Bail Out

Cow-lease contracts are nothing new, and can be traced back as far as the 12th century, when monasteries leasing cattle to farmers were taxed to raise a ransom for the English king, Richard the Lionheart. Investors can choose to sell the new cows and take the cash, or allow their herd to build up over the years by keeping the offspring, then draw a regular income at retirement. The cows are rented out for milk production, helping dairy farmers to cut their initial outlays and freeing up cash for buildings or high-tech machinery. "There's a real ethical side to it in that you're helping farmers to run their business, and the agricultural sector is vital," said Marguerit.

France's most popular savings account, the Livret A, ( "Since its creation in 1818, the Livret A has been the savings scheme of choice for the people of France, because it is guaranteed by the government, ..." ) offers returns of little more than 1 percent, cow owners can expect yields of 4-5 percent a year for an initial investment of about 1,200 euros (US$1,700) per animal, according to promoters. Unlike the stock market, this cash cow is presented as low-risk, with gains based on the sale of the herd's calves.Livret A Bank Savings Account "The popular tax-free savings account Livret A is a 'must' for anyone who owns property in France, as the rate rises to 4%. ..."
Pierre Marguerit,  director of Gestel, a firm in southeastern France that manages about 30,000 animals on behalf of 1,000 investors, said sales had doubled in the past year. "You buy one or more cows, which are rented out to professional farmers. Your herd then increases as the years go by. A herd of 20 cows will bring you one extra cow every year, that's roughly 4-5 percent," said Marguerit. The value of a cow does fluctuate, depending on the price of meat, milk and animal feed. However, Marguerit said global food scarcity was sustaining the market and that the cost of a cow was little changed this year despite falling milk prices. Although the birth rate within the herd is higher, a portion of the offspring will make up for deaths, while others are sold off to cover the costs of rearing the animals. However, in a particularly fertile year, the net increase can run as high as 7 percent.

Delore Vagneur and his brothers Sullivan, Jim, Ben, and Louis, all sons of old Augustus Vagneur claimed to have come from the the French side of the Italian boarder and helped to build "Salvation Ditch" in Aspen Colorado which cost $12,000.00 in 1903 for 9 owners. A successful ditch depends on the the slope of the grade. Standard engineering practice was and is the allow a down grade slope of the ditch bottom of 1/2 inch to each rod or 16 1/2 feet of linear forward flow. all you ever needed then or now to do this is a device called a grasshopper, which looks like this:

The grade of the ditch on the first stretch would be the essence of its success. Standard engineering practice was and is to allow a down grade slope of the ditch bottom of 1/2 inch to each rod or 16 1/2 feet of linear forward flow. This was steep enough to keep the flow of water moving but moving slow enough to keep the water from dmaging the banks or ditch bottom. By placing the shorter of the grasshopper legs at the starting point of the longer leg up on down the slope in the direction you want you'll see the bubble in the carpenter's level will register level when the longer leg is exactly 1/2 inch lower in elevation than the shorter leg.

Today 2 miles can be staked in around 2 days of time what would have been 2 months to do in 1903 and Land without water in the Roaring Fork Valley was worthless or may be worth $1.00 if a little native bunch grass grew on it under the sagebrush for dry pasture. But if the ditch brought your land water and you produced 3 tons of hay an acre, a half car of potatoes an acre or a hundred bushels of oats an acre then those worthless acres would now be worth $100.oo an acre of land.

In New Mexico on the south and Wyoming on the north was the livestock business. One pair (cow and calf) would need 640 acres (section of land) for each inch of annual rainfall. 20 inches of rain (higher elevations of Pitkin County, Colorado) a herd of 100 cows would require 5 sections or 3 - 4 thousand acres of deeded land. With reliable water for irrigation one could use the reserve water from the high peaks which melted down slowly and could produce winter feed for 2 cows for each acre harvested.

A Ditch Walker was an honorable profession that policed the rightful sharing of the water. In 24 hours a couple of beavers can dam the ditch, cut the lower bank for a spillway to control the depth of the water in their new pond and start to work on a lodge in the pond to spend the winter. The Ditch Walker calls the State Fosj amd Game Department who move the beaver 30 miles away but that is nothing for them, they will return.

OLD COWBOY BALLAD

Oh, the path that leads up to salvation
is narrow and steep, so they say.
While the path that leads down to damnation
is broad, smooth and blazed all the way.

Thinking about cowboys leads us to the etymology of the expression "Cash Cow" and how to make money in the most basic way.

Cowboy Banks Get Big Bucks as Indians Get Little by Ann Woolner

And in conclusion A day in the life of a Democrate and a Republican.

Etymology of Junker

"young German noble," 1550s, from Ger. Junker, from O.H.G. juncherro, lit. "young lord," from junc "young" + herro "lord." Pejorative sense of "reactionary younger member of the Prussian aristocracy" (1865) dates from Bismarck's domestic policy.

Etymology of Junk Bond

Junk
1) "worthless stuff," mid-14c., junke "old cable or rope" (nautical), of uncertain origin, perhaps from O.Fr. junc "rush," from L. juncus "rush, reed." Nautical use extended to "old refuse from boats and ships" (1842), then to "old or discarded articles of any kind" (1884). The verb meaning "to throw away as trash, to scrap" is from 1916. Junk food is from 1971; junk art is from 1966; junk mail first attested 1954.

2) "Chinese sailing ship," 1610s, from Port. junco, from Malay jong "ship, large boat" (13c.), probably from Javanese djong.

BAIL

"bond money," late 15c., a sense that developed from that of "temporary release from jail" (mid-15c.), and that from earlier meaning "captivity, custody" (mid-13c.). From O.Fr. baillier "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from L. bajulare "to bear a burden," from bajulus "porter," of unknown origin.

bond (n.)
early 13c., "anything that binds," phonetic variant of band (1) (for vowel change, see long), influenced by O.E. bonda "householder," lit. "dweller" (see bondage). The verb is 1670s (trans.), 1836 (intr.). Legalistic sense first recorded 1590s.

ALLIANCE
c.1300, "bond of marriage" (between ruling houses or noble families), from O.Fr. aliance (12c., Mod.Fr. alliance) "alliance, bond; marriage, union," from aliier (Mod.Fr. allier) "combine, unite" (see ally). As a bond or treaty between rulers, late 14c.

lien
"right to hold property of another until debt is paid," 1530s, from M.Fr. lien, from L. ligamen "bond," from ligare "to bind, tie" (see ligament).

bondman
mid-13c., "husband, husbandman," from M.E. bond (see bondage) + man. Later, "man in bondage, slave" (mid-14c.).

bondage
c.1300, "condition of a serf or slave," from Anglo-L. bondagium, from M.E. bond "a serf, tenant farmer," from O.E. bonda "householder," from O.N. boandi "free-born farmer," lit. prp. of boa "dwell, prepare, inhabit," from PIE *bhow-, from base *bheue- "to be, exist, dwell" (see be). Meaning in English changed by influence of bond. The sexual sado-masochism sense is recorded by 1966.

Do You Know Why they close the books in March?

Before 1752, Virginia, along with all British territories, used the Julian calendar. The legal year began on 25 March and continued through 24 March, after which a new year began.
24 March 1700, therefore, would be followed by 25 March 1701. Since many European countries had already adopted a new calendar (the Gregorian calendar, which is currently in use), writers may have used either the old style (Julian), new style (Gregorian), or both. For example, 11 February 1700 may have been referred to as 11 February 1700 (old style), 11 February 1701 (new style), or 11 February 1701/2 (both).