St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-10-14
THE GOPHER.
The Farmers Pest. but Very Enter
tanning Animal forAll That.

When we speak of gophers in Southern
Georgia, Alabama and Florida, says the
Camilla Ua.) Clarion, we don't mean what
are called gophers between the Rocky
mountains and the Mississippi. The
gophers there are salamanders or ground
rats. Nor do we mean the prairie squirrels
which are called gophers in Illinois. We
mean our sure-enOugh gophers. These
highland loggerhead turtles that burrow in
the ground and come out of their secure
abodes to feed upon grass and herbs. Their
book name is testudo polyphemus. If the
original old Cyclops Polyphemus was as
ugly as his modern namesake we don't
blame Ulysses for putting his eye out. The
farmers of this section would not care if the
Greek hero would come back and put out
the eyes of all the polyphemus race. For
when their home is in or near a field they
arevery destructive to young cotton, corn
and peas.
When properly prepared the flesh of the
gopher is very palatable, very little if at
all, inferior to the turtle. The negroes are
fond of them, and hunt them with long
pole with the hook of a steelyard fastened
to the end. They feel for the gopher in
his long hole in the ground, in which he
dwells, and draw him out with the hook.
Very frequently these holes are so crooked
that a pole cannot follow its winding. A
very common device for catching these
marauders is to bury an open candle or
starch box at the mouth of the gopher hole.
The box is left open and strange to say
when the clumsy old fellow comes out
| which he will do once or twice day in the
summer and spring, he will tumble right
in and then can't get out Strangers to
the ways of this wonderful animal are slow
to believe that he is such a suicide. But
his ways are curious. DR.. Bruce of Balm
bridge says that Que of the first things he
learned after coming to this section from
Virginia was not to bet On gophers.
He was boarding with Mr.. Pea
body, who had field of corn
and peas on new ground near
town. The old gentleman complained ter
ribly of the gophers, and one morning at
the breakfast table said he was going to
catch one which was doing him special
damage. ''How are you going to catch
him, Mr.. Peabody" said the young doctor.
Il am going to bury box at the mouth of
his den, sir, and about II o'clock he will
come out to feed and will tumble in, and l
will have him." The young Virginian
laughed at the idea. cpl bet you 81
gopher is not that big a FOOL" said he.
Good" said the old gentleman, and the
money was put up. The box was duly set
at the mouth of the gopher-hole and both
gentlemen went on about their business
| down town. A little past II o'clock DR..
| Bruce remembered the bet and slipped off
down to the field to see for himself. ''Fll
be hanged if the old fool wasn't in the box,
sure enough. l then put him back in the
hole, and with long pole [ pushed him
! down as far as [ could, giving him all the
hard thrusts [ thought necessary to make
| him stay there. | then went back down
town and hunted Dir. Peabody who had
forgotten all about the gopher until
I reminded him that it was past the gopher's
| dinner hour. Sure enough said he, come
and go with melI want my dollar. Mr..
Peabody, I'll bet you another you don't get
him. Good; I'd rather win two than
one.' When we arrived at the gophers
hole, I'll be hanged if he wasn't in the box
| again. l lost my money, and make it a
| rule never to bet on gopher"
1t will not do to bet on anything about
them except that they can run faster than
anything in the shape of them on earth.
They hibernate in their burrows, and how
long they can live without food is ques-
ton yet unsolved. Col. f. J. Bacon tells of
one which was placed on his back ON a
stump by an old planter in Liberty county
and left there to die. Just twelve months
afterward the gentleman passed that way
and there was his gopher, still alive. Yet
the Florida people say that if put on their
backs in the hot sand they will die in few
moments. Mr.. j. 3. Collins tells of one
which was shut up under chimney for
seven years, and was known to remain alive
without food all that time. a negro man
in his neighborhood kept one shut up for
| fOur wears