The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-03
Beaver Brook Farm, 4 Milford, Connecticut.
 July 1, 1916.

X 4 ar;v '. July l, lSlO. Statement to all persons who have
 been buying milk from The Beaver
 Brook Farm Company
 From more than two years ago, un- til June 25, 1916. we sold milk pro ( duced from our<own herd in Milford. In all that time, we did not sell or deliver single bottle of milk in Bridgeport, Stratford, Fairfield Green Farms, or the City of New Haven, that contained any milk other than that produced on our own farm Tn Milford from our own cows.
 To ourf distress and surprise, we heard for the first time, within the last few days, that rumor has spread to the effect that we have been buying milk from others, and selling it in Fairfield County as the milk of our farm. That report is entirely err RDneousi It doubtless arose from the mct that in our milk route in Milford {. {but in no other place) our drivers lave carried for long time, two Trades of milk. One of these was x From our own herd, and similar to 1he milk delivered by us in Fairfield Eountyt and was labeied and sold as milk produced and bottled on our Milford farm. For this milk we re- delivered in Bridgeport. The other grade of milk, sold to our neighbors { in Milford, but nowhere else, was milk which we bought from others This milk, while of very good quality, was u0t labeled as produced on our farm, \ a1d was sold at a cheaper price than our own milk to certain of our Mil ford, customers who wanted cheaper milk, and to whom we invariably and expressly stated that this cheaper ! milk was not produced from our own herd. Even this cheaper milk was Superior in quality to the average milk 4 delivered in Milford. There was nev- z or any shadow of misunderstanding, on the part of our Milford customers. as to the source or grade of the milk delivered to them
 We urge your careful attention to the foregoing statement. which we make with the utmost deliberation and earnestness, because the good name of our officers. and their repu- sfation for f1ff dealing are more inn portant to us than any money. . We come now to the mournful ques- tfon of the present epidemic.
 We have used diligence in keeping our herd at high standard, and in < establishing at very considerable exv ( pense, what we believe, after careful investigation to be the best methods. It Is very generally admitted that we aave been most careful and painstak- ing in adopting every measure in our power for securing the delivery to IA.
 It has, however, been charged that milk delivered by us has been infect ed through;zzBEHBizae izaeeident, and has Ecaused serious sickness. This charge was first brought to our attention on June 23, 1916. The very next day, of our own volition, and at our own < Suggestions, we stopped all our deliv- cries of milk in Bridgeport, and noti- fled Dr. A. c. Knapp. the Bridgeport milk inspector, that our deliveries would be stopped. At the same time, we asked pr. Knapp for instructions, and he directed us to take samples to 9Dr. H. w. Conn. of Wesleyan Uni versity. the State Bacterfologist. We 1. sent these samples to Dr. Conn imme- dfately by special automobile.
 Professor Conn said that he found nothing that would justify him iii saying that any illness had been caus- ed by our milk. He advised, however, that separate samples of the milk of J each COW of our milking herd be sub mitted to Dr. D. M. Lewis of Yale highest qualifications and reputation as an expert in the bacteriological problems that are presented in the examination of milk.
 Under the supervision of Dr. w. J. H. Fischer, a competent physician of good standing in Milford we took the samples, precisely as advised by Dr. Conn. and submitted them to Dr. Lewis. who made the following report: D. M. Lewis, M. D.,
 36 High Street,
 New Haven. Conn.
 to 8 D. m.
 Telephone 2197.
 Beaver Brook Farm Co.,.
 Milford, Conn.,,
 Gentlemen,
 I hereby certify that on the 18th of this month, I examined 68 samples of milk delivered to me as individual COW samples, and found an absence of the samples. Further, I found them to be free from any forms of < sstreptococci or diplococci.
 I may state that these samples, re- presenting the herd milked. show free dom from COW infection being trans I mitted through the milk at this time as well as during the immediate two weeks previous.
 Signed:
 D. M. Lewis MD.
 This examination of our milk by Dr. Lewis, with the physical examina- ton. of our milking herd by a num- Der of public health authorities, seems to prove conclusive1y that our COWS arc not the source of any illness in Bridgeport.
 The purest and most costly milk in New York, as most people know, is not pasteurized; and as everyone knows the purest milk and that which is most carefully handled may be- come infected by accident.
 That any such unhappy accident be- fell our milk has not been demon- tstrated. For those afflicted we feel the deepest sorrow and sympathy.
 If it shall ever be shown that i'll spite of the great caution that we con- stantfy exercise and the scrupulous care with which our business is con- drctec, some illness can Nbe traced to us, we assure you that such an un- fortunate accident could not have been due to il1-hea1th in our herd or to any defect in oiIr method of tshandling our milk. We ask you to believe that the inquiry now carried on by the health officers with our earrest cooperation, is not expected to show any fault anywhere, but is x to ascertain whether there has been 4 one of those isolated happenings of an accidental nature that unfortunately occur in spite of the utmost human brecaution. Sudh happening in the nature of things, is not liable ever to recur.
 In the past. we have always gladly adopted every suggestion for improve u1ent in methods or machinery that experts, whether official or unofficial, mtxht suggest; and that will continue Co be our practice.
 The Beaver Brook Farm Co.,,
 By Grinncll Martin, Manager.