Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1876-02-18
The Story Of Cunning Coon.

whatever truth there is in it, no ons be-
lieves you. Give dog bad name, and
then hang him." is trite but true saying,
and no matter how far the scene of story
may be laid from Yankeedom pure and
simple, if it is American it is branded as
fictitious, and the teller suffers accord
ingly.
Knowing all this, however, am going
to run the risk of being disbelieved in tell
ing the following story, for all of which
can vouch as faithfully as story-teller
can.
was living down South some years
ago-that is to say, in Georgia-long be-
fore the civil war began.
Do you know what coon is? Possibly
you have some knowledge of the little
gentleman; let me try and add to it. /
won't bore you with scientific names, but
simply tell you that it is mischievous,
playful animal, rather smaller than fox,
somewhat heavier in build, not SO active,
but so much like it that we may, with all
respect to scientific gentlemen who class
it as belonging to the plantigrade section
of the carnivorous, call him the fox's
American cousin.
/ was, as said, down South, and had
dealings in cotton and sugar, doing lit
tie bit of duck shooting for change, in
the lagoons, where / also fished (?) for
hideous little alligators, denominations for
which had most wholesome hatred.
One day Pete, a gentleman of ebony
countenance, opal eyeballs and ivory
teeth, thoroughly merry darby, who
was my companion in many fishing
trip, came grinning up to me with some
thing tied up in pocket handkerchief,
and on opening it there rolled out furry
looking little animal, which proved to be
a half grown raccoon, one which, on ar
irving at maturity, was as tame and COM
panionable as dog. He was a hand
some little fellow in his dusky gray coat,
white-ringed TAIL and a patch here and
there of white. But it is not of his per-
sonal appearance that / wish to tell, but
his antics and tricks. In the former he
resembled kitten in the way he would
roll over, curve his tail, or seize my
hand to pretend to bite it; in the lat
ter he was Al in the cunning he displayed.
Peter used to say it came natural to him;
but have my suspicious that it was my
black friend who taught Dick" as |
called him, to drink rum and water and
get hopelessly intoxicated thereon; to
find oysters on the shore with their shells
open, and with one rapid dash OF the
paw scoop out the mollusk without getting
caught.
Another of Dick's' games was land
crab hunting, and he would chase the
crawling objects to their holes, or hunt
out the sand hole, and then inserting his
paw, he would fish the crab out, seize him
in his mouth, avoiding the nippers, and
then-scrunch!-it was all over with the
crab, while "Dick' sat blinking with
his bright eyes in thorough enjoyment
There was not much to be done with
" Dick" during the day, when he would
tuck his nose in the warm fur between
his legs, curl up and sleep like top; and
it was not until evening that he would be-
come lively.
Take him down to lagoon on moon
light night and ''Dick'' would be in his
glory. He would scuff1e out to an over
hanging bough, then thoroughly assimi-
late himself with it by crouching so close
that you could hardly make him out; and
then he would allow his bushy tail to
droop into the water, moving it very softly
about, and waiting for bite.
He would not wait long as a rule, for
over and over again have stood and
watched him, till have become aware of
a slight movement in the water. when,
with a spring that was like lightning,
"Dick" would throw himself ashore and
in nine cases out of ten with crab tight
hold of his tail.
Then there would be slight scuff1e.
"Dick" would sit up on his hind legs,
with the captive, that had tried hard to
regain the water, hold his prey in his fore
paws, and crunch him up with the great
est of zest, before going to fish for another.
But they were not crabs which always
came to "Dick's' fishing tackle. Be-
fore now a little alligator of some eighteen
| inches long has seized il, and been shaken
off by "Dick," who evidently did not
wish for nearer acquaintance. The other
creatures attracted were a kind of turtle,
alligator turtles we called them, hideous
| little creatures, and with very small
carapace, and long, snaky- looking head
and neck, armed with bird like, nipping
mouth detested the things, placing them
next to the alligators; but "Dick" liked
them, for there seemed to be a good deal
of succulent food contained between their
Shells These fellows are very easily at
tracted to Clicks" tail upon his fishing
expeditions; they bit readily, but the re-
suit was not all that could be desired.
sDick" would be crouching on a tree
trunk, close over one of the SILENT oily
looking, reed fringed pools, when sudden
W q
rise out of the water, followed by lumpy
she'll Then another and another would
be thrust up, and the owner would silent
| ly paddle to the moving fur, look at it in
tently for a few moments, and then one
would make grab.
Evidently knowing his customers,
"Dick'' would wait patiently to let him get
| hold fast before making his spring Then
off he would go for the shore or the shadows
| with as big bounce as his muscles would
sustain; but as rule the result was only
a loud splash, the turtle fell back into the
water, and dick" had to resume his
tactics, and generally without success till
a crab came, when, with short bark of
delight, the clever little animal would set
to and feast.
When, however, bychance "Dick" did
succeed in getting his prey ashore, there
was no fight shown beyond enc sharp
snap made by the turtle, one easily avoid
ed by "Dick," who would seize the rep
tile by the back of the neck, and drag the
| soft part piece-meal from between the
shells; for if he was not sharp over his
work task was in store for him, the tur-
| tie giving up all hope of reaching the
water, and retiring within his hard leath-
| cry carapace.
Dick" affords me many an hours
amusement, but one evening, when | had
him out, he must have been seized with a
desire for freedom. He darted off into the
undergrowth-a | thought in pursuit of
something and he never came back. Do
mesticitv was all very well; but g Dicks"
motto was evidently, A life in the woods
| for me."-Once Week, (LondOn.)
A FEW days since well known citizen
of Providence went to New York on
business, and his smart young wife, in