Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-08-26
The Cow Of the Hon. Judge Foote.

(From the Woodstock Ago.
The Journal DIES Debats, perhaps the
leading political and literary paper of
France, has called the attention of its
countrymen to an important incident in
the history of Middlebury, Vermont.
This modest and academic town Jumps
at once into the blaze of wide European
publicity The Debats devotes page to
description of the adventures of "La
Vache de NJ. Foote"-the COW of M.
Foote.
The story is worth translating back
into English, as showing the courage and
presence of mind of Vermont town in
a unique emergency as well as the
catholic taste of Vermont cow. Says
the Debats:
''The honorable Judge Foote had a
good and excellent COW. 1t was of the
race Ayrshire, and it gave much of milk.
1t was treated amiably by all the citizens
of Middlebury, Vt. There was not
man who did not, as she passed, exclaim,
All! here is the excellent COW of the
honorable Judge Foote,' and who did
not run to offer it a slice of potato, with
all the respect that is due to the magis-
tracy.
Some Italians having come to construct
a reservoir upon the side of the Green
Mountains, the COW, like all the people
interested herself in their work. One
day, as they were blasting the rocks, she
stopped to examine the fragments; then
they saw her lift her nose to the rays of
of the sun and shake violently her head.
She had gone and swallowed cartridge
of dynamite! After moment of stupor
the men, at a bound, leaving their TOOLS
fled from the spot, then stopped and
watched the COW, like a monstrous engine
make its explosion. She remained i'm
movable. She looked at the men with
an air grave, sad and impenetrable.
The town assembled and the curious
formed an immense circle at a distance
where they could not be wounded by a
flying hip-bone or a fragment of the
ribs. She made step. All Middlebury
believed the last moment had come.
However, no explosion took place. The
loaded beast began to browse. Some
times she licked her TANKS. At every
movement there wasa cry of anguish. She
began to lie down. Plainly the shock of
the fall would detonate the petard. After
two weighty seconds the beast got up
and began to look fixedly at the horizon.
Some had run to the house of the Judge.
He was absent. They did not know
what to do. The night was passed in
agonizing suspense. The COW, which at
twilight, astonished at being left In the
fields, had decided to go home alone,
found the door of the stable closed She
wandered through the town, but each
house at which she approached was
animated at once with protesting figures.
They threw stones at her, which drove
her into little gallop, of which the oc-
curence awakened fright. In the press
ing danger none dared to sleep. All the
night the citizens with, ears alert,
listened for the discharge. They lay
awake waiting for the horrible catas-
trophe.
The day appeared; they took counsel.
Four courageous citizens devoted them
selves to the task of getting the COW in
pound. They threw rope about her
horns; they took off their shoes so as not
to jar the ground; they spoke in low
voices so as not to jar the air, and urged
the beast into the enclosure very softly.
When it was done, they went back
never turning their heads, and they were
astonished that their hair had not become
white
The COW lived two days; the horror
| was palmpd On the third 6aV che laid
down on her side and died. A black
t gelatinous mass was found in hel
stomach 1t was concluded that dyna.
mite is not an edible substance, but doe:
not illuminate in the stomach"
Thus the COW of NJ. FoOte has added 6
: fact to our knowledge of dietaries ant
: shown the resourcefullness of the Ameri
2 can citizen.