The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-20
MRS. RAMER'S GOATS.
THE ORIGIN AND THE Ego
LUTON

or an Interesting Raneh-she IS the
Owner of the Largest Herd of An
CORA Goats in AmerIca-OnIy $4,000
AngOra Goats In America.
Mrs. Margaret Armer. owner of the
largest herd of Angora goats in Ameri-
ca, and the only woman member of the
American Goat Breeders Association.
who is a guest at the Planters Hotel,
has had aremarkable business career.
Mrs. Armer was a guest at the goat
banquet given at the Planters last
night. Her success is a tribute to the
energy of the Western woman. The
death of her first husband, an unsuc-
cessful mining prospectOr, in Kingston,
n. NJ. sixteen years ago, left her with
the care of six children, the youngest
an infant in arms.
A little Angora goat, homeless and
bleating, that had come into her pos
session short time before, furnished
the milk for the widow and her fam
lily. Mrs. Armer was then a young
woman, but possessed of business en-
terprise. The herd of 1000 Angora goats
of a neighbor attracted her attention.
and her offer to take charge of the
little animals on shares was accepted.
With her oldest boy, Mrs. Armer
herded the goats. AS time went on she
secured possession of the herd and
added to it. She mixed the breeds with
the care of veteran, and to-day her
herd stands unchallenged as the best
in America. One year ago she paid ST.
500 for Pasha of Columbia, said to be
the finest Agnora goat in the world.
At the Kansas City livestock show last
week she bid up the price on Aztec, the
finest animal on exhibition, to $l,375.
She secured the first prize for pair of
doe yearlings and was awarded nine
other prizes.
Mrs. Armer's present accumulations
were wrought through numberless
trials and disappointments. Edward
Armer, railroad man, married her
seven years ago. He placed his saw
ings unreservedly in her hands, and
she has increased her focks so that
they browse on a territory ten miles
long and six miles wide. 1t takes in
the former mining town of Stanton,
which had 1000 inhabitants, in Sierra
county, N. NJ. She is assisted in her
superintendent of the goat ranch by
twelve herders. Her four sons are at
tending an Ohio. college on the profits
of their mothers industry.
Yes, I suppose I'm the only woman
goat breeder in America said Mrs.
Armer. pleasant-faced and extremely
modest woman. "a
She was attired in a dress of black
mohair, the product of goat hair from
her own herds. At the family home in
Kingston the whole family of Armers
she having two children by her sec
ond marriage sometimes array them
selves in the goathair garments.
Il took fancy to the animals first
as pet, and now think that the in
dustry of raising them will become one
of Americas greatest industries.
There are only $4,000 Angora goats
in America at present, but there is go
| ing to be big increase. Sixteen years
ago, when first took up the business
and I'm a first class pioneer-an An
CORA goat was worth 81. Now a good
! animal easily commands $40. This Is
! due to experiments that have been
| made of late. Last spring a party of
breeders, including E. D. Ludlow & Co.
of Lake Valley, a few miles from us,
| and myself sent to the Sanford (Me.)
| plush mills a quantity of mohair, which
was manufactured into plush. Previous
| to that the firm had. under the Nc
Kinley tariff of 1890, imported Turkish
hair and manufactured it. We hav9 a
sample of genuine imported Turkish
plush with us, and the best expert cam
not distinguish the difference between
the domestic mohair plush made from
our product and the Turkish hair plush.
"Our country, and especially Sierra
| county, our home county, is admirably
adapted to the culture of the Angora,
possessing the same climatic, topo-
| graphical and soil requirements as that
afforded the Angora in the far East.
| The animals browse only on the under
brush. The refuse from them is one of
| the best fetilizers in the world 1t
transforms the soil from produce
tivity to fertility. The only provision
necessary for them is salt and meager
shelter. DR., E. r, Allen of the bureau
of animal industry, has found that they
are immune to tuberculosis. Cattle and
sheep will find great pasture on land
first gone over by the goats.
THE Ozark county, in my opinion,
also possesses the same requisites, and
I expect to see it the center of a huge
,goat-breeding industry.-From the
| Chicago Chronicle.