The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-01-30
BEWARE OF THE ANGORA GOAT.

Such Is the Advice Mr.. w. Scott Par
ker Confides to the Public - And
Mr. Parker is an Authority on An
CORA Goats.
Seeing an article in the NeWs and
Observer few days ago about Angora
goats recalled to the mind of our
friend and townsman Mr.. W. Scott
Parker some experiences of his own
which, like our youthful indiscre-
tions, he has tried to put behind him
if he cannot entirely forget. Fearing
that some we'll meaning. but too
credulous fellowman, might commit
the fatal mistake he did and ''adopt"
the Angora goat as means to quick
and certain fortune. Mr.. Parker sounds
the following note of warning through
the same channel.
TO those who are acquainted with
Mr.. Parker and have ever heard him
relate his experience with Angora
goats, nothing that Mark Twain or
Bill Nye ever wrote was finer. Even
to this day if the subject of goats, Of
the Angora variety, is mentioned in
his presence he would lose the sale Of
car load of hay to denounce the
Angora and the man who championed
him. And in the most frigid weather
Mr.. Parker warns up to such degree
that he cannot keep his hat on when
he talks about Angora goats.
Did YOU ever hear him relate his
experience along this line2 If not
drop in some time and ask him to tell
it to you. No matter how busy he is
you'll always find him atfable and
communicative whenever the Angora
goat is the topic of discussion. And
the variety of English he uses is
amazing, the quality classical when
at his best.
Following is the News and Observer
letter above referred to:
10 the Editor:-I read an article in
the NeCs md Observer of today, head
| ed The Angora Goat" by Harve,
Jordan, and for fear some one may
be led into buying an Angora | wish
TO drop little word of caution.
don't know Mr.. Jordan, but l dc
know the Angora goat. | tried hin
to the tune of $50 and express charges
l kept him on my place for abou
five years, that is, tried to keep hin
on my place, but the Angora goat il
somewhat like Josh Billings mule
when YOU want him in your pastur.
you better turn him in the meadow
near by. | found the Angora hare
animal to coniine. He can walk ;
rail fence like cat and you canno
| put barbed-wire 50 close that he will
not get through, over or under i,
when it thunders. The Angora i:
very much afraid of thunder, and
makes for home and the stable when
ever thunder storm comes up.
/ bought three Angoras to eat tn
golden rod out of my cow pasture
but not rod did they eat-but the,
ate considerable cotton in the tielt
next to my pasture, and my neigh
bors' cotton on the other side. Ipu
more barbedwire on my fence till i
held the jack rabbit, but the Angor'
."came home when the storm cam
up" My goats were beauties to lool
at. They had long grumpy wool
white as snow, but they were yer,
small, and it was amusing to see tn
goats squeeze through my wire fenc
and take trot for home at the frs
signs Of a storm. My wire fenc
looked as though you had hung An
CORA wool out to dry. 1t was covered
with wool, left on the barbs when tn
goats would go through it,
| offered to sell my goats at $50
each but found no bidder | sheare
them for five years and | do not thin
| have ten pounds of wool now-an'
| have it ALL never sold any.
wrote the manager of the Biltmor
estate at Asheville if he would no
make me an offer for my goats an
he replied that he had turned hi
herd out in the mountains to care TO
themselves, that they had been foun
Improbable. wrote the party VIII
sold me the goats to know what kin
of meat the Angoras would make t
eat. He replied the meat was a
right, but a little dear. l thought SC
too. for the first time sheared mine
they could not be kept out of m
barn and stables. The very minut
stable door was opened the goa
was Insane way with the barns an
other houses. finally gave my goat
to a neighbor to raise on halves, an
about a year afterward found one Q
our butchers had some unseasonabl
and very small lambs hanging in hi
stall which. on investigation, | foun
to be my Angoras. SO advise you
; readers not to 90 into the Anger
goat business. Belgian hares may b
profitable, or it might pay to run
poultry yard but | would sooner sh
up against a three-card monte ma
: or wheel of fortune than to agai
} tackle the Angora goat A word t
the wise is sufficient
W. S. PARKER.
, Henderson, n. c.. Jan, "a.