The Portland daily press., 1899-08-09
How Mr.. Coughs Cow Hunted Up
a Well.
Planks Gave Way and
She Went to Bottom.
Neighbors Turned Out aud e.
fected a Rescue.

Ligouia was thrown into state of the
widest excitement vest ,rdsy morning by
the disappearance of George Coughs fa-
| vorite COW which was known to the entire
noighborhood and so highly spoken of by
every body that she went by the name of
Mrs. Riley. The owner had so much con-
fidencs in the regular habits of the COW
that he allowed her to go and come at
her own sweet will and during the night
mitted to make a pasture in the open
feld near the old barracks. The-co was
so well trained that she was always
prompt TO report OF home for her morning
milking and when yesterday morning
camo and no COW was at Mr.. Coughs
back door for the life Of him he could not
imagine what had happened. His first
thought was that the COW hal been stolen
but suddenly it occurred to him that In
that old pasture where she was spending
Der nights thers was an old deserted we'll
which had as covering a lot of old
boards. The well was known to be- so
feat deep at least with few feet Of water
at its depth ami the sas3nd though
which possessed Mr.. Cough was that like
McGinty his COW had gone down to the
bottom OF tbs well. just about this
time young man By the name of league
was passing In the neighborhood of tbs
old barracks and be heard a deep grcan
and missing the familiar form of tie
cow he ran to his mother who lives near
by and told hor that Coughs COW mus
have broken through the boards and gone
to the bottom. Mrs league hurried to in
form Mr.. Cough and 1t was not long be.
fore they reached the scsns OF the disas-
ter. Tho Gauss of the groans and the dis
appearance Of the COW were soon discov-
ered. The rotten boards had been broken
and looking down the well the glarlng
eyes Of the COW could be sean almost IL
Eliminating the ,larkns5s.
But how 20 get Der out was tho ques-
ton The eighhors began to gather and
la little or no time 1t seemed as II every
man, woman and child in Ligonia were
on the epot ready to lend helping hand.
They lest no time in getting to work
and the first thing everyone wanted to
know is Mrs. Riley alive. A boy volun-
tered to go down and rope was attached
to him and he was let down and came
back with the good news that the COW
was alive but 10 an awsully tight plaos
and was struggling hard to keen her head
out OF water. Everyone agreed that a
rope and tackle must be had at oncs and
no time was to be lost. This womsn hur-
ried of Tor pieces of timber, the children
kept singing down the well words of en-.
enlargement to the COW to hold on Ike
grim death fer relief was in sight. Soon
a V shaped framework was built for the
rope and tackle and when every thing was
In read ness a toy was lowered down the
well with rope to put around the cow
The word was given aud then the tug of
war began. over thirty OF the strongest
pullers In Ligonia go: hold OF the rops
aud worked with will.
"Now then pull together" went up
from all sides and the COW began to rise.
In a few minutes the animal was brought
to the surface and then it was discovered
that she had had two narrow oscar es. first
'yadrowning and second by strangulation
as the rope had slipped and barely escaped
BSettAS aASNhu eAo Acoh W Saeculug IN
the fore legs Of the COW which were
stretched out in prayerful attitude as IL
In taankeulness for her miraculous de-
liyerance. Cheers went up az Mrs. Riley
reached earth once more and after careful
examination 1t was thought TINT after the
Stiffness wore away she would DO as good
as ever.