The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-04-07
ONE years ago, when so
much was said about the
abandoned farms" of New
England, I formed with an

tRonI England, 1 formed with an
lesl GIl other young man what we
/. toolisn4y believed to be rather fine
plan for establishing ourselves COM
fortably. We were then statesmen in
one of the great stores in Boston. We
were not altogether happy in our oc-
cupation, for we liked out-of-door life.
AS we had been prudent enough to
save a little money, we thought we
might look about, buy some old farm.
stock it with sheep, and live leisurely
and healthfully on our mutton and by
the sale of our wool.
We talked the scheme over through
out one entire winter and spring, and
spent our two weeks Of GUNNER vaca-
ton driving through the northerly
counties of Vermont, New Hampshire
ard Maine, in quest Of old farm prop
erty. At last we found in Maine what
suited us pretty well-forr run:out, up
land adjoining homestea6s of about 100
acres each; and we were able to pur-
chase all for $500.
As there ,7as much similar farm
property near by, we could, if our ex-
pertinent proved success, add to our
territory and increase our, stock. At
the outset, and during the succeeding
autumn and winter, we purchased 16O
sheep, which we divided into four
focks.
On one of the four farms was a fair
" comfortable old house: and in the
spring we went there to live, having
engaged as housekeeper an elderly but
very energetic woman we called Aunt
Deborah.
Our neighbors were seven OF eight
families, none wholly prosperous. some
slovenly and shiftless; and they all
kept dogs.
Within q radius of two miles OF our
sheep pasture there were, as we soon
had occasion to reckon, seventeen or
eighteen dogs. including four hounds,
and all exceedingly dear to their own
ers. There were "otte- dogs and
"bear dogs" and partridge dogs" and
a great many very valuable wood
chuck dogs" And many of these pre-
eious animals were fond of making
nocturnal raids into our sheep pasture.
Now. our legislators have not left us
in darkness as to what steps may le-
gally be ia. en- against mischievous
dogs. Whoever will examine the sta
tute books of almost any State will
find articles limiting dogs strictly, and
declaring that if dog transgresses the
edicts he may lawfully be killed. For
Massachusetts, the conclusion is that
any person may lawfully kill a tres
passing dog whenever and wherever
found"
In the first spring after we had tax
en- up our sheep farm we had l4O
lambs when the sheep were turned out
to pasture on the third day of May.
Four days later six lambs and two
sheep were missing Bits of wool,
bones and the remains of one sheep. all
found in secluded places. showed that
some animal had lilied and eaten
them.
As bears or wildcats were not num-
erous in that locality, we felt morally
certain that dogs had done the mis-
chief, and we particularly suspected
two dogs kept by neighbor named
McFadden, living mile distant. One
was a bulldog, the other large mon
grel cur, one of the IL: bly, esteemed
woodchuck dogs.
My partner and fellow shepherd.
Ward, carried two buffalo skins to the
pasture, hid himself in clump Of low
hemlocks. and watched dur. ns the fol-
lowing night with gun resolved to
shoot any dog that came near the re-
mains vf the sheep. He saw none, al
though a lamb was killed during the
night in another part Of the pasture.
When dogs 80 sheep killing they seem
to revert to the unning and slyness of
their wild ancestry.
In all these veyations had warm
sympathizer in Aunt Deb" She hat
ed dogs on general principles, and for
the special reason that on number
of nights when the bulkhead door
chanced to lie left open, some animal
stole into the cellar and raided her
pans of doughnuts, custard pies and
other eatableS.
"Now, boys, just you let me try my
hand on those dogs" she said, at the
breakfast table. iii f.. 'em for you.
When it comes night you just go to
bed and sleep. I'll answer for the
dogs"
"Go ahead. Aunt Deb" we said. "You
shall have a lamb for every dog you
dispose off,
Toward night we saw her pounding
something in an old mortar; and just
a dusk she went alone into the sheep
pasture. She had. although we did
not know it at the time. pounded up
two glass bottles. and with the powder
she "doctored' the remains OF the
sheep and the lamb last killed. The
next day We discovered that the car
cass Of the sheep had been taken away.
ard on the following day tiGinS came