The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03
GOAT GRAFT In WASHINGTON

| The New York Times prints the fol
lowing letter to President Roosevelt
which was sent to him by a New
Hampshire farmer:
Mr.. President: l regret to cal
your attention to the Angora Goat De-
partment of the Bureau of Agriculture
| 1t has spread broadcast a document
| commencing Angoras to the farmer:
of the country. This contains three
speciouS landscapes. Before goatlnt
shows a dense jungle. suggesting the
average New Hampshire pasture. 'Ont
land producing a valuable crop OF
| bean poles. Two years after coating
shows a lawn suitable for golf links
The appetite of AngOras Subscribed In
way that led me to hope they might
even effect saving in blasting pow
der, the chief source of expense ir
farming hereabouts.
II purchased a flock at considerable
cost. The first interview of my dos
and the buck caused me to name the
| latter Togo. His views on the subject
| of race suicide l think would receive
your approval. The does, on the other
| hand, neglect their kids SO shameless.
ly. that l fear they belong to a female
| goat club
| II enclosed the flock with a fence
highly recommended bv the American
Steel and Wire Company. now suspect
that this company may be trust AMI
should be investigated. The fence was
no barrier to the goats.
II make no complaint that they ate
| a valuable rose garden belonging to
neighbor, but their conduct in my owl
vegetable garden entities me to relief
When pursued their rapidity of move
| ment might suggest ideas to the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company in con
nection with it's Chicago, New York
service If interested you can obtain
| the flock on easy terms.
Il leave the matter, Mr.. President
| to your sense of Justice.
THE letter has been referred to the
| Department of Agriculture"
We have no doubt that the Presi-
dent will see some avenue of escape
open to the farmer with the goats and
we do not attribute his reference OF
the matter to the Department of Agri-
| culture to an effort to avoid his clear
responsibility Rather, we take it, he
| is simply putting that punishment
the goats-on the department, which
according to the ancient rule, it's crime
deserves That the department should
win nothing but trouble from this
foisting of the ambitious Angora Or
the simple Reuben of the Hampshire
hills will be generally agreed. but it is
doubtful whether the penalty is no.
unconstitutional as being "cruel anC
unusual" The methods of the depart
ment in getting rid of the goats is
however. most represensible. Tha
before and after goat" device was the
| invention of a cunning scoundrel who
] tells the truth as to the eating capcitN
of his whiskered bucks and neglects t.
put the country wise as to the momen
tous incidentals. Is there graft her
also? Did some Holmes of the de
partment in a misguided moment pur
chase Il pair of goats for milking pur
poses, and is he using the government
basely in order to rid himself of hi:
growing surplus? All these things TIL,
President will doubtless clear up dur
ing the investigation now going on
which will include goat as well as croI
reports. Grandpa Wilson, on Pennsyl
| Ndnld AVENUE, lOloWeu ny his ueIu
will in the meantime, furnish ample
interest to the multitude.
In some way goats are highly sta.
tistical. Anything can be proved by
them. A fifty dollar clerk can grab /;
pencil put down ten goats, travc
ahead a year on his foolscap and come
out triumphantly with million dot
lars. A goat circular is always racy
reading. They live on nothing and We
can eat IN an old field and make i
ready for cultivation. They give more
milk than a COW, and. if the servant
girl has day off, will take care Of
baby. They make the best spring
| lamb and excellent watch-dogs. There
! is nothing that a goat will not do anC
| furnish for the needs of man. AS Z
gilded dream the eye-wash of Colone
Mulberry Sellers is to a goat as thirty
cents to double eagle behind the tell
er's window. There is millions in it
on paper
The trouble is that in practice there
are simply millions of goats.