Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1907-09-12
cow ATE DYNAMITE
AND FOR A TIME THERE WAS
CHAOS ON THE FARM.
Peculiar Diet of Bovine Simply Unset
tied Everything-caused Labor
Complication Among Other
Things.

Queer demands are coming from the
farmers on the line of the new acque-
duct, says the New York Times
A claim for lone dynamited COW"
was settled the other day. When the
claim reached the controller it called
for S425. The controller turned it
over to the board of water supply,
which in turn sent Engineer Charles
E. Davis to investigate. The claim
ant was John McCauley, of Browns
station, Uuster county The engineer
ing force had been at work near his
place. The claim, he said, included
the trampling down of growing grain.
Was the cow blown up?" asked
the engineer.
Not exactly" said the claimant,
but she scared us all to death. You
see, one of the engineers had left a
stick of dynamite in a field and the
COW ate it. She probably thought it
was an ear of corn or something. You
know how hard it is to get any hired
MEN in this section. Why, the depart
slent of agriculture has sent out circu-
lars telling the farmer how to get over
the labor difficulty. I've got one of
them up to the house.
We'll, some of the help have had
read that circular that was lying about
the house, and then they kicked for
more pay. There was Ed and John"
Whats that got to do with the
cow" asked the investigator.
We'll, was telling my story in my
own way. You see, labor is scarce,
and 1 had got that darned circular
locked up in a closet, and 1 was hop
ing to keep Bill with me for a little,
when Bill and 1 was walking through
that field toward the COW. We saw
her eating something and we didn't
mistrust anything until we got up
close to her just as the end of the
stick was sticking out of her mouth,
and 1 saw what it was.
What's she eating?' asked Bill. I
didn't feed her anything
BILL says I, if there's one thing
of which 1 wouldn't suspect you it's
work. I know darn well you didn't
feed that COW anything. But she's
fed herself says 1, and it's darned
hot stuff says l.
Bill he looked little queer.
What is it?' says he.
Dynamite says l.
"'My God" says he.
"He stood still for so long a time
that l thought he wasn't afraid. All
of a sudden the COW turned and walk
ed toward him.
Drive her off; we'll both be
killed., says Bill, picking up a big
stone.
Don't you do it, says 1; she'll ex-
plode. She's full of dynamite, and the
highest jar'll set her off,
Bill began to laugh-half laugh and
half cry, you know, like lady sum-
mer boarder 1 once had who found
toad under her bed when she was
looking for a man. Then 1 says.
"..Bill, it's up to you to do some
thin g.
"'Wh. is it UP to me?' says he.
You own the cow
That's just it. says 1. 4 own the
COW and you are working for the man
that owns her.
. Bill gave me look. Then he says:
Well, amt working for him no
longer says he, and with that he cut
across the fields without waiting for
his wages.
well, my family and 1 stayed that
night at the home of my brother. five
miles away, to make sure of being
safe. In the morning 1 went back to
the farm and found that the cow was
dead The dynamite had poisoned
her. John Wilkey, the dare devil of
the neighborhood, carried off the body
for So"
The engineer found upon question
ing the force in the neighborhood that
a stick of dynamite had disappeared.
So he settled for $3.50. The farmer
took the money.
Say" he said, you know 1 have
a telephone in my house. Day before
yesterday Bill called me up.
Say says he, is that COW dead?
If she is I'm coming back for my
wages
you'll get no wages says L."