New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-09
HUNTING IN GREENWOOD.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE rs PREVENTED

Cemetery have probably ever thought Of the place
as hunting ground. The most enthusiastic sports
man would seldom think of pursuing his game in q
modern burial place. Nevertheless Greenw God
Cemetery is real hunting-ground. The trustees
/ have known this for some time. Believing that o
peaceful funeral ought not to be broken up by the
reports of the swapping of steeltraps, they
employed trapper to exterminate, If possible, tho
i moles and chipmupks Frederick Wagner. or, as he
| Is known in the cemetery, The Mouse Catcher"
has hlled this position since 1875 He is native
of Bavaria, trapper aby trade" as he calls It, and
has pursued his calling all his life That he has
been successful in his calling is demonstrated by
the fact that up to the beginning of this month he
| has trapped and killed 5000 animals in Green
wood Cemetery alone.
| TMBUNE reporter recently visited Greenwood
| and inquired for Wagner. short man, we'll
tanned, with grayish whskers. somewhat bent with
age. holding IN his hand short-handled spade, an
implement he always carries. pointed on, as tho
Mouse Catcher" or Fritz" as he calls himself.
al understand" said the re- Dor or. that you arc
| the man employed to kill ali The animals In this
cemeteryW
"Yah," was the reply, with smile which be-
tokened pride in his profession -" | kills 'em'
"Well," continued the reporter l want TO 20
with you on yonr walk through The grounds to ind
out how you catch these animals"
Without reply, but With mod Of his heal,
Fritz" started of at a funeral trot, over tomb
stones and graves regardless of paths and notices
| to keep off the grass"
How long have you been here ?" asked the re.
porter as he slipped aud stumbled over several
graves.
"Ever since '76. Ven / comes here the place
vas just chuck up nit moles and mice and ship
hunks Now. der list hardly Won mole nor Won
shipmunks."
He opened an iron gate and walking up TO
tombstone pointed to hole underneath one corner
of the stone. Pulling away a little dried grass ae
disclosed n steel-trap at the entrance of the hole.
"Da," sad be, stra ghtening himself up "'ha's
vat ketch 'em NIT. Der shipmnDks they get under
meath dem stones and hey oosens der foundations.
One day man come TO me, said he, Fritz, der vas
shipmunks 10 my grave, l gets my trap and vae
skunk" ~ WV
"Whar! do you have skunks here ~
"skunksTr said Fritz, skunk, and shigmunks
and cars and dogs and foxes and plack MICE"
And do you trap cats and dOgsP
"Everydlngs. Ders holdings can't traps. SEQ
the tracks of cats-I follow him up-pm bound to
catch him."
aFriiz {" then led the way to small lot inclosed
by hedge great many cats and dogs get into
to at large there. They secrete themselves be-
hind these hedges and when Opportunity offers
Jump on the rabbits Fritz pointed t. a largo
| opening in the hedge made by the calls.
Dere" said he " is we're der cats come. puts q
big trap in front of that hole, and tie shs head to
dat bush so dat it just hangs over dat hole. Der
cats come reaches tor dat fish, and shnap the tray
has keUched hIm. Den l comes along and shoots
hun init pnllet. Cats is very fond of cemeteries
Just tnen Fritz stopped by the side of grave.
with little tombstone to mark the spot. Putting
his foot on the grave and striking it a heavy blow
with his spade. though he was afraid the oc-
cupant of the grave nigh. not hear him. Dere7
said he, is the grave of the first mousecatcher in
dis country"
But how about the black mice T. asked the re-
porter, as he stumbled upon aud nearly upset q
small marble statue. - How many have you
killedp
Fritz referred to a little pocket diary and then
answered. "7,lS2. The oder mornin' l got ll8
plack MICE l cats and dogs before breakfast
Some peoples git so excited bout mice. Der oder
day gentleman COMPLAINS to der superintt ndent:
He writes big letter 'boutmice and shipmunks and
skunks i'll his wlle's grave. set trap iere catch
| ron shipmunks. Peoples vas git so oxcltedw
But you haven't told me anything about tho
moles flow do you catch them, aud after they arc
caught what do YOU do with themf" ,
"Fritz' invited the reporter TO his house, little
shanty just outside the cemetery fence. Stepping
down into the cellar he rolled on two barrels
filed with mole traps. The "mouse-catcher"
brought a trap out OF doors. dug a hole in the
ground, and explained how they set TO mako
them, acylindrcal piece of wood about eight inches
in length is carefully followed out. On one side IS
an opening about two inches square, through which
a plug Is inserted in the opposite side of the cyl I'M
der string with knot In one end, running
outside is kept III place by this plug. hole,
equal in length TO the cylinder. Is dug IN what IS
greatest skill Is required TO distinguish the " main
road" from any Other-skill which Is only acquired
by watching the habits of the animal. The cyln-
der open at both ends, is then inserted into this
hole, connecting well as possible the two ends
made by the digging of the hole Before II Is used
the cylinder is filled with wet earth Care - taken
to have the connections nicely made; and the
trapper n tumber to h the cylinder tightly
with dirt lest the mole should detect 10y the smell
the presence of his hand in filling il. Then tho
earth is closely packed around the cylinder. A
spring connecting with two hne wires carefully
fitted into glOOves at each end of the cylinder, il
attached to the string connected with the plug
already mentioned When the mole enters. he
burrows along till hitting this plug with his head
the plug slips out frees the string, and let's the
spring DIV up" pulling with il the two wires out Of
the grooves. One wire catches the mole around the
bodV holding him tightly against the top of the
cylinder while the other wire at the opposite end
from which the mole entered, being free, slips out
and hangs suspended. ., .
ketch him. He asserted that there are now no
moles in the cemetery .
Not in all these 500 acres" exclaimed the re-
No Dis year ketched only six. | ketched
them before dey got inside der fence down yonder,"
pointing IN the direction of Coney Island.
" DO you suppose that they came here from Coney
Yah. Too much music down there"
- See dem boxes he continued calling attention
TO something IN the branches OF a tree, denis ior
gray squirrels We keeps any quantity OF em here;
It's beauty to watch EN- I've seen twenty aud
thirty all togedder. having kind of b'cnic. Der
trees il full init EN-"
" But how far, Fritz" said the reporter reVertinS
TO the moes do they travel IN one night, for In
stanceV
About half mhe'
"And DO they do much damagep
"Much damagel They lives on worms, bnt dey
eats flowers aud fine roots ana break mp the Hover
beds Central Bark Is full init EN-. and Prospect
Bark too. Aud with muskrats. Dem muskrats
spoil the lakes"
:. is Greenwood Cemetery the only place where
any effort is made to eXtermlnate these moles and
chlpmunks and other animals r
IBIS is the only blace It's hard work TO exter-
inmate 'em A Teller what knows holdings about il,
knows holdings about 1t at al"
" Aud you catch dogs here, do you y =.
"Soue days ketch bout fifty. dogs. After all