Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1867-11-13
4 REMINIsCENCE OF PIONEER LIFE
THE SQUIRREL HUNT.

/ THE Hon. P. Van Trump made a
speech few months ago before the
Franklin County, C0hio) Pioneer Asso-
citation, in which be said
There is one "reminiscences belonging
to the history of the country SO charac-
teristie of pipneer life that I can not re-
frain from noticing it. It is one of those
things the like of which can never oe-
cur again. In the early settlement of
the country the common gray squirrel
(scirurus ciaereus) existed in almost ia
bulous numbers. THIS fact was not pc
culiar to the West It existed every
where in the new settlements and it is
recorded in the early colonial history of
Pennsylvania that $4,000 was paid out
of public Golfers In a single year, for the
Scalps of this ravenous but beautiful lit
tie robber Of the corn fields. At peri
DDS of long intervals they were partially
migratory in their habits. In the fall
of 1921 or 1922, they were uncommon
| ly numerous in this region, and we're
terribly destructive of the growing crop
of corn. The cultivated lands Of that
time consisted mostly of what was called
'deadenings, the fields being thickly
studied over with girdled and dead forest
trees, which afforded ready retreating
shelter for the squirrels in their depre-
dation upon the young and ripening
corn.
The season alluded to was remark
able one for the larcenous habits of this
destructive little animal. So serious had
become their wholesale plunderings, that
the people of the country were driven to
the necessity of adopting some prompt
and energetic means of ridding them
selves of the annoyance. Accordingly
grand county hunt was proposed. The
plan was consummated by dividing the
county into two sections, the Scioto riv-
er, running through the county from
north to south, forming the dividing line.
Three days were allotted for the hunt,
and Lucas Sulliyant was chosen as cap
tain of the western division, and Ralph
Osborn Of tho eastern. A barrel of
whisky was the prize to be contended for
to be drank bo the assembled crowd at
Frankliuton on the fourth day, at which
time and place the scalps we're to be.
gathered and counted. Accordingly, on
the fourth day large crowd of hunters
and spectators assembled on the bank of
the river at the ancient county seat, the
scalps of the squirrels were produced
and counted by the bagfull, and the vic
tory, amidst the cheers and shouts of at
least portion of the multitude, was de-
clared in favor of Captain Sullivant and
his party.
No ancient tournament in the days of
knight chivalry produced more excite
ment or greater interest than did this
contest for the victory in squirrel scalps.
In my Juvenile ambition I felt as proud I
of my three hundred scalps as ever did
mailed cavalier in unhorsing his antago-
mist by sword and spur. The number of |
squirrels destroyed was almost fabulous /
I Irecollect there was some error occur
red in the statement made in the news
papers Of the day. They put down the
number at nineteen or twenty thousand.
In a conversation [ had on last evening
with Mr. Joseph SulliVant, he gave it as
his opinion that was the number which |
the West had over the East, and that is
my opinion also. L am satisfied, from
my recollection of the discussion at the
time, in criticism of the published state
ment, that the number was a,gely
greater.
The diminution Of the number of
squirrels, however, was not at all percep-
tible from the fact oftheir beingat the time
on their migratory journey, and the places
of those killed were soon occupied BY
their itinerant brethren. The corn crop
of the county for that season was almost
entirely destroyed. The eastern portion
of the county at that period, was much
more thickly populated than that of the
West and we Of the East would have
been the victors in the contest had the
rife been used as the only weapon in
the hunt. But the West has the advan
tage of US in this: the squirrels were on
their migratory journey from East tn
West, with the SEQ o RIVER cutting
across their route.
knew could not be mistaken. But
to proceed: 1t is a singular fact in the
history of the squirrel, that
when they once take to the water moth
ing will turn them from their course
When they come to a stream, they en- {
ter the water with their tails erected in !
a perpendicular line, like a sail, and, a
taking direct line for the opposite shore, c
nothing can turn them an inch from 1
heir course. In this way our western I
friends and competitors killed thousands {
IF them with clubs on their side of the t
liver. This squirrel hunt was consid- e
,red great event in the country, and
is result was published in the newspa- d
,ers throughout the Uuion. 1 do not o
hink that the dignity of this kind of
port is improved or digai6ed by the n
ubstitution of the modern rat hunt. G