose, and he found that it worked
admirably, interfering but little with
its flcXibility md affording reasonable
protection, The complete armor weighed
about three hundred pounds. When
every thing was finished the COW was
led out to the Ferguson homestead and
allowed to grazc about in the neighbour
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 day she
would go into Buffalo Gap to drink at
the town pump, and it was an interest
ing sight to sec her como stalking down
the center of tho main street clanlzing
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 armor was brought into actual
kest 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.
II IS estimated that they wasted one hun
bred and fifty rounds of cartridges on
her, She scarcely moved during the bonn
bardment, but stood and contcntcdly