The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-14
SOMETHING ABOUT PI0S.
A Farmers High OpInion Of their Intelligence
Courage, and CieanIIness.

once bought thirty-six Young pigs and put
them I'm pen. For the first few days they be-
haved themselves admirably. Being n novice in
tho business Of handling pigs. thought this
quietudc was the result OF their being
we'll fed. What they were really doing
was ref setting on their confinement. and
devsng q way to get out OF that pen.
At any rate. they got out I searched for the
missing thirty-six. and found them In my gar
dem eating lettuce and early peas. But with
the help Of nll the men on the ranch / could not
drive them back into the pen; they seemed 10
have forgotten where and how they got out
Around the pen they ran, but not one offered to
get in. My men were yielding to exhaustion.
and was nearly wild with rage. Declaring
that those pigs should go into their pen the
same wav they came out. | went TO tho house
and loosened huge half-bood Newfoundland
dog that had an Unborn dislike for hogs. Put
those pigs In their pen. and don't you dare to
bite one OF them." Fred the dog. looked first
Mt mo and then at the rigs. and. making n quick
jump at one small specimen. took him down.
Standing over the prostrate pig. the dog
growled savagely. and every now and then he
gave him a severe shaking. When. by my
command. the pig was released II ran TO n cor
Nor Of the pen, lcapcd to the third board. turned
slightly on its side and scrambled through.
The others followed rs fast MS possible They
would have scampered around that pen for a
week. and not one would have revealed the
place. II the sudden and overwhelming fright
resulting from being held in the jaws Of n hun
dred pound dog had not made this one bctray
tho secret. Afterward the thrty-sx pigs
would tunnel under the fence and In
invade my garden. but when tho dog was
called. with wild grunts Of alarm. they rushed
into their quarters. Soon It became necessary
81. =. "A. o rnI
Pigs. pigsl" to make every hog within hearing
run for that hole in the pen. Once. and only
once. the big dog went over the fence to punish
n small pig that had boon uncommonly exasper-
ating. The knowledge then and there absorbed
by him lasted the rest Of his life. He was will
ing TO rest his forepaws on the fence. to look
over. and bark Mt the occupants OF the pen. but
when urged to go over he sulked and said. by
his looks. Il tried that once. and. believe me.
1t was not we'll"
had n big crop OF corn and onts. and prices
were very low. Not being in immediate need
OF money. | determined 20 breed pigs enough
TO eat my crop. In the course Of my shooting
prairie chickens. | one day strayed on horse
back some forty miles from home and coming
across n large pigpen found In it n lot Of pure
razor-back sows. l thought would like to be
the owner OF these rnzor-backs. so | re turned
with couple OF teams and bought twenty 1.-TWO
of them-long OF snout. long OF leg roach
backed long tailed heavy in the shoulders.
high in the withers. light and low in the ham.
Not to enlarge on the troubles and vexations
those pigs caused me before got home. will
simply say that lost all standing In my church
from what was overheard on that journey. But
/ got the pigs home.
My wife had raised some eighty turkeys and
countless chickens ranged around my stacks
81 10, -, a., ,fpk
out with the index finger the gobblers we would
eat when cold weather came We enjoyed many
turkeys that way; and T. was well we ate them
In anticipation. for we did not taste them any
other way. The razor-backs were turned into a
largo yard. containing about an acre. and tho
process OF building up meat on their open bone
work began. The still hunt OF the sOws also begun
-turseys ana chickens the game ,hey Htalked
Though was on the point Of losing my mind
Ms | looked on could not help admirng the
skill displayed. wagon load Of corn would be
scattered on the ground ia the pen. and tho
sows would slowly rise up on their launches;
Sitting in all conceivable attitudes they would
yawn opening their long JAWS much rs IN ALI;
! gator does his when he sees "a young colored
L"rson indiscreetly coming 10 play in the river.
| Then. getting on their feet, they would slowly
feed ~ and down the pen. A turkey would hop
over the fence AMI begin TO pick NJ corn, and
/ may toe, Ia his exceeding comfort, spread his
! tail aud give voice TO cheerful gohble or two
| 4 long. lean. wiry sow would look at him. her
| bright black eyes sparkling with tho pleasure
| of anticipation. She would slowly feed toward
| the turkey. mild grunts issuing from her the
| while. She would not hurt turkey-not shel
| Slowly and cautiously she would draw near 10
| the bird. and nearer yet. until she WAS within
| three or four feet OF him. Suddenly long. a.
| tive body would be launched through the air /;
| n swapping NJ great jaws. a sudden Jumping Of
! tho fore feet on tho body of the gohhlcr. a firm
| powerful. upward Jerk. and the gobhler that
erst strutted in my yard was being converted
| into pork.
once saw a SOW miss a turkey. and the fowl
took 10 wing. The sow gathered herself for a
| run. md. jumping high in the air. snapped at
| the flying bird. The flying turkey would be
| Mortified to see every sow he passed over rise
| up IN the air toward him and vtinly snap her
| Jaws at his dangling legs The gobbler who
| had made an escape OF this Kind would spend
| hours in standing around, mediiaiing on the
hard times II would be for, turkeys II razor
stalking OF my fowls was that / lost all had
and to-day there Is not fowl on the place.
| raised me nine pigs | lot the little ones run
! out ~ was graSshopper year, and they could
| hurt npthingl Kansas WIS considerably pes
| t"r'd with wolves that year ana my neiEhbors
| predicted that | would lose my pigs ] met
| them AL over the neighhorlng country. but at
! sundown they were generally ~ home. used
To- think they wore lucky. until one day. while
| shooting prairie chickens. | saw "A wolf dancing
! around IN the grass IN a very peculiar manner.
! l watched him from distance. but could not
comprehend his behavior. SO walked toward
! him. and. by taking advantage Of Il ravine. was
| able 10 get within forty yarls Of the beast ly-
! ing down behind q bunch ~ blue joint grass,
| looked on The coyote had found my eichteen
| pigs, then some four months old. and wanted
one fordiuner The pigs. objocting had formed
/ circle with their heads out. and were brayey
grunting defiance. The wolf was running
| around them, swapping his jaws, and doing all
! in his power To brighten faint hearted pig out
Of the circle, The compact ring 81 sturdy little
! black porkers slowly moved down ths road.
never ALTERING. but constantly keeping up their
war Erunt As They passed me M about twenty
! five yards. rchukcd the coyote with an ounce
| 81 No. 10 bird shot. He suddenly lost interest
| IN pork, and retired To- the hills 10 hunt jack
| pigs alter that.
| Once built pen for 100 stock hogs by n
| deep pond OF water. | ran the fence ont into
| the pond 10 where the water was five feet deep
| then ! took logs and, claiming them together,
! stretched them between the ends of the fence.
! THIS made pen with big pond in il, and the
! pigs could not get out unless they dived under
| the logs. ] was raised IN the belief that n pig
| could not swim. The hogs were driven 10 tho
| pen, put la. and. rs / had self feeding corn
| bins that wore full. battered myself that WIS
rldol the personal care oithose hogs until butch
| rring Time. Tho result was that they urcamo
such expert divers that they wrre never In tho
| pen. They would swim ont 10 the log and dive
| under II | went 10 the pen on horseback ac-
| eomphnlod 10y my dOs, would gather them up,
| hy 5 'ttlng the dog ON them. make them ali Jump
| into the pond swim 10 .he log, plunge under II
| and SWIM ashore into their pen. There the dog
| dared not follow.
The courage of n sow with yOunr I'm hor most