The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-08-28
Newtown's Sheep 65 Years Ago.

Ing more QogS Jnan Sneep, III is nara .
realize that public flock of almost 100
sheep was gathered in Newtown les
than 20 years ago. Yet some of GU
; elder citizens remember the flock and it
, colored shepherd Ned and the cabinet o
ex-Town Clerk G. III. Peck preserves tn
flock record from 1922 to 1927. Thi
flock was owned by individual farmers
who united in putting their sheep in tn
care of our shepherd. In 1922, no far
mer might put more than 20 sheep intt
the flock, but this number was raised tt
80 in 1924. AS neither lambs nor ram
were allowed in the flock, only ewes ant
wethers, 10 months old or more, sheer
were much more numerous in Newtowr
then. The flock was in charge of 6
sheepmaster, Moss X. Botsford, who
lived where the Congregational parson
age stands, at first and, afterward, OF
Daniel Blackman, who lived on Mt Pleas
ant at Mrs Addie Nichols's home. The
flock was in personal charge of shep'
herd, Caesar Hard, Ned Booth and Tho
mas Cream serving in this capacity at
different times. The shepherd got S4S rs
for three months and seven days in 1928 !;
$3.50 25 for three months and eight days
in 1924; Ned 1874 81 in 1925, besides $3 a
month, or 30, for boy to help him ;
Thomas Green got $50 81 in 1927. The
flock numbered $40 in 1922, 93S in 1923,
620 in 1924 and only 527 in 1927, in which
year expenses and income balanced.
The income was secured by venduing or
auctioning the folding of the flock to
some large farmer, who turned it upon
his fields that its droppings might enrich
them. This was the era of the bull
pillow, a wooden pillow made by a local
joiner and pointed with share hammer
ed out on some Newtown forge. There
is such pillow at the door of ex-Town
Clerk Peck's cabinet and it is worthy of
inspection. Mr. Peck has also a Goldfish
share in his cabinet, share that was
mounted on awooden frame and used to
turn over the ground slightly for cover
ing rye. The lowlands were then used
as meadows, where hay was cut and the
uplands were plowed Many of these
meadows, then ditched and moved, have
reverted to swamps and, like that in
Sugar street, are covered with forest.
The grain fields were plowed three times,
being first Summer fallowed, the clumsy
bull pillow drawn by cattle bounding
along over turf and rocks, now turning
the sod and again being thrown out of
the furrow. The field was afterward
cross-plowed and, finally, plowed third
time before the grain was sown. The
sheep were turned into these half plow-
ed fields in the Fall, before the last
blowing and were often clustered on bar
rem spots for the night where their drop
pings were most desired. The vendue or
auction of the flock was held, every Mon
day evening, at Caleb Baldwin's tavern,
the headquarters for it's owners and his
bill for the season, $5 or sc, amounted
to more than the. dividends any one of
them received. The flock was gathered
about the middle of June and drawn, as
the expression went, the last of Septem-
Der, each owner distinguishing his sheep
by slit and cropped ears and other ear
marks that were duly recorded. How
the flock was gathered and it's subse-
quent trips is outlined by this vote of
1924:
Voted, That every school district have their
sheep collected at the following places, viz:
James Clark, Philo Beers, Daniel Botsford, Jr,
Nathan Johnson, Jacob Beers, Hezekiah
Northrop, Zechariah Clarke, Esq. For the
first night, Niram Fairchild, Esq, Zadock Fair
child, Baldwin Botsford, Henry Beers, David
C. Peck, Theophilus Botsford. Second night,
Curtis Glover, Abijah b. Curtis, Philo Curtis
To start from Chestnut Tree hill Wednes-
day morning, through Zoar to Eben'r Beers's,
thence through Teddy hill to Caesars, thence
through Mile hill to Dan Peck's, thence
through Huntingdon. Palestine, Flat Swamp,
thence through Taunton, Currituek, Lands
End and Hanover to Mapping, thence through
Sandy Hook to the Street, Friday night.
1t must have been a beautiful sight,
500 or 1000 sheep grazing along the
who bid them off for last night to those
of him who bid them off for tonight The
highest amount on record as paid for the
flock was 81 O6 by Israel Chauncey
Botsford of Walnut Tree hill and 81 03,
bid by David G. Peck, grandfather of
our David c., for Saturday and Sunday,
September and s, just before his Fall
blowing in 1922. Capt Solomon Glover
bid 81 81 for the next Friday, Andrew
Northrop 81 A for the Wednesday be-
fore, Abel Stillson 81 50 for September
2, Capt John Nichols 81 80 for August
80. Ebenezer Beers and son had the
largest number in the flock in 1922, 81
and Julius G. Coe the least, one. Those
having 30 were Samuel C.Blackman, Mo-
ses Botsferd, Daniel Botsford, Jr, Eben-
ezer Botsford, Jr, Theophilus Botsford,
Abijah B. Curtis, Elihu S. Curtis. Mich
OILS Curtis ,Zechariah Clark, Philo Curtis.
Josiah Glover, Curtis Glover,James Mich
oils, David Sherman, Thomas Sanford, In
1928, James Nichols, ETC., had 20 sheep
in the flock and Henry and David Glover
81. The flock, though nearly as numer-
BUS, did not rent for as much in 1923.
Theophilus Botsford, father of William
Botsford, paying % Oh for Saturday and
Sunday, August 80 and 81, while from
81 or to ~ 06 was obtained for single
night. A dividend Of eight cents and
two mills was declared that year, the re-
eeipts being 1852 lathe expenses $40 "a.
Samuel G. Blackman and boys and Mos
IS Botsford each had 20 sheep in the
lock in 1924, but the flock was but half
he size that it had been and it was let
put for less.Abel Beers bid highest,$2 As