Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-09-02

l read in the Tribune Farmer OF
August I, on page Q, the remarks oi
"All Around Farmer; also the com
mentS of the editor. Perhaps bit OF
personal experience may encourage
some reader, and may be excused fol
my egotism in relating it.
From time to time in sheep pasture
about mile from my home farm have
occasionally found dead sheep, usu
ally one of the fattest and best. An ex
animation, both external and internal
showed no injury, neither were there
stomach worms nor disease of any in
ternal organ. l was unable to discover
a cause for death; simply said to my
man, Bob, there is sheep to bury
over in the pasture" l knew that oc
casionally hounds would be seen roam
ing over the country, as many are owned
in my township, but, as it is generally
said that hounds will not bite sheep
and as there were no marks on the dead
ones, | had no fears of them. But
about =. NJ. on July II two men living
near this pasture heard the bells ringing
had kept up for some time, they con-
cluded to investigate, when two hounds
were discovered chasing them. The
next morning | was notified, and two
fine ewes and one lamb were found, one
eve dead, another tired out and nearly
dead and the lamb dying.
To say l was mad feebly expresses it.
These hounds had not bitten them at all.
simply run them TO death. True it is,
then, that hound will not bite sheep,
but they do worse; they worry and run
the whole flock, and create more damage
than if they singled out one or more and
killed them. gave public notice that
all hounds seen on my premises would
be shot. This caused smiles on the
faces of some, as | am not known as a
marksman, and am known as a lover
of most domestic animals, and many a
low remark was made concerning Doc
Smead shooting dogs. Dog owners
considered their dogs safe as far as
Smead and his gun were concerned.
But ''old trusty," of the make of 1TI6,
an old family piece that is not fired on
an average twice year, was duly loaded
with BIB shot, with plenty of powder
behind it, and kept in convenient place.
Near my house is pasture where a
number of pure bred rams are kept. On
Friday, August s, rs was in my office
writing an article for The Tribune
Farmer, my wife called me, saying the
hounds were chasing the rams. With
slippers on my feet and "old trusty" in
my hands, | ventured forth. 'Old
trusty" spoke once, and black and tan
hound spoke his last. The BIS went
straight to the heart Hound No. 2, a
black and white, started slowly across
the fields, stopping occasionally to wait
for the black and tan. "Old trusty'
was reloaded, and Bob was hitched up
TO the platform wagon. A drive was
made around the road about one and a
half miles, when the black and white
was found at his owners barn door. a
minutes talk with his owner convinced
him the better way was To turn the dog
over to me. "Old trusty" was brought
forth from the wagon bottom and spoke
again, and one more hound went TO a
dogs hereafter.
Now, my dear sheep owning friends, l
fully believe the dog question can be
Just as easily settled in your section as
in mine The laws of most states pro-
tect the sheep owners, and all have the
right to shoot dogs caught chasing
sheep, and in some states other animals.
The courts have long since decided that,
while all have right TO keep hunting
dogs, it is the owners duty to keep
them on their own premises-not on
yours or mine. Neither have they a
legal right to hunt on our premises to
our detriment. They are trespasses
when they do so.
When sheep owners can work up
Spunk enough to avail themselves of the
rights the law gives them, and have got
nerve enough TO fire gun and shoot to
kill, the dog and sheep question will
soon be settled. There are hundreds of
farmers who would like to keep sheep,
and the weeds on their farms show
plainly that they should keep sheep to
exterminate them as well as to furnish
manure, who are coming down and say
ing: "Yes; would like to, but the dogs
will kill them" What, Shall as great
an industry as sheep husbandry be
knocked about by dogs or by few men
who like to hunt? Wake up to your
rights as American citizens and farmers,
and demand your rights, and when
necessary use "old trusty" and the
question will be settled.-Dr. c. ID.
Smead, Logan, n. Y, in Tribune Farmer.