The Washington herald., 1912-02-18

PLY. the man was an Importer. and had
just received a consignment Of cows from
the Isle OF Jersey. The first heifer I
/ saw. coming two years old. took my
| fancy. The price was 500. ! now sus-
pect that the man knew the sum Of
money carried with me. I'll buy her.
l said, If you will deliver her in Boston
so that can take her to Rockland on
the boat that leaves this evening Thus
started my herd of Jerseys. It looked
like foolish performance. Well" and
Senator Gardner laughed joyfully. lit
wasn't.
MY second COW was purchased at
| Winthrop. which Is near Augusta. She
| was a wretched looking animal but 1
| liked her. It seemed TO me that she had
4 eyes, or horns or hoofs like the COW at
| Waterville. Any way there was some
| resemblance. The owner recommended
| several others but / stuck to my first
| impression and then he went with me
to the house and reluctantly showed me
| IL Ia pounds Of butter, churned from
her cream for the week just ending. I
bought bull high up on the border line
OF New Hampshire. Before I realized IT,
had herd Of ten cows and two bulls
Live stock requires land. consequently
urchased farm. Ny butter was sent
10 Boston and sold at the Quincy Mar
ket- was very happy. Lime was burn
ing freely, lumber was selling easily, and
the COWS were getting along capitally.
His Bull Gets n Medal.
Then a man came from wiscon-
sin-a COW shark hunting for fine stock.
He wanted to buy me out but refused
to sell. 1 acted on bis advice, however,
and sent a young bull to the New Eng
land cattle fair at Portland. The bull not
only was awarded first premium. but won
gold medal for being the best animal
on exhibition. 1 telegTaphed home, so
great and joyful was the occasion. The
next year entered two herds at the
fair in Bangor, winning the first and sec
ond premiums. After that my Jerseys
were regular feature at all the big cat
tie shows in that part OF the country.
"A netghbor observed that we ought to
start a grange. L don't know a thing
about oranges I said, but II they per-
tain to cows, I approve the proposition
drummed up eighteen members the first
day, even IL / didn't know what to say
to them. We sent for documents and an
organizer. was elected to the second
most important office. The next morning
weazened old man with a big mouth
stopped me in the road. He was grinning
clear across the lower part of his face
Putting the toe Of his poot on the hub
OF my buggy wheel, he said: 'Obe, IN
sell out for $50, and the initiation cost
me 81, by gosh. That's the way we look
ed at it then-ythought we had been stung.
you understand-but we got to work ana
did business. Presently i was chosen
to serve on the executive committee OF
the State grange. and later was elected
master, an ofice held for ten years. We
had 1880 members when became mas
ter and 5000 members when ! failed
to be reelected for the sixth term.
'I was defeated by three OF my best
friends They notified me that they
meant to beat me II they could. report
ing to me occasionally and saying: You
are whipped, Brother Gardner or You
will never be master of the State Grange
again. After the election, which I lost
by one vote the three friends crowded
around me, and said: Now we are going |
to nominate you for governor Of Maine
That was in 1905. had never been in |
politics. but had always been Demo- |
crat. I was nominated unanimously, and |
stumped the State. It was Presidential |
year, but a change OF $500 votes would |
have defeated the Republican candidate. |
He Meets Defeat CheerfulIy.
in 1910, Plaisted was chosen over me |
to head the Democratic ticket. A good |
old deacon I told the convention when \
called on 10 make q speech, neld stake l
while his hired man was driving Il in /
the ground with beetle. The hired man |
miscalculated, and hit the deacon on the /
head, sending him down on the grass /
After the deacon got up and was rubbing /
the sore spot, the hired man asked: Did /
I hurt yer OF course you hurt me, con-
sarn ye.' the deacon replied. 50 there
was good feeling all around-includIng I
those Democrats who knew 1 should be |
governor were 1 nominated and elected 1
and who had been pulling various wires
for Plaisted-and again 1 went on the
stump. When Frye died, Plalsted, then
governor. appointed noe to the vacancy
thereby caused in the United States SEN |
ate
what is the situation in Maine with
respect to liquor?" asked
bad. Rum-selling Is prohibited by our
constitution but the traffic Is carried on
just the same. We voted last fall FOR
and against submitting the matter again
to the people. ResuDmission failed.
however. TO carry by about 200 votes.
Prohibition, consequently. remains IN the
organic law of the State. 4 dealer told
me he manufactures barrel OF whisky
overnight by using si.25 worth OF drugs
and six gallons OF raw alcohol I know
a man in Rockland who has been selling
liouor for thirty years. lie has had no