Evening star., 1941-09-28

the District Training School at
Laurel.
HerdSmen have q cheerful
theory that the cows save the
District a pretty penny despite
upkeep costs. Were 1t not for
these municipal milk-makers,
they say, the city would have to
buy milk for its charges. At cur
rent prices, $4,000 gallons would
cost around $4,000.
Herds Origins a Mystery.
Be that as it may, the COWS
are here. How they got here,
however, remains something of
a mystery. Apparently, like Top
sy, they lust growed."
This is said in good faith after
exhaustive eresearch. The fruit
less quest for the bossies' origin
began at ths District Building.
The city auditors Office said yes,
the city had COWS and kept a
record of them, but nobody
knew whence they came. Paul
Keen, chief property inspector,
suggested a talk with the heads
of the various institutions where
thc COWS are pastured.
Interviewed first vas Frank B.
Haskell, retiring superintendent
of the Home for the Aged and
Infirm. Mr.. Haskell was more
than willing to talk cows, and
his eagernesS, it later developed,
was the outgrowth of a keen
bovine rivalry-but more about
that l&ter
AccorQi. g to Mr.. Haskell, the
homes present herd dates back
to 1918. At that time, he related,
the institution wes divorced from,
the old Washington Asylum with
the creation of Gallinger Hos
pital and took itself off. COWS
and all, to Blue Plains. Neither
he nor any one else at the place,
however, could put their finger
on the source of these trans
planted cows.
Mavericks Ior Purebreds.
''1 recon the city just begged,
borrowed or stole them,' Mr..
Haskell surmised.
Anyhow. in 1918 the then super
intendent, William j. Fay, got
permission from the Commits
sioners to swap the cows, about
30 in number, for group of
purebreds
"He loaded the old cows in a
couple of trucks and went up to
New York State" Mr.. Haskell
recalled. when he got back he
had 16 purebred Holstein Erie
slams"
The present herd at the home,
all Holstein Friesians, has been
built up entirely from these first
imports. Every now and then
a bull was bought or borrowed,
Mr.. Haskell admitted, but every
cow was born and reared there.
They are registered as the CO.
lumbia Herd with the Holstein
Friesian Association of Brattle-
boro, VT.
Did Mr.. Haskell think the first
District COWS were owned by the
home? He said he believed so
but wasn't sure. He was certain,
however, that the home had the
first good COWS. This attitude
became apparent when he was
asked for information concerning
the other three herds.
Scorns Other Bovines.
"Just common cows" Mr..
Haskell snorted. Not registered
like ours"
He said that every year since
the importation of the New York
purebreds the home herd has
been tested religiously for tuber-
culosis and Bangs disease, and
that in all that time only one has
failed to measure up. This, he
said, was young thing with the
proud name of Winona Sadie
Vale Veeman, T. B. brought her
low.
"Prettiest COW in the herd,
too" Mr.. Haskell recalled with q
note of sadness. Buried her
right here on the grounds"
Current pride and Joy OF Mr..
Haskell is Cornucopia De Kol,
closely pressed by Alcartra
Walker. "Corny" gives 70 pounds
(about 8 gallons) of milk a day
and her sister 60.
Next interviewee was Z. A.
Green, assistant superintendent