The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-02-28
ALOP HORNED
COW
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1912, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

BILE maker. When she has a bObbct
tail to boot then you look out. No,
couldn't give her away to any on
knowing COW character. She will juml
any fence to eat her fill of corn and
then seek to destroy what she car't
eat.
There had been peace in Woods coun
ty for a dozen years when a rumpus
suddenly fell upon the land and
changed the course of at least two
lives and gave Il hundred others some
thing besides crops to talk about.
Farmer Jepson. widower, lived four
miles from Ackron on the county line
road, and Jane %Schonflcld, widow and
farmer, lived three miles west Of him
on the Red Bridge road. They had
lived thus for five years and only knew
each other by name. The five years
might have become twenty had not an
old lop horned COW stepped in to give
the parties an introduction.
The cow was owned by the widow.
Besides being lop horned she was bob
tailed, wild eyed and had various bad
habits, one Of which was jumping six
rail fences and wandering about nights.
These promenades sometimes led her
miles away and into strange pastures.
she was in the midst Of his cornfield
and had cleared about half an acre Of
the juicy stalks. He was a good man,
but he swore at her and called her
names. He also tried his best to kill
her on the spot. A week later the
COW called again to see how the corn
was coming on, and after half killing
her the farmer sent word that IF that
old critter of a COW steps hoof OF my
land again there'll be a lawsuit to make
things rumble!'
The cow didn't hurry matters any.
She waited until Mr.. Jepson had trans
planted his cabbage plants and they
had got fairly growing. and then she
called one night and helped herself to
$50 of them. The first the widow knew
of the midnight raid was when she re-
ceived a summons from Il justice Of
the peace. Suit had been commenced
by Farmer JepsOn to recover $3.50 dam
ages.
go hos sued me. has hep observed
the widow as she doubled up her lists
and fire came to her eyes. We'll.
we'll see who cOmes out ahead"
After two or three adjournmcnts the
case cimc to trial, and it WAS III the
courtroom that plaintiff and defendant
first saw each other. Both We're sur
prisch. and both said something to
themselves. What the fnrmer said
was:
"Well, by thunder. expected to see
q fat and homely Old two listed wilder.
and find her Il good lookin' little bit
of a female who ought to be sittin' on
a husbands knee. Wish Id seen her
before | begun this suit. The blame
old COW damaged me, but hain't goin'
10 swear very hard agin no woman
like that"
LANDS O. massey, but he hain't no
mean man." exclaimed the widow aft
er a look at the farmer. "Why they
said he was a big boss and buffer n
wanted to bulIdoze me cause I'm all
alone in the world. Say, now. but
they are all wrong. He hain't the kind
to bluff and pitch in. Wish he a
come to see me about the old cow. II
he had I'd have chained her up. Won
der how hard he'll swear agin mel"
She was soon to know. The plain
tifr's lawyer in opening the case said
It was an aggravated case of trespass
and damage and that the $3.50 men,
toned wasn't really half what they
should have sued for. Then he went
on to tell of what a defiant woman
the defendant was and wound up by
stating his hopes that the jury would
render a verdict without leaving the
box. Then the plaintiff was called to
the witness chair, and, to the surprise
Of the widow and the disgust of his
lawyer, he said he had forgotten the
message the oma returned to him.
He followed that up by declaring that
his feelings had simply been shocked
and that he had fully recovered from
the shock in a minute and a half. AS
to the corn and cabbage, perhaps $40
would pay the bill. If a verdict for
that amount was rendered he would
take 1t on the installment plan at a
dollar q month. He had once owned a
bphorned, bobtailed cow. and he
knew how hard it was to keep them at
home O. nights.
'You jackass, but you have lost your
easel" Kissed his lawyer as the wit
ness stepped down with a smile in the
direction of the widow, whose lawyer
was whispering to her:
"Now you get up there and give us
some hot talk and your case. is won.
We've got Jepson on the s%kedaddle."
There vas no hot talk from the Wild
ew. On the contrary, she cooed like a
dove. She admitted to the ownership
Of the jumping, predatory COW. but
was quite willing to pay reasonable
damages. She didn't doubt the plain
ttd's shocked feelings and was sorry
for them and wished he had hit the
old COW with the ak. One of the re-
quits Of the suit was a verdict for G
cents damages, and another was that
Farmer Jepson would call ut her home
for the money. He kept his word. A