Line upon Line

Carl Sheffield was seven years old when Hurricane Donna hit Florida in 1960. In North Florida the houses were not flattened like many were down South and the most visible damage in Carl’s yard was a large pine tree that blew over and fell with a crash into the side yard next to the home. The loss of power, however, was of grave concern. The Sheffields owned a dairy farm and 450 cows needed to be milked twice every day. In 1960 power was seldom restored in a matter of days after a hurricane. It could take weeks before all the downed power lines were repaired because more densely populated areas took precedence over rural farmland.

Without power a farmer might have to send his cows to the slaughterhouse. If a cow went for as little as a week without being milked her milk supply could easily dry up. The farmer would have to wait until the cow had another calf before the cow began lactating again. In the meantime, he would have no source of income. If he sent the cows to the slaughterhouse he would receive less than half the cow’s value, plus he would have no future source of income. Without power the farmer could go broke.

Fortunately, Carl’s dad owned a generator that he had purchased from the navy surplus after World War II. However, the neighboring farmer had 350 cows of his own that also needed milking twice a day and Bobby Moore didn’t have a generator. To milk one cow by hand could take 20 minutes or more. There were simply not enough workers available to milk an entire herd. Fortunately, Mr. Sheffield didn’t hesitate to invite Mr. Moore to bring his cows over to his pastures where they combined the herds so all the cows could take their turn on the milking machines. Unfortunately, they needed to discard all the milk because the generator was not powerful enough to run the refrigerator that kept the milk cold, in addition to the vacuum pump, the water pump, and the lights, but at least they could save the cows.

Day after day the farmers listened to the hum of the generator as 48 cows at a time were led into the barn where they would be hooked up to the milking machines. After they were milked, they were led back to the pasture. Each day the process was repeated.

This story could end here and leave us with a powerful take-away. The story certainly demonstrates the importance of being prepared. After this crisis, I imagine Bobby Moore didn’t hesitate to purchase a generator of his own. The story also matters when we consider the kindness of neighbors and the responsibility we have to help our neighbors during a time of crisis. It reminds us that it is a privilege to have the resources to do so. However, seven-year-old Carl learned an even more poignant lesson from the hurricane of 1960 that comforts him to this day.

After the power was finally restored, Mr. Moore needed to collect his 350 cows and take them back to his own pasture. Carl watched in awe as the two farmers separated the herd. All 800 cows in the Sheffield’s pasture were Jersey Cows, a burnt tan, the color of a deer. They were all small cows, practically identical in size. Even with the darker skin around their eyes, and a little brown at the end of their tail to Carl, they all looked alike. 

However, the farmers knew their cows. They even knew their temperament. Every child that grows up on a dairy farm knows that you always warn a cow when you walk up behind him. You have to talk to the cow so they know you are there. The cow then notes you with a look of the eye, and then you could handle the cow. On the Sheffield farm the naughty cows got named. Eagle Eye and Snake Eye could always see Carl coming. No matter how much a farm hand warned these two cows that he was coming they would still start kicking the minute he neared.

Back then the farmers didn’t tag the ears of their cows to identify the owner, however they could purchase a chain with a brass tag to hang around the cow’s neck. The tag was approximate 3”x2” and a number was molded into the face of each tag. Farmer Sheffield and Farmer Moore had both purchased brass tags from the same supplier, so their tags were identical.

However, because the farmers knew their cows so well, separating the combined herd after the power was restored did not present a problem. As each cow passed through the fence the farmer who owned the cow would point to the cow and say, “This one’s mine.” Carl watched in awe as 800 cows were separated without a single disagreement between the farmers. Neither had a doubt as to which cows were his own.

Watching mortal men care so much about their cows convinced Carl that it really is possible that The Savior knows each one of us individually. Carl never doubted that The Savior knows our temperament, he knows our name, and when it comes to being claimed, he will claim us as his own.

Carl Sheffield grew up on the Trout River in Jacksonville, Florida. He shared his story with JeaNette Goates Smith www.smithfamilytherapy.org