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$1.00 a Year, In Advance. FOR QOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." Single Copy, 5 Cent.
VOLXV. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY. MAY 13, 1904. NO. 8
! " " ' '
II;
111
ti!
A KNOT
!A Ijnot of dainty ribbon, '
That decked a snowy gown,
'And hid in the soft, thick ringlets 1
Of sunny golden-brown. - ,
Oil. little face, with the glimmer
Of love in your sweet, blue eyes,
That were deep as the waves of ocean,
And bright as the summer skies.
To think you are gone forever,
Resting alone in your grave; j
While over your mossy pillow, j
The rose garlands wave, ;
n SHEEP and BOGS A
j v
V7 By C. A. Stephens
OME years ago, when so
much was said about the
"abandonedfarnis" of New
England, I formed with an.
other young man what we
foolishly
plan for
fort ably.
believed to be rather a fine
establishing ourselves coin
We were then salesmen in
one of the great stores in Boston., We
were not altogether , happy in our oc
cupation, for we liked out-of-door life.
As Ave had been prudent enough to
, save a little money, we thought we
might look about, buy some old farm,
stock it with sheep, and live leisurely
and healthfully on our mutton and by
the sale of our wool.
We talked the scheme. over through
out one entire winter and spring, and
; spent our two weeks of cummer vaca
tion driving through the northerly
counties of Vermont, New Hampshire
and Maine, in quest of old farm prop
erty. At last we found in Elaine what
suited us pretty well four run-out, up
land adjoining homesteads of about 100
acres each; and we were able to pur
chase all for $2800.
As there was much similar farm
property near by, we could, if our ex
periment proved a success, add to our
territory and increase our stock. At
the outset, and during the succeeding
autumn and winter, we purchased 1G0
sheep, which we divided into four
flocks.
On one of tne four farms was a fair
ly comfortable old house; and in the
spring we went there to live, having
engaged as housekeeper an elderly but
very energetic woman we called Aunt
Deborah.
Our neighbors were seven or eight
families, none wholly prosperous, some
slovenly and shiftless; and they all
kept dogs.
Within a radius of two miles of our
sheep pasture there were, as we soon
had occasion to reckon, seventeen or
eighteen dogs, including' four hounds,
and all exceedingly dear to their own
ers. ' There were "otter dogs", and
v"bear dogs" and "partridge dogs," and
.a great many very valuable "wood
chuck dogs." And many of these pre
cious animals were fond of making
nocturnal raids into our sheep pasture.
Now, our legislators have not left us
in darkness as to what steps may le
gally be tai.cn against mischievous
-dogs. Whoever will examine the sta
tute books of almost any State will
find articles limiting dogs strictly, and
declaring that if a dog transgresses the
edicts he may lawfully be killed. For
Massachusetts the conclusion is that
.any person may lawfully kill a tres
passing dog "whenever and wherever
found."
In the first spring after we had tak
cn up our sheep farm we had 140
lambs when the sheep were turned out
to pasture on thj third day of May.
Four days later six lambs and two
sheep were missing. ' Bits of wool,
bones and the remains of one sheep, all
found in secluded places, showed that
some animal had killed and eaten
them.
As bears or wildcats were not mini--erous
in that locality, we felt morally
.certain that dogs had done the rnis
, chief, and we particularly suspected
two dogs kept by a neighbor named
McFadden, living a mile distant. One
was a bulldog, the other a large mon
grel cur, one of the t-ihly esteemed,
woodchuck dogs.
My partner and fellow shepherd,
"Ward, carried two buffalo skins to the
pasture, hid himself in a clump of low
hemlocks, and watched dur.'ng the fol
lowing night wjtha gun. resolved to
shoot any dog that came-near the re
mains of the sheep. He saw none, al
though a lamb was killed during the
flight in another part of the pasture.
il m
OF RIBBON.
Did the roses spring from your lips, dear?
Those lips so sweet and red;
Are you ever lonely now, love,
' Down in your quiet bed?
I have nothing left but the ribbon,
And a tress of the soft brown hair,
To tell of the gentle maiden
Who was once so sweet and fair,
A knot of half-worn rjbbon;
So dim and faded now; !
Ah, me! the sod is lying
Above the wearer's brow.
Waverley Magazine.
When dogs go sheep killing they seem
to revert to the i mining raid slyness of
their wild ancestry.
In all these vexations e had - warm
sympathizer in "Aunt Deb." She hat
ed dogs on general principles, and for
the special reason that on a number
of nights when the bulkhead door
chanced to be left open, some animal
stole into the cellar and raided her
pans of doughnuts, custard pies and
other eatables.
"Now, boys, just you let me try my
hand on those dogs," she said, at the
breakfast table. "I'll fi:c 'em for you.
When it comes night you just go to
bed and sleep. I'll answer for the
dogs."
"Go ahead, Aunt Deb," we said. "You
shall have a lamb for every dog you
dispose of."
Toward night we saw her pounding
something in an old mortar; and just
at dusk she went alone into thesheep
pasture. She had, although we did
not know it at the time, pounded up
two glass bottles, and with the powder
she "doctored" the remains of the
sheep and the Iamb last killed. The
next day we discovered that the car
cass of the sheep had been taken away,
and on the following day tiding came
that McFadden's two suspected dogs
had expired, and were supposed to
have been poisoned.
Now, if we had been wise we should
have remained quiet. A mere smat
tering of law, which was all we pos
sessed, Is dangerous knowledge for a
man to act on, and is pretty sure to
get him into trouble. We knew that
we had a right to kill a dog attack
ing our flock, and that we could legal
ly collect double damages from the
dog's owner; and as we thought we
had good evidence that these dogs
were the transgressors, we went im
mediately to McFadden and demanded
damages for the seven lambs and two
sheep killed.
McFadden threatened us with his
ax, and his wife, declaring that she
would scald us, put the kettle on a hot
fire. They -were very angry over the
loss of the two dogs, particularly of
the woodchuck dog, which Mrs. Mc
Fadden feelingly asserted had kept
the family in fresh meat all summer.
Instead of obtaining damages from
McFadden for our sheep and lambs,
he sued us for poisoning his two dogs;
and, unfortunately for us, we had sup
plied him with all the evidence he
needed. When at last the case came
to trial we found the law far different
from what we had supposed it to be.
The following points came out:
First, the fact that these two dogs
came up and , ate of the dead sheep
did not prove that they had killed the
sheep.
Second, as Aunt Deborah was our
hired housekeeper, we were as much
responsible for her act as if we had
done the deed ourselves.
Third, although we had a legal right
to kill dogs molesting our sheep, we
had' no right to poison them; and the
proved fact of our having "laid out
poison" for them subjected us to a
line of $30, and also to payment for
the dogs, which were to be worth $3
each.
Fourth, glass, although not poison in
its ordinary form, was held to be poi
son to all intents and purposes when
pounded to a powder and put into
meat for dogs to eat.
Finally, as we went home from the
trial, the victorious McFadden drove
behind us and reviled us.
Our own mortification was slight,
however, compared with that of Aunt
Deb, when the results ,of her dog
phj'sic were made known to her. I
really thought for a timo she would
fall sick of her indignation, and wc
had some difficulty in preventing her
from visiting the McFaddens in per
son. Aunt Deb's exploit cost us ex
actly $100, in fines, price of dogs and
costs, but our Iambs were not molest
ed again that season. That was our
one crumb of comfort, for there re
mained not the slightest doubt that the
two poisoned dogs were the offenders.
The fine for poisoning was for expos
ing poison which other animals, or
possibly human beings, might partake
of, rather than as a punishment for
this particular mode of killing dogs.
In law it is a far less criminal of
fense to poison a dog than to poison a
sheep, a cow or a horse. For horse
poisoning, indeed, the culprit, in Mas
sachusetts, may be sent to prison for
five years, and in Maine for four years.
In the next summer the sheep of an
other neighbor named Fotherly came
into our field, where potatoes and peas
were planted. " They partook heartily
of the green peas, and not only of
them, but of Paris green, which had
been sprinkled on the potatoes to kill
potato bugs. Two or three of the sheep
died; and mindful of the McFadden
triumph, this ill-disposed neighbor
prosecuted us promptly for exposing
poison, and declared that he would
"land" us in Thomaston jail for it.
But this case. went against Neighbor
Fotherly. In addition to the costs, he
had to settle with us for the peas at
our own figures, and also to pay dam
ages for a malicious prosecution, be
cause of his threatening publicly be
fore trial what he would do with us.
He suffered to the amount of $150,
for in this case it was held that the poi
son was lawfully used. So it is a very
nice question when a man may law
fully expose poison. If those sheep
had come into the field through the
least neglect on our part, the result
might, have bee more :.greeable to
Fotherly.
The year following our sad legal con
test with McFadden lambs disappeared
mysteriously week after week from
our pasture. At first we suspected
human thieves, as no trace of wool or
bones could be discovered; but a boy
whom wre had employed to watch re
ported that a large brown and white
foxhound had leaped J.hi wall, seized
a lamb and jumped out with it, all in
less than half a minute. He identi
fied the hound as the property of one
Clucker, a poor neighbor living Lalf a
mile away.
The hound was the ' mother of five
puppies, and could obtain nothing, or
next to nothing to eat at home. It
was doubtless a case of dire necessity
on her part; and our hired boy, who
frequently visited the family, affirmed
that the Cluckers shared the lambs
which the hound captured.
My partner posted himself behind
the pasture fence with a gun loaded
with buckshot, but on the following
afternoon the hound entered the pas
ture and caught a lamb before Ward
could get near enough to shoot. Jump
ing the wall, the hound ran for home,
half dragging, half carrying the strug
gling lamb.
Ward gave chase, but was unable
to come near the hound until it gained
its master's dooryard, where it turned
and faced him, growling savagely.
Ward fired and the hound fell, just as
its master opened the door and raised
an expostulating hand to prevent the
shot.
It is evident that in the excitement
of the moment my partner had made
a rather free use of his gun, but he had
in mind the words of the law: "Any
person may lawfully kill him whenever
and wherever found."
Clucker, the owner of the dog, incit
ed by McFadden and Fotherly, took
legal advice and began suit to recover
damages for the u llawful killing of
his foxhound, which he professed to
value at $30.
A most stormy trial followed; and in
the decision Ward was held to be "in
fault in shooting the hound after its
owner had raised his hand to forbid it;
and there was a grave doubt expressed
as to whether he had not laid himself
liable for unlawfully entering Cluck
ers premises with a gun, in pursuit
of the hound.
In the end we paid $23 for the fox
hound; but by a rather curious legal
offset, damages to about that amount
were allowed us for the lambs killed
by the hound. The costs of the suit
fell on us. The court shrewdly looked
out for itself as to that, Clucker being
utterly impecunious.
The conclusion which we arrived at,
after the above litigation, is that per
emptory as the law seems to be against
dogs, the killing of one is liable to
prove a costly bit of vengeance.
If a neighbor's dog throttles our
lambs, we deem it far safer to shoot
him on our own premises than off
them, and positively unsafe to shoot
him on his master's premises. The
safest method of all is to catch him in
a trap at the scene of his depredations,
then summon his master, and at the
same time invite one or more disinter
ested parties to see and hear what
takes place.
In the State of Massachusetts, and I
believe one or two other States where
dogs are licensed and taxed, the "dog
law" provides that any farmer meeting
with losses from dogs may file a
claim, with proofs of loss, at the as
sessor's office, and be paid the amount
of his loss out of the town treasurj'.
Or, if he chooses, he may bring an ac
tion against the owner of the dog and
recover double, and in some cases
threefold, damages; but he cannot
adopt both methods. In Maine and
most other States, however, the suf
ferer must bring the owner of the dog
to terms, if he can; he has no other
mode of redress.
In cases where two, three or four
dogs, belonging to different parties.
went off by night or day on a joint
foray into a flock of sheep, it has been
held that each dog's owner was respon
sible only for what his own dog killed
or maimed, if anybody could find tbut
out; otherwise all were liable. Youth's
Companion.
SOME PUZZLES.
A Few Problems in Iirxroballli tie
Which Will Amuse.
James has two apples and Henry has
three, and they agree to divide so
that each will have an even number.
How do they do it? James being the
bigger, simply "hogs on" to the third
apple and puts it down his hind pocket
and tfrlls Henry to holler all he pleases.
On his way home with a jug contain
ing two quarts of N. O. molasses John
meets Henry, William, Frank and
Feter and gives them all a "swig."
How much did he have left when he
entered the house, and what occa
sioned his yells five minutes later?
Henry has seven marbles' and Jo
seph has sixteen, and at the end of a
game Henry has twenty-four marble
and Joseph has had his hair pulled
and received a bang in the eye. There
is nothing to figure out here, as every
boy knows how it is done.
Lucy is crossing the park on her way
to school witn a large, red apple in
either hand, when seven boys catch
sight of her. Bow many times will
two large, red apples go into seven
boys, and how long did Lucy cry over
it?
A father who has three sons wishes
to give them all a licking, but having
to hurry off to a ward caucus that
evening he takes Samuel out into the
woodshed and gives him thirty-six cuts,
with the whip. ' If equally divided,
how many would each boy have re
ceived? Helen is presented with a box of
candy containing fifty pieces for being
a-very good girl, and Bob gets thirty
two whacks with the bootjack for
throwing at the cat. How long did it
take Bob, after being licked, to get
hold of that box of candy and lay it
to the parrot?
A boy out after chestnuts meets a
bear and climbs a tree. While he is
climbing five feet, the bear climbs
four. At this rate how long will it
take the bear to overhaul him and
how high do you make the tree to be?
Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.
Alllgrator'g ILons Fast.
B M. Lingle has an alligator that he
took to raoli, Ind., from Florida in
1SD0, and which hibernates for many
days at a time without food. When
he procured the animal from the South
ern waters it was one and a half years
old, and the thermometer registered
ninety degrees. When he arrived at
Taoli with it the temperature stood
twenty degrees below zero, but it sur
vived the sudden ehaug?, and was
soon acclimated. On about the 13th of
September of each year the animal
refuses to eat anything and continues
its fast for several weeks. In the
winter of ISOO-'OO it went fourteen
weeks without eating. In the winter
of lOOO-'OI. twenty-eight weeks: in
1901-'02, thirty-two weeks; and in
H)02-"03, thirty-three weeks, and up to
this date has not had a particle of food
for over eighteen weeks. The animal
when brought here was about fifteen
inches in length, but is now three
feet I It comes out of its winter's
fast a brisk and lively disposition,
and is 'then willing to devour large
quantities of meat and other food. In
dianapolis News.
THE DAY OF THE AUCTION SALE
The farmer-folk come over the hill,
And up from the neighboring vale
To bid and bargain for and buy
The last of my goods for sale!
The posters out on the countr--sid
Said: "Everything must go!"
But. I'll have to turn my eyes away
From one poor bid, I know.
Ono cheap little bid of a mother young
Who lives a mile to the west;
She has come to bid my cradle in
For the babe upon her breast
The cradle bought for a mother-bride
And a babe of love's first dawn ,
I'll have to turn my eyes when I hear
That "Going goin , -gone!''
I remember how the aong of the lark
In the sky came trembling down
The morning I brought the little crib
In my wagon out from town!
The daisies curtsied along the road
And the thrushes took a peep
I know they guessed that the liny bed
Was a nest for a baby's sleep!
And while the larl-s and the thrushes pipei
In the morning diamond-dewed.
The mother sang by her downy nest
And. the baby crowed and cooed;
Till the baby's fancy passed away
One night on a starry gleam,
And the mother followed him, to hear
The end of his little dream! .
What need of a house and cradle now?
What need of a nest for me?
The silence is my only mate,
And my babe is memory!
I give the crib to the mother young
With the babe on her breast at play
But I'll have to turn my eyes, I know,
.When she carries it away!
Aloysius Coll, in the Housekeeper.
earn v sM
When a "Constant Reader" writes
to ask whether he should eat with a
knife or a fork, you can't help think
ing of the damage he must have pre
viously done with his claws.
Youth wants to write his name up high
Fame's golden scroll to deck;
But age is glad to write upon
The bottom of a check.
Judge
"You say you have shed real tears ia
your acting?" "Not exactly," an
swered Mr. Stormington Barnes; "but
I have been tempted to when I saw,
the box office statements." Washing
ton Star.
"Larry, you've heard of this talk
about 'race suicide.' What do you
think about it?" "Well, sor, I think the
babies that oughtn't to be born are
born the oftenest, begobs!" Chicago
Tribune.
"What would you do," said the ner
vous person, "if a fire were to break
out in your apartment house?" "I'd
go right downstairs and thank the jan
itor," answers the man who is always
dissatisfied. Washington Star.
"What's the matter with your book.
Scribler? It was to have come out a
month ago." "I know; but it didn't
fit the pictures that the illustrators
drew for it, so, of course, I had to re
write a good part of it." Judge.
This life is all a struggle
Against the weather's rule.
It's keeping warm in winter,
And in summer keeping cool.
Washington Star.
Mrs. Honeymoon "Do you love me?"
Ord Man (confidentially, from other
seat, to bridegroom) "She's asked yon
forty-seven times already. I get out
here, but I'll leave the score with this
gentleman by the window." The Wan
derer. Miss Dora (to Major Futter, who is
playing an important match, and has
just lost his ball) "Oh, Major, do'
come and take your horrid ball away
from my little dog. lie won't let mo
touch it, and I know be must be ruin
ing his teeth!" Punch.
Whirling Sand rillava.
Travelers in the celebrated Death,
Valley of California have described the
wonderful contortions of the sand pil
lars that small. whirlwinds sometimes,
send spinning aci-oss the hot plain.
Even more remarkable are the "dust
devils' seen by Mr. II. F. Withcrby,
the English explorer, in the valley of
the White Nile. Sometimes two or
three whirling columns, gyrating in op
linsite directions, meet, "and if they be
I -
well matched the collision stops theui
and a struggle ensues as to which way .
they shall twist. Gradually one gains
the mastery, and the two begin to gy
rate alike, and then rush on together."
Some of these whirls will strip the?
clothes from an Arab's back, or twist a
goat round and round like a top. j