Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-12
FARMER KELLUMs Fox TRAP.
And How 10 Worked Tmpartially ON
Dogs and Italians Also.


HAwLEY, PA, Feb. S.-About TWEEN
ty years ago Randall Kellum, Of Kim
bles, Pike county, i've miles below this
place, on the Honesdale branch
Of the Erie railway, purchased a
horse for which he paid 800. He worked
it daily on his farm until one day last
week, when the horse died. The neigh
borhoOd OF Kimbles, and in fact all
through that part OF the country, has been
literally oyerrun with foxes this season.
AS las been the case In Sullivan county,
across the Delaware river, the farmers
have lost hundreds Of chickens and other
poultry by the bold raide of these usually
timid animals. Farmer Kellum hit upon
a plan that he thought might destroy n
large number OF the thieYlng pests, and
that was TO put strychnine in the carcass OF
the old horse, and place the body in spot
where foXes would be sure to flock 10 H..
The deadly drug was accordingly placed
plentiiully in the flesh OF the dead horse,
and the carcass was hauled TO an out-of-
the-way spot in the woods, two or three
miles from kimblee, and left there.
The next morning kellum entearly TO
the woods to see II his plan had worked
successfully. He found lying scattered
about IN all directions, and none OF them
far away from the poisoned horse, 80 dead
foxes. How many more managed TO get
to their holes or hiding places before they
died was Of course unknown. Mr.. kel-
lum had the foxes taken home, and the
next morning went 10 the woods again.
There were no foxes found, as could bard
ly have been expected, as the horse during
the previous night mad been moaOpOlized
bV half of the dogs in the neighbOrhoed,
IA OF which were found dead at the scene
OF their feast. With barely an exception
the dogs were animate that had long been
suspected Of habftual and wholesale kill
ing OF sheep in the vicinity, so the nights
work was regarded NJ an excellent one.
Tue following morning Kelium visited
the remains Of bic Old bOrse again, and
this time picked up 10 dead foxes. He
was returning home loadsd down with
fox polts, when about a lnlle from KIM
bles, he heard means aud cries OF pain Ia
suing from the woods, some distance OF
70 his right IRON the road. Kellum made
his way TO the spot from which the
soundg proceeded, and found TWO Itallan
quarryfnen rollIHg IN the snow and
writbing in PAIN. Upon asking them
what the matter WAS ono OF tue Italians
told him that they had found frozen
horse IN the woods. and had cut piece ~
meat from il, which they had roasted
over Y fire aud eaten. They were almost
immediately seized with intense palms IA
the stomach. KellUm waited TO hear no
more. lie knew at once that the Italians
had eaten piece of bis poisoned horse.
lie started on n run for the station 10 tel
egraph Tor a doctor. Fortunately, DR..
Brace, OF Lackawanna, had been called to
Kimbles that morning 70 attend patient,
and Kellum met him as he was flying
ia for aid for the poisoned Italians. KEEL
lum hastily told the doctor the situation
ana the two hurried back. DR.. Brace ad-
ministered powerful antidotes TO the ltal-
rams, and got them TO the nearest house.
He succeeded in counteraetlng the poi
son, and In few hours the Italians were
able 10 go on their way. Kellum lost no
time In burying the dead horse.
The 80 foxes that fell victims to Kel-
iun's baited horse will net him SJS in
bounties. The pelts he can sell for 81
apiece--a total of STA from q horse dead
that only cost him 800 alive and had given
him 20 years' faithful service. What the
profits would have been II the Italians
had died he does not care TO cipher on.