Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-11-18
THEIR NEW Ml.ILKMAN

Since the Bradley family has numbered
particular about the quality Of the milk
which is delivered twice daily at the back
door: of their Hyde Park fiat. The third
and youngest member usually takes what
10 administered to him through the me
dunn of a little rubber tube, and asks nc
questions, but he is not a person of dis
elimination. He has at various periods of
his existence swallowed toilet soap, mar:
bic, a safety pin-luckily closed-and part
Of rubber doll, and was recently detected
in the act of spooning up saucerful of
plaster of paris, apparently under the i'm
food; so that the other two feel it to be
upon. His somewhat disproportionate
name is Richard Stillingaeet Bradley.
Richard had a prolonged attack of in
termittent collie about four months ago, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley agreed in attributing
the indispostion to the milk. 1t was moth
ing more than a suspicion they had, for
the neat little glass jars always showed a
fairly thick stratum of cream, and when
Mr.. Bradley took sample of the fluid to
the health department for analysis the lac
tolneter proved that the specific density
was everything that it should have been,
and the man who made the subsequent as
say said in his report that the milk con-
tanned the right proportions of butter fats
and caseine and nothing of calcareous ma
ture. Still, the collie continued, and the
Bradleys were not satisfied
Norris, who lived two blocks south, told
Bradley that friend of his wife's got her
milk from a man who did not have to de-
pend upon remote shippers and yellow re-
frigerator cars, but operated his own cows.
He would get the mans address. 1t was
somewhere about Fifty-second street, but
that was all he knew about it,
The next day toward evening Bradley
got the address, and at once went
out to investigate. He found the
dealer, after some little trouble, liv-
ing in tumble-down cottage, half hidden
i'll clump of trees, in side street that
somehow seemed to have been overlooked
"a sort of vacant-lot oasis in a wilderness
of brick and stone and macadamized roads.
lie was an honest-loolzing man, was this
milk dealer. Bradley was impressed the mo-
ment he saw him. There was strong flavor
OF rusticity about him, and such as should
naturally be associated with his calling.
When Bradley made his business known
the milkman stared at him in mild bo-
vine sort of way and ruminated on his
tobacco moment or two before he deliv-
cred himself of speech. Then he said:
"Well, | dino as we can spare you any
We've got our regiler customers an we
haven't got but four cows, and don't want
to disapp'int EN-"
I'D like to get some milk, said Bradley.
II don't need more than quart or 80 a
day. You could let me have a quart,
couldn't, your"
''Well,'' said the milkman, "bein' as you
only want Oh, mother! Can we let this
gentleman have milk?''
II guess we can," replied the woman,
after hesitating moment. Bradley at once
closed the bargain by purchasing two dozen
frayed cardboard tickets at one dollar a
dozen. The man told him that he charged
little more than the ordinary price. But
it, milk" he added.
Before Bradley left he saw the COWS, the
the actual cows, and witnessed the milking
with his own eyes. There were four of
them, as the truthful milkman had said
fine, sleek-coated animals that looked as if
they had never known trouble beyond
flies. They were ranged along in line
in a stable that was tolerably clean, their
heads confined by substantial halters to
a manager of fragrant timothy hay, and q
boy was already squirting thin streams of
milk into resounding tin pail of exceed
ing brightness at the end of the row.
"That one there is Holstein three-quar.
tiers an part Herefordshire," said the milk.
man, indicating the animals with an all
of pride. Chem others is Jerseys. Did you
say you wanted the milk sent? You can
come round with your bucket at milkin'
time an set it fresh from any COW you want,
jest's wells not. It's milk what I'm sellin''
The former milkman had been told that
he need not leave any more of his glass jars,
and the first installment of the genuine
article was brought around the next morn
ing by little girl with clean white apron
Bradley tasted it and declared it to be Of
Incompatible richness and sweetness, and
Richard Stillingfeet imbibed it and
drummed on the table with his mug fol
more. That was not an unusual proceeding
ON his part, but Bradley instantly re-
marked it and exulted. Richard Sitting
feet had the collie that night.
One morning Bradley got up early enough
to meet on the back porch the man with
the derby hat and tan shoes who had for.
merly supplied Richard Stillingfeet's nour.
ishment.
"Where are you getting your milk from
now, Mr.. Bradley?" asked the man.
Were getting it from an old fellow out
near Fifty second street who has got his
own cows" replied Bradley. "You see,''
he added, apologetically, I'VE have to be
particular on account of the baby"
II see," said the milkman. II thought
at first that you was goin' to move. Then
when you stayed knowed you had changed.
l thought that you'd change back again,
though, when you found what the other fel-
low was putting off on you. This old mans
names Dilberson, amt it? l thought so.
He's sellin' good milk, all right. furnish
him with seven cans every mornin'..
"Oh, know all about them cows. He
milks 'em for the owner for half the milk.
They give about four quarts apiece now,
an the old stiff makes butter an sells Jer-
sey cream. l sell him about $50 quarts Of
milk. You can figure it out for yourself.
"Them cows is sure winners. Bluff! Oh,
l guess not! Say, you brace him once an
zee what he says. know all about it. He
don't make no bones about it with me.
wouldn't give him away, neither, If he
hadn't got down into my territory. / sell
him milk, an sell him good milk, an get