Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-17
BUB.

years ago. He wore q yellowish fur coat,
with five blackish-b brown stripes down its
back. lie was very neat, and l think was
somewhat proud of his sleek. spruce figure,
/ can not give the history Of his forefathers
and so am unable to say at what time the
first of his race arrived in this country from
some other land, or whether any of his rela-
tives possessed ability equal to that displayed
by Bub himself. When 1 first knew him be
was engaged in running machinery in a min
ing town in the mountains of the Silver State,
and a very industrious chap he certainly
proved himself to be. / was told by the
kind old gentleman who gave Bub. the en-
ployment he delighted in. and also his name,
that he-l mean Bnb-had been brought to
his-tbe old gentleman's-door u poor, half
starved creature, by a Shoshone Indian girl,
who demanded as his-Bub's-prico a silver
half dollar, and got it. Now, this old gentle
man, whom j shall henceforward speak of as
Mr.. Dayid--for that really was his Christian
name-tOok a great fancy to the little stranger
and tried to make friends with him from the
first day they met. But Bub had a temper
ana viii Of his own, and not unfrequently 'or
the first few days did he try to hurt his newly.
found friend. Ii was not more than two
weeks, however, before Bub came and sat
peacefully on Mr.. David's knee or climbed
up on his breast as if he had a right TO do so.
Mr.: David beirg quite n mechanical genius,
toek it into his head that he could give Bub
sulta6le work by preparing machinery that
he-l mean Bub-could set in motion. But
first a house had to be built for BHb, and
that was rather a large concern OF the kind.
1t had three stories and a BASEMENT. and had
ever so many queer little rooms and closets,
into which he could run and be entirely out
OF sight. The front of this house was of wire,
and on one projecting balcony was a wire
wheel which Bub could make spin around at
a lively rate whenever he felt as If he needed
a little exercise. ''Oh, now" | think you will
say, why THAT'S only a squirrel, and a squir-
refs cage and wheel you are talking about"
Wen, that is so; Bub was only a ground
squirrel, but he was something beyond his
kind In "smartness" andsgeneral good sense,
and hence you will not object to my giving
you a short account Of his e~ventful life and
lingering death-finsliy terminated by the
hand OF his kind owner. There are two kind
OF ground squirrels in Eastern Nevada.
There is a little hairy-tailed fellow, Of a
brownish color, with five black stripes on his
back, that every body in that State has seen.
But as a squirrel out OF which to make a pet,
the ~'chipmunk" does not amount to any
thing. The other kind is larger and more
awkward. His tail is less prominent, but he
has a good share of common sense. and can
be taught to perform many interesting little
tricks. Bub belonged to this family of yellow
squirrel, and conferred dignity and honor on
his race. The machinery which Mr.. David
" ~ 49, BS1 UNIV
companion consisted, in addition to to a
wheel, or an Incline railway IN front of the
cnge. On which was a little tour-wheeled
truck that could be drawn up until IL was pos
sible to get at a nut that had been placed in it.
This truck had to be pulled upward by Bub,
hand-over-hand, by means of a cord. but as
his hands. or forefeet, were not strong enough,
he used his teeth by taking a pull with them
every time he moved a hand to get a new
hold. Whenever he saw from the second
story of his cage that a nut had been dropped
into the wagon, he set to work with a vim of
an old jack tar, and pulled on the cord until
the truck got near enough for him to put his
foot into it, and so keep il from running back.
As soon us he had got the nut he let the
wagon run down for another supply. Then
he had another revolving wheel, with little
tin buckets on its rim, and if u nut were
placed in ono of these buckets Bub pulled on
the disk until a tiny bell rang as a signal for
the Lut to drop inside of the cage. when he
at once stopped and secured it. Connected
with his running wheel was a set OF little
figures OF men, horses and cattle, which were
put in very lively motion whenever he took
his exercise. ard that was quite frequent. 1t
amused the children Of Mr.. David's neigh.
bers to com in and see the little Industrious
fellow at work. If he was in good bumor-
| mean Bubble liked to come out of his
house through one of the upper story vim
dows aud climb over the shoulders of those
he recog nized as friends. His intimacy with
Mr.. David was of the most affectionate kind,
as he rolled on the floor of the room or played
with a feath Ter or piece of thread. just as q
kitten would delight to play. | am coming
now to n part of Bulbs history that shows
conclusiyely that too much liberty for squir-
rels, as well as men, is at times a dangerous
thing. Bub's ancestors no doubt slept during
the winter months, and Though he was living
in q warm room, he, poor. silly fool, wanted
to get out into the cold cellar under the
house, there to go to sleep until the spring
round. just because his fathers were
dormant in winter. 1t was in November
when, after getting well acquainted with the
hooks and cracks of his owners room, he
conceived the iaea of making a hole in the
floor, and 80 he departed, and during four
months Mr.. David mourned for him as If be
were dead. But one fine spring day Bub
came ~trotting back, and was himself again in
working machinery and playing with human
friends. The cage now was always open, and
Bub would not allow the hole he had opened
in the floor to be closed. If it was filled up
he chartered just as if he were swearing.
Every day ho was out and in, undar the
building, and at last, me forenoon, Mr.. David,
in coming down the street, some distance
from his room, was surprised to see Bub pop
up from underneath the sidewalk and follow
him like a little dog until he got homo. 1t
was only q day or two after this adventure in
the street that n neighbor Of Mr.. David
brought in poor little Bub, seemingly dead.
and told how no had rescued him from the
jaws Of a feroeious feline who had taken a
fancy to his plump little body. There was
great gIief that day in Mr.. David's house.
The neighhors came IN to sympathIze with
tho hapless victim of a lawless tyrant, and
were hopefully glad to see that he could open
his bright eyes and move his aching head
oven a very little. The man who by throwing
a Ratchet at the devouring Thomas cat, had
made him fly in terror, was a hero and loved
to tell how he accomplished the rescue in the
nick of time, Alas, for poor little Bub; he
was in a sad plight. and the days of his frisky
happiness had ended forever. The .merciless
jaws of his enemy bad crushed his back, and
his hinder legs refused to do his bidding.
Laid away in a cigar box filled with cotton
wool, he was nursed by Mr.. David for three
months, us if he had been a member of tho
human family. He knew his behefactor, who
fed him several times each day, and seemed
to appreciate the kindness bestowed upon
him. The cage and its machinery stood for
saken and uns,irred in the corner now, and
there was no hope that Bub would ever ply
those once active limb s of his again. He was
a.friend who was in pain, and death must be
called in to close his misery. Long did Mr..
David ponder on the s~peediest means of end
ing his favorite's life, and at last he hit on a
singular plan. Carrying the helpless sufferer
to a wooden block, he (Mr. David, | mean
laid his head Il mean Bulbs head gently
down on the level surface, and with a Ratchet
specially sharpened for the fatal work, he
(Mr. David. | mean shuddering as he put
forth the effort, chopped off that little head
rith Ona wall.iiraatad h1oyv And Tins and