Cattle Problems

New Ipswich Historical Society

Marion Davis Audio-Tape Transcriptions

Sometime before her death in 1986, Marion Davis recorded her memories at the encouragement of her brother, Walter Buck. The recordings were transcribed by a secretary.

The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA.

Last of the business with cattle

We had some time with cattle after that. We had a lot of trouble trying to keep them in. There were some cattle still left in the pasture. In order to get them at all so we could load them we had to fence up the yard pretty high, and we used to feed them over there. When we got those cattle together we notified this same man; he came up with his truck and got them. He could' tare more than 6 at a time. There were still some loose, and the only way we could get them was to feed them in that yard. We rigged up a trap so the gate shut; then we'd notify him and he would come again.

It was the next year we had some more cattle, same man, and there were 4 of them got out and got over to the old Millican place. That was across from Hubbard Pond. I don't know how we tracked them; someone told us about then, I guess. Anyway, we went over there; the old house was still standing. I remember the Millican people; they were an old couple. I had been to see then many a time, but apparently they hadn't sold the house. If they had nobody was doing anything with it. The old barn, the main part, had tumbled down but the old cow lean-to still stood. Even the tie-ups were there. These cattle hung around there because there was so much feed in the field so we began feeding them, taking grain over and trying to tame them. We made a path of grain into this old cow lean-to Roy Flewelyn was at the farm at the time, and he'd go over in the morning and see if there was a cow in the lean-to. He got one; he'd take rope with him and he's tie it to the stanchion The next morning he got another one. Then he had to go back to Somerville. Apparently the cows crossing on the old piece of flooring that was left to get into the cow leant had broken down.

So The job was up to me from then on. Frank and I went over there and boarded off the place that went into the cow lean-to and we opened up a door. There was still a door at the end of the cow lean-to, and he fixed up a trip there; we put hay and grain in on the floor. In the morning, just barely daylight, I went over and the door was shut, and I could see that there was a critter in there. These were mostly 2 year olds. I managed to get a rope on her by driving her up near the others and I tied her. The next morning it was the same thing. Well, I didn't have such an easy time; this critter was frightened, terribly frightened and wanted to fight me. I had my courage. I drove her up so she crowded in between 2 of the cows and I managed to get a rope on her. She was trembling when I put that rope on her and I tried to talk to her to quiet her. I got her tied and went home to the farm. We called up Mr. Richard and they came right up and We told them him they were pretty wild and to bring plenty of ropes. They got there about noon, and we went over and got then into the truck, and that was the last of any of that business with cattle.

Photo Archives

Unknown young man

James Roger diary entry & pullet count (10)

26th December 1912

Fine sunny day, wind west to south west. David choring round in the Hall, etc.; then, went to Daniel's and got axe ground, and him and Daniel fixed cord in one of the Hall windows. I swept Hall. Last night David and mother got tie and centrepiece from Alice and Jessie, and Berkeley and May the same. Grange closed at 10:30 p.m. Pullets 10.

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