Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-12-25
Tho story Of Il Turtle,

ARC StoTy OF Turtle,
Some time since wo published an aceoun,
Of South Carolina turtle, whose only vir
tue seemed to be that hs lived seven
months withou, eating or drinking. But
thst turtle is no more TO be compared with
one that had than common corn6eld ne
gro is to an educated white man.
In the summer Of 1852 my servans
brought from near Rockaway small turtle
with spotted shell, about the size Of my
hand minus the fngers. When wc hand.
led it it would draw in it, head and legs
and shut itself w a3 tight as box; but i.
soon became familiar with those who prac-
ticcl handling it, and would suffer its head
and feet to be handled without apparent fear.
It Was put in the yard bacl; Of tho house
and woq'd crawl abou. amongs. tho shrub.
berry and grass and when rainy day came
would ccme OF: and promenade the walks
with as much apparent satisfaction as q
modern belle prcmenades Broadway when
she has 60: new hat composed Of two
teathorr, three strag,, ana ono ribbon.
When the weather remainod dry for 4
few Days We usel to take Jack into ths
kitchen, pa. him into the sink, give him a
awin' and a chance to pick up such crumbs
as he liked (he vas very fond Of fresh fish
oaal,) then put him down on the floor; no
would crawl to the top Of the steps, shut up
his box and tumble down, and over and over
and over and ever into the yard, and We
would sec no more Of him for some days
but in a short time found him at the lower
step, with his heal ani front !eet stretched
mp waiting for some one to take him in
and give him hi, bath This went on al
sumner When the weather began to get
cold we found MIN working himself down
into the dirt. We pu. him into q closet
that opened into the hall between the kitch-
en- an! the dining room, covered him with
some old clothes, and he staid there until
the following spring. When the weather
became warm he came crawling out, was al.
loved to go into the yard, and the same
PRACTICES and ceremonies we're gone through
with as in the previous year. When cold
weathc: came again we put him into his old
corner in the closet, and he slept away tho
winter and on the return Of warm weather
no walked up, came out and went to his old
haun.s as before. In November 1864, the
servant dus hole in the ground about
eight inches deep, put him in and buried
him, filling the hole full, nd smoothing the
dirt over. Nothing more WAS thought about
hiU ,latO ,S0rUg.v vw!iagJl.f-t a--rts ufo-not
appear, and we supposed he was dead, and
thought no more of him until some time in
o ;tober, tiS65.) One day We found him at
the steps leading to the kitchen, with load
Of dirt baked on his back almost as hard as
his shell, with head and feet up on the step
waiting to DO taken in J.; on searching we
found the hole where he had lain for the
last eleven months-he had worked himself
up straight to the TOP. We took him in
washed him, let him swim until he showed
signs Of wishing to come out We put him
on tho floor, supposing he would go out as
formerly, but no, he turned the other way,
gentinto the hall, where his closet was,
,rawled slowly along through into the dining
room, close to the base board, then back in.
% the hall ; and when he came to the door
If the closet where he had formerly winter
ID (t':erc We're other closets thcre) he stop
,ed. On the doors being opened he went
u, crawled over several distractions that
ay in his way and finally snuggled down in
lis old corner; we covered him over ami
eft him. On going to the closet some ten
,r twelve days afterwards VIC found, alasl
loov Jack was dead -. Ne,o Ior& Etpress.