Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-03-29
FARMER BREWERS COW.
She Was Innocent. but That Did Not Saw,
Her from an Untimely End.

Her from an Untimely End.
1T was my opinion, and boldly ex-
pressed it to Farmer Brewer" said
John Gilbert, the travelling grocery
man, that if his hired man hadn't
been working so close to a certain tree
that day Farmer Brewers Jersey cow
would b living yet. That was my
opinion a. the time, and it is my opin-
ion still, although it is true, as Farmer
Brewer says that if the weather hadn't
been so fine this fall the COW would be
still alive, no matter if the hired man
was working near the tree that day. I
grant the farmer all that as l frankly
admitted to him, but it does not change
my opinion one iota. The farmers
Jersey COW is dead. He blames the
weather Well, it is true that if
the weather hadn't been as fine
he wouldn't have been blowing
in his field on the 1st of November
But blowing he was. The weather had
nothing whatever to do, though, with
his having three hundred dollars in his
pocket when he went out to pillow. As
he plowed around he began to worry
about the money, not wanting to carry
it back to the house, but, fearing it
might drop out of his pocket and be
plowed under and never be found, he
took it out and hid it under the roots
of tree in the field, near where he
was at work. His Jersey COW, worth
a hundred and TWENTY-FIVE dollars, was
cropping grass in the neighborhood of
the tree. His hired man was cutting
brush along the fence, a rod or so
away. When supper-time came Farm
err Brewer went to get his money. The
roots of the tree were still there The
COW was still cropping grass in the
neighborhood. The hired man was
still cutting brush not far away; but
the money was gone. 1t was a good
while before Farmer Brewer could get
his breath. When he did he hollered
to his hired man:
"'Johnn he hollered, "the COW has
eat up my three hundred dollars"
"'Gunsr said John. Howe
"'Jest eat it, replied the farmer.
Pulled it out from under the roots O
the tree and jest eat it! Darn my fool
gizzard fer putin it therer
"'That's So said John. But who'd
think it of that air Jersey cow?'
when Farmer Brewer and his hired
man got home with the news of the
disaster they found Farmer Ringler at
the house. Farmer Ringler resurrected
hope in Farmer Brewers breast by tell
ing him that split-hoofed cattle swal-
lowed whole all that they eat, and put
it through a digestive process requir
ing the use of four separate stomachs.
"'All you got to do said Farmer
Ringler, is to beef your COW, and you'll
find your money safe and sound in her
first stomach
Farmer Brewer hesitated to slaugh-
ter one hundred and twenty five dol
lar COW, but as, under the circum-
stances dead cow worth three hun.
bred dollars was better piece of prop
erty than live one that represent
ed value of four hundred and
twenty-five dollars, he resolved
to kill her at once and recover
his three hundred dollars while it was
yet time. The farmer sent the hired
man to drive the COW in, which he did,
and Farmer Brewer and his neighbor
proceeded to beef her. Being inexperi-
encea at the work, they had long and
tedious task. The missing money
wasn't in the first stomach Neither
was it in the second, and no trace of it
appeared in either the third or fourth.
"'The only way can think it ont,
said Farmer Ringler, trying to console
Farmer Brewer, is this way. That air
COW must made cnd o them three
hundred dollars, and lost her oudI'
Then said disconsolste Farmer
Brewer, its the first time on record
where cows cud was worth three
| times as much as the cow
Then Farmer n:. cicr went home.
and it was getting along toward ten
o'clock at night before it occurred to
Farmer Brewer that his hired man had
been present at the post-mortem ex-
animation of the cow. The hired man
did not appear next day, either. In
TACT, he has not appeared since he
drove the COW to the sacrifice, and no
oHe has been able to point out where
he Is. That is why it was my opinion
then, and boldly told Farmer Brewer
at the time, and is my opinion still,
that If his hired man hadn't been work
ing so near the tree that day Farmer
Brewers COW would be living YETI
| n. Y. Sun.