The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-08-06
The Pow err ~
-. Ofthe Kodak
!. F. Cowan in Our Dumb Animals.

IF. Cowan in Our Dumb Animals.
TACK was sitting tipped lazily back |
y in the easy chair. reading the news |
paper.
81 declare" said he to his mother,
eff it isn't shameful" There ought
to be more than one man to see that
the animals are not cruelty treated. Ii
we're knight and had a sword, like
I read about in some of the story books,
I'd lust start out and make it my bust
ness to protect the animals.
"Why," said Jack, "the paper says
that two or three car loads OF cattle
were taken through here this morning,
and many OF 'em we're almost dead Tor
want of water and from being thrown
down and trampled upon by the others.
/ should think the railroad men or the
men that owned the cattle or somebody
ought to be prosecuteds"
"What are you talking about, Jack ?"
asked his father, who had just come
into the room. ooh, l presume the
owners of the cattle would have been
glad enough to have watered the stock,
and to have kept the weaker ones from
being trampled upon by the stronger
ones. They were taking them to mar
ket. and of course mistreatment meant
loss to them. The trouble seems to be
with the railroad company, which will
not provide the right kind of cars, or
stop them long enough SO that the
stock can be looked after"
"Then," said Jack, elf I we're one of
the knights l would couch my lance
and ride straight to the offices of the
railroad company, and would make
them so afraid that they would prom
iss to run the trains more slowly and
furnish cars with iced and watering
troughs, and engineers who wouldn't
stop and start with such jerk as to
throw the cattle off their feet"
"Well," laughed his father, "you
would probably be arrested by police
man before you got very far and put
into jail for your trouble"
"Well, think it is a mean shame
anyway" said Jack; t'there ought tc
be something done. Can't something
be done, father?"
II don't know, I am sure" said hi:
father. "Men are trying to pass bet
ter laws, but I fear most OF the people
do not realize that they are needed
Perhaps things are not as bad as the
newspapers report, or if they are bu
very few people realize it. If the pub
lie could be made to see a picture O
the sufferings of these dumb brute'
perhaps they would"
ga picture! Why, I'never though
OF using picture instead of sword o
lance or battle-axe. Why, lool
here, that's just the thing! I Cal
! make picture if I can't swing
,, sword. There Is my kodak. I neve
thought of using it in that way before
III get Dick to take his along, too"
! Ten minutes later Jack was racin
I across to his chum's house.
HDick !" he called out, "get you
-lshawk-eve' and come on down to tn
n stock yards"
4. Dick heard the plan rather sker
\ tically.
"What good will it do?" he sale
'They wort paw any attention to you
n picture, course they won't"
n "Won't they?" said Jack stoutl,
). You wait and see if they WON'T"
= So after dinner that day Jack swun
:. his kodak over his shoulder and starte
N ,tf for the stock yards. He did NJ
m have to wait very long to find what /
m was In pursuit Of. Presently a Ion
;. train of stock came jo'tlng in.
= The cars were stopped, the engir
m was unhitched and backed off, viii
m the drovers alighted from the caboo
m and went up end down the tra
m punching up" the animals whlt
=, we're lying down, and attempting
m feed and water them all.
. "You will have to hurry up there
m shouted out railroad man to the ow
50 ers Of the stock. eve are behind tin
m now, and can only stop five minut
m here-long enough to change engines
m "Can't you give US little more tir
m to get the animals up that are dow
m They will die If We DON'T"
m "No; hurry! The time will so
m m be gone.'
m Jack crept along the side of the {
. almost fearing to look in because
the disgusting sights he expected
y see. By and by he saw horn stu
through the grating. He tip-toed a
. looked in. but the next moment turn
bis bead and grew pale. Snap W.
J., his kodak and on he sped to the n,
ear.
He had not much time. In anotl