New-York daily tribune., 1842-07-29
Town Of Prairie Degs.

| with two companions started On aheSd 10 Vlst
these ncighsors. We were Induced by double ob-
ec,--frs'ly by desire TO examine one Of ,he re-
publics aboat whirh prairie travellers have said so
much: and Sec to obtain something TO cat,
for the Ae.h of - Sc animals was said Ito be excel
lent.
We had proceeded Int a short distance after
reaching beautiful prairie before We came upon
the outskirts Of the commonwealth. y few scatter
ine do-, were seen scamPering IN, and by their
short and sharp yelps giving general alarm 70 the
whole community.
Upon the first cry of danger from the outskirts
il was soon taken Up in the centre Of the CITY, and
now nothing was 70 be- seen in any direction but
dashing AID -camperng Of the mercursl and ex-
citabc denzcus OF the place, each 10 his lodge or
burrow. 1 ar a. the eye could reach TIE city ex-
tended, and all over i the scene was the SAME.
We rode lcsuic ely along until We had reached the
more thickV sc,ticj portion oi the place, when ~
halted and afcr ia .lug the brides from our horses
TO allow them to craze, We prepared for regular
attack upon the inhabitants. The burrows we're
not more than fifteen yards apart, with well-irodden
paths leading in different directions, and even
thought | could cover something like regularity
in the laying out Of the streets.
We sat down upon a bank under the shade OF a
rnusq ;ect and lei$uclv surveyed the scene before
u.. oar appr ,ch had driven every one to his
home i'm our i'm late vicinity. bat some hun lred
yards off the small mound of earth in front OF each
burr0w was occupied by dog, sitting straight up
upon h- hinder legs and coolly looking about him
10 ascertain tie cause OF the recent commotion.-
Ever now and then some citizen more venturous
than ms noighbor would leave his lodge on a lying
visit 10 IA coinpanion, apparently exchange a few
words and then scamper back As fast a. his legs
would cary um.
By.and-by, az we kept perfectly .till, some of our
nearer ncghbor, were seen cautiously poklng thor
heads from cat their holes and looking cunnineIN
and at the time nquisluVely aboL them
Gradually citllen would emerge from tho entrance
If his domic.i. come out upon ms lpoking-os, place
peri> hi. bead and comrcnc" yciping
For three hours remained in tins common
wealth. watching the movements OF the nhabltant.
and occasionally picking one OF them oil. No less
than nne were I by the party and one cIrcun
stance / would mention singular IN the extreme,
and which shov.. the social relationship which cx-
Isl, among thQse animals. as well as the regard
they have one f1r another. One OF them had
percncd himself directly upon the pile ot sIrt III
front %, his hole. setting up and exposing Il Ian
mark, whe II companion hoad was seen poNiL.
oul ot the enhance. too umii perhaps to 'Npo'c
himself father well directed ball from my rifle
carried awav the entire top Of the tsrmer head
knocked tim some TWO 81 three feet from hls Po-t
perfectly dead While reload,ng. the other dar-
lngs came out, seized bis companion 10y one et hls
lcgs and before We could reach the hole had drawn
him completely out OF reach. although We irled 10
twist hm ost with "a ranlrod. There wa. a ieclng
in tie little incident, a something human, which
raised the animals my estimation, and ever after
did not attempt to xiii ono OF them, except when
driven by hunger.
The praric dog is apparently about the size o
rabbit, heavier perhaps. more compact, and win
much shorter legs. IL appearance II resembles the
woodchuck OF grounding o. the North, although
triile smaller tsan thsl animal In their bab-
its the prairie dogs are social, never live aIosc
like other animals, but are always found IN villages
or large settlements. They are a wild irolcksome
set oi fellows when sndisturbcd, restless and ever
on the move md appear to take especial delsht
in chaitering away the time and vislting about from
hole to hole to gossi ip and talk over one ano'hsi
afairs-at least their actions would indicate -
When they find good location for n village, and
no water is handy, old hunters say that they dig
well to supply the wants of the community.
On several occasions | crept ap close 10 one oi
their villages without being Observed to watch
their movements Directly in the centre OF one
Of them ! particularly noticed very large dog
sitting in front OF his door or entrance 10 hls bur
row and bv his ow actions sud those OF hls nelgh-
borS il really looked as though he was the pres-
dent mavor or chiei-at all events he was the Dig
do. of the place. For at least an hour lookes
nj the operations of tins little community During
tha, time the large dog have mentioned received
at least a dozen visits from his fellow dogs "ho
wsud stop and chat with him few moments and
| run oi to their domicis. All tsis while he never
left his post for moment. and Thought couid
discover gravity of department not dlscernlDIe
in those by whom lie was surrounded Ear Is 1t
,l,a h,V6
business or as having any thing TO do with the
local government OF the village but It certainly
looked So If any animal is endowed with reason
ing powers. or has any system OF laws regulating
the BODY polite il is the prairie dog.
In different parts of the same village the mem
bers of it were seen gamboing riskng and VISIT
ing about occasionally turning heels over head INTO
their holes and appearing To have all sorts OF iuh
among themselves. Owls q singular speclcs
were also seen among them. They did not appear
10 ioin in their sports in any way but still seemed
TO be on good terms. and. they were seen enter
ing and coming out cf the same holes may be con-
.idcred ~ members of the same family, or at least
retai-crs. Ratesnakcs, too. dwell among them,
but the idea that has obtained of their living upon
.ocisble terms of conpanionship with the dogs IL
without foundation. The snakes | look upon a.
loafer., not easily shaken of bv the regular inhab-
iauts. and thew make use Of the dwellings OF the
dogs az more comfortable quarters than they can
| find elsewhere. We killed ona short distance
| from a burrow who had made meal oi hall
.fawn dog. and although | do not think they can
master the larger animals the latter are willing
enough 70 let them pass in and out without mo-
lestatios-an evil like many in every society that
cannot be 20, rid of.
The first town visited was several miles in
I length and az least a mile in width. Around and
! in the vicinity. were smaller villagcs-suburbs OF
| LIZ, l.rrcr tn,vn IN nlI unr,earnnnn W. kind ed