Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-05-13
A LOST MEDAL.
Found After Seventeen Years i'm
Cows Stomach.

In the stomach of u cow slaughtered in
Armour's plant n the stockynrls last
week was found gold medal. in the form
nf u Maltese cross. which has been posi-
lively identified and returned to its owner
who lost IL while schoolgirl, IL years
ago, on one of the prairie paths Of Texas
The history Of the trinkct's adventures
was brought Ia light only after advertise
mcnts had been published In the news
rapcrs throughout Texas These notices
described the medal as having tho name
Ida May Work" and the year "lsS1"
engraved ON It's reverse side. One of these
arrows fired at random, found "a mark in
Albuqurrquc, y. NJ.
II was learned that Miss Work had
grown to he u woman in the intervening
years and that she had little girls of her
own. She read the advertisement. wrote
up to the men at Armour's and received
the medal
The story Of the golden cross which
came from the Lone star State In tho
cow : stomach probably would never have
been told had il not been for several sharp
eyed meat inspectors who We're watching
the killing of hcrvcs that day.
cone nf the men notice., the CLINT Of the
gold. said Inspector George ii. Lytlc
land We all gathered around To see what
it was We found 1t tp hc u medal and
the following inscriI tion was engraved on
it, Presented 10 Ida May Work by the
Fort Worth seminary. lssi
Fred shaw superintendent of the
mcathuusc. took charge of it. That night
he made inquiries aud found that that
batch of ra;il" was shipped from Dallas.
lie wrote la the postmaster nj Dallas ask
ing if he Encw where I,ia Work could I've
found
"Thc postmaster replied that the Work
family had formerly lived in that city.
hut the older mcmbcrs wcrN dead and the
others had moved away. As II last resort
Mr.. Shaw decided To publish advertise.
mcntS for the owner.
I'VE did not hear anything more of the
matter and had almost forgotten our mys-
tcriouS medal. when u letter came from
the woman in New Mexico She said she
was the owner of the medal and was over
joyctl nj learning il had Teen found. II
appeared that she had received IL ns n re-
ward Of merit while pupil in the Fort
Worth seminary One day she was riding
u horse over the prairie, near Dallas, and
was thrown of. Her mount ran away,
and in the confusion she lost the Maltese
cross and another similar medal which she
had worn that day.
she searched IA long time for them,
but could not find either one. Her cx-
PLANTATION was considered sufficient and
we Immediately sent her the medal. -
She expressed surprise that the bit Of
gold should have found its way into the
stomach Of u cow and in that manner be
carried Ia Chicago, where it once more
saw the light The case puzzles the men
at the stockyarCis just rs much as it does
the owner
1t is explained that often small nails are
found in what is called the first stomach
of cows. Some time ago n 81 goldpicce
was taken from slaughtered steer and
now adorns the watch chain of the super
intcndcnt of the killing gang.
IL is supposed that the Maltese cross
was swallowed hy the cow while she was
grazing on the prairie and lodged in the
first stomach, just as other foreign arti-
fs1cc dn .(shicnun Tnnrna1