Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-01-03
SHOW I Make a Living"
A COLLEGE GIRL TELLS OF HER Sue
CEssFUL PIG RAISING.

CEssFUL PIG RAISING.
The pig is not generally regarded as a
pleasant animal, and the raising of pigs
is not business that would ordinarily
be selected for Its aesthetic charms.
But the proverbial feminine touch can,
il appears, transform even the pig and
make the piggery as fascinating as, say,
a violet farm. According to the woman
who has worked this miracle, pigs are
dirty only because man makes them so.
Hers are as neat and clean as any pussy
cat by the fire; and as for their food,
she could eat every bit of it herself, as
far as cleanliness is concerned.
The experiment is described in a re-
cent number of 1.-The Tatler':
IL am the woman" the article begins,
''who dared and did. l am the woman
who raised pigs and made money by
them and saved myself from poverty.
"Of course, everybody says, 'Ohr
with a questionable infection, and looks
at me in wonder, and asks me why did
such thing. Some mention the fact
that l am college graduate, and ask
me why | turned to pigs instead of
treasures of my brain for livelihood in
a way that shows me quite plainly that
they consider | have abused my privi-
leges and am disgrace to my alma
mater. But these people who treat me
and my pigs with such fine scorn do not
know that college education is not
worth the snap of your fingers when you
-. -, a,.t, -,
a hurry.
II could stand in shop for s. week
and get white and wan and weak, and
spend all earn in paying doctors bills
afterward. could not get place in an
office, for l should have to learn book
keeping or typewriting, and l have no
time for that. | was let down all at
once, crash. and had no time for any
thing but to work and earn my bread.
Reared tenderly in thSgentlest of atmos-
pheres, taught only to dance and dine,
and talk small talk divinely-result, /
keep pigs.
The chief reason was that had to
be out of doors to keep my health, and
then heard friend say that she never
had pork on her table, because it was
not sweet and fine and we'll fed. Then
saw a poor woman taking care of the
pigs while the farmer husband was
away, and it looked interesting at the
time and remembered it.
~ thought it all out in the still
watches of the night, and said, It's
pigs or the poorhouse,' and pigs it was.
"And now am prosperous and happy
and healthy. l like my pigs ana they
like me. There it is in nutshell. And
now for the details of my story. To be-
gin with, | had enough money to buy
my pigs and to live on for three months.
| have been keeping pigs now for three
years, and i am not ashamed of my mis-
takes, but am proud as peacock of my
success.
II had my pigs sent to my country
home in a New-England town, a SOW, a
boar and eight little pink pigs. 1 felt
very important when ordered them to
be placed in the new pen at the back of
the stable that had once held five horses
ard which was then to be let. | had
read up diligently on pigs in all the
books the great libraries had on the sub
ject, and was pig wise.
1.-The man who brought the pigs had
heard of my intentions, and he stood
back and looked me over scornfully.
You amt going to feed no pigs in that
dress, be you?' he asked, with dirty
finger pointing at my frock.
"And how l did watch and tend my
precious pigs!
IL cooked and arranged their food
myself. carried it to them in small
buckets and poured it into their clean
troughS. fed them on fresh grass that
cut myself. | made them clean beds
in corner, and there. was never any
filth or piggy odor about that pen. l
treated my pigs respectfully and gave
them opportunities TO be clean, and they
became sweet and orderly and self
II had my sty built on a high, dry
place, for had learned in my wisdom
that for the wellbeing of my stock the
piggery should stand high. The bottom
of the pighouse is of concrete, which is
the very best material for the purpose.
| fed my pigs on grain and middlings,
but only gave them as much as they
could eat at one time; that is, never
allowed any food to remain in the
trough after they had finished meal,
so that they should come back to it
later. fed them twice a day, at 9 A.
NJ. and p. NJ. in the summer, and at Z
A. NJ. and p. NJ. in the winter-and l
was as regular as clockwork.
81 was accustomed to hasten away
from teas and receptions, and if people
protested said, But have my pigs to
cfr
and those who knew me would look wise
and say something nice about brave
little woman which always made me
mad, because | am not brave, am just
'.None of my pigs ever got 'stystaked'
because they never had dirty, filthy
sly. Most farmers say the only thing to
do is to give pig the filthiest possible
place to live in. have ridden far and
near through New-England country
towns, visiting farmers to look at pigs
and study how other people keep them,
and / am surprised that people can eat
pork at all or that any piggeries escape
disease. Only on rare occasions did
come across n clean sty and we'll kept
pigs, and even then none were ever as
clean as mine-and l say it without con-
ceit.
's1 never get cheated in buying pig
now, for | know perfectly healthy pig
SO well that cannot be hoodwinked.
"Oh how many times they have tried
to cheat me-just mere woman! A
perfectly healthy pig will have bright
eyes, wide open. His tail is we'll twist
ed. he will stretch and rub himself
against things, and his hide will be clean
and fresh looking. No one can sell me a
bad pig now, can assure you, for l
know every aspect of the animal"
An Old Cows Worth,