St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-17
TAx1DERMY.
Bill Nye's Opinion of an Ancient and
Highly Instructive Science.

Bill Nye's Opinion of an Ancient and
Highly Instructive Science.
This name is from two Greek words,
which signify arrangement and
..skin," so that the ancient Greeks no
doubt regarded taxidermy as the origin
al skin-game of that period. IaXidermy
did not flourish in America prior to the
year 1929 At that time an Englishman
named Scudder established a museum
and general repository for upholstered
beasts.
Since then the art has advanced quite
rapidly. To properly taxiderm requires
fine taste and close study of the sub
ject itself in life, akin to the require
mcnts necessary in order to succeed as
sculptor. | have seen taXidermed
| animals that would not fool anybody. |
recall at this time especially mountain
| lion, stuffed after death by a party who
| had not made this matter a subject of
close study. This lion was represented
in crouching attitude, with open jaws
and red gums. As time passed on and
year succeeded year, this lion continued
to crouch. His tail became less rampant
and dropped like a hired man on "a hot
day. His gums became less fiery red,
and his reddish skin hung over his bones
in a loose and distraught manner, like
an old buffalo robe thrown over the
knees of vinegary old maid. Spiders
spun their webs across his dull, white
fangs. Mice made their nests in his
abdominal cavity. His glass eye be-
b.,
moths left him bald headed on the
stomach. He was sad commentary
on the extremely transitory nature of all
things terrestrial and the hollowness of
the stuffed beast.
also had stuffed bird for a long
time, which showed the cunning of the
stutfer to a great degree. 1t afforded
me a great deal of unalloyed pleasure,
because liked to get old hunters to
look at it and tell me what kind of a
bird it was. They did not generally
agree. A bitter and acrimonious fight
grew out of a discussion in relation to
this bird. A man from Vinegar Hill
named Lyons, and party called Soiled
Murphy (since deceased) were in my
office one morning-Mr. Lyons as a
witness, and Mr.. Murphy in his great
specially as a drunk and disorderlv. |
We had just disposed of the case, and I |
had just stepped down from the bench, |
intending to take off the judicial ermine
and put some more coal in the stove, |
when the attention of Soiled Murphy |
was attracted to the bird. He allowed /
that it was common ''hell-diver with |
an abnormal head. while Lyons claimed
that it was kingfsher
The bird had duck body, the head
OF common eagle, and the feet of
sage hen. These parts had been adj
Justed with great care and the tail load
ed with lead somehow, so that the
powerful head would not tip the bird up
behind. With this rara avis. to use a
foreign term, | loved to amuse and in
struct old hunters who had been hunting
all their lives for free drink, and hear
them tell how they had killed hundreds
OF these birds over on the Poudre in an
early day, or over near Elk Mountain
when the country was new.
so Lyons claimed that he had killed
millions of these fowls, and Soiled
Murphy, who was known as the tomato
can savant of that country, said that be-
fore the Union Pacific railroad got into
that section, the birds swarmed around
Hutton's lakes and lived on horned
toads.
The feeling got more and more parti-
san, till Mr.. Lyons made pass at Soiled
Murphy with large red cuspadore that
1ad been presented to me by Valentine
baker, dealer in abandoned furniture
ma mines. Mr.. Murphy then welted
lyons over the head with the judicial
'cales. He then adriotly caught lump
'f bltumnous coal with his countenance
md fell to the floor with low cry of
pain. !
L called in an outside party as witness.
ma IN the afternoon both men were !
convicted OF assault and battery. Soiled
durphy asked for change of venue on ,
ne ground that was preiudiced. told
nm that l did not allow any thino
whatever to prejudice me, and went on
With the case.
Ihls great taxidermic masterpiece led
o another assault afterward. all of
Which proved remunerative in a small
ray. My successor claimed that the
lrd was part of the peruuisites of the
tfice, and SO had to turn it over with
he docket
also had stuffed weasel from Cum-
ans City that attracted a great deal of
ttentlon, both in this country and in
europe. 1t looked some like a weasel
nd some like an equestrian SAUSAGE
nth hair on If NJ " Jf.