The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-22
GEN. HUMPHREYS MERINOS
now THE BREED CAME no BE IN
PRODUCED INTO CONNECTICUT.
lie Imported Them From Portugal In 1909
and Were Sold at Less Than Cost to Help
Improve Native Sheep Offspring Worth
1000 Killed by u Fox.

and Were Sold at Less Than Cost to He'll
Improve Native Sheep Offspring Worth
$1,000 Killed by Fox.
(From the Ansonia SentineL)
General David Humphreys entered
the Army of the Revolution as a cap
tain and was soon appointed aide-de-
camp to General Putnam, About four
years after, early in 1880, he was APP
pointed aide and secretary to General
Washington, and was promoted to the
rank of colonel. He had the honor Of
receiving the colors at the surrender of
Lord CORVALLIS, in 1890. He was APP
pointed minister to Portugal, revisiting
America in 1894. In 1897 he was APP
pointed minister to Spain, continuing
there until 1902. AT the close of his res
idence there he carried into execution
a project which had been on his mind
for some time, viz, the introduction of
merino sheep into the United States.
In an essay on the Improvement of
sheep in this country, addressed to the
Society for the Promotion of Agricul-
ture in Massachusetts, he gave some
account of the importation. Believing
that there were no merino sheep in this
country previous to his importation of
them, he says:
l contracted with person of the most
respectable character to deliver me at
Lisbon 100 sheep, comprised Of seventy
five ewes and twenty-five rams, from
one to two years old. They were con-
Quoted with proper passports across the
country of Portugal by three Spanish
shepherds and escorted by a small guard
of Portuguese soldiers. They were en-
barked in the Tagus on board the ship
Perseverance, of $50 tons, Caleb Cogs-
WELL master. In about fifty days they
were landed in Derby, Conn.,, twenty
one rams and seventy-one ewes, seven
having died in consequence of bruises
received on board the ship in rough
weather on the banks of Newfound-
land. When the sheep were landed on
the dock at Derby hundreds t1ocked to
see them They excited as much curl
osity as so many elephants. They We're
small, black and dirty from getting
their wool covered with tar on ship
board. They were driven to an enclos-
IRE about two miles from the dock, call
ed Squabble Hole at that time. After
remaining there until they got a little
rested from their tiresome voyage the
general began selling them to the farm
ers to improve their native sheep by
crossing. He sold them at $500 per
head, which was less than they cost
him. After selling about half of them,
some in Connecticut and some in Mass
achusetts, some of those that had
bought began to speculate in them, and
the price went up to $500. The general
then stopped selling, saying that he did
not like speculation. Some time later,
however, he sold some in Connecticut
and the rest in Massachusetts. The
Society for the Promotion of Agricul-
ture in Massachusetts voted him a gold
medal for his patriotic exertions in in
PRODUCING into New England 100 Span
ish merino sheep, and they commission
ed Rev. S. Parker, their corresponding
secretary, to transmit the same to the
general.
Some of the men living near the resi-
dence of the writer bought one or two
each of the sheep Two cousins by the
name of Bassett bought each a eve and
bought a ram together, paying $1,000 for
him. A sister of one of them used to
joke her brother about paying $500 for
two Sleeps legs. One of the cousins
had the good luck to have a nice eve
lamb. The other offered him $1,000 for
! it, but he would take nothing less than
81, 500. A day or two after this he turn
ed his sheep into a pasture near the
woods and rocks; a hungry fox, seeing
such a nice blooded lamb, caught 1t and
after killing it drew 1t up into the rocks
| for his supper
Such We're the varying fortunes of
those who first began to deal in merino
sheep in Derby.
CHARLES DURAND.