Richland beacon., 1888-01-28
BELATED GROUND HOG.
How His Strategy AstOnishcd a
Pennsylvania Farmer.
[From the PHILADELPHIA Call. F.,

Farmer Hiram Hill was dltchino III q
meadow of his near Salisbury, i'll this
State, on Friday, and during "a pause in
has labor he was surprised to see a
ground hog plai,ily feeding on patch
q clover, which was still fresh and
green, on the edgN of small s,ring run
that led across the field. The farmer
had noticed a ground hogs hole Oh one
edge Of the meadow, but rs, according
to all tradition and precedent, the own
or OF the bIrrCw should have been lost
in It's winter sleep pending its appear
ance on grounl-hog's day i'll February,
h WAS by 40 means prepared to see IL
taking cold weather dinner several
rods away from its hole.
Feeling that the capture of n ground
hog nm Ter such circumstances would he
something to boast :, rs VII rs far
nishing oyiItnc, f the breaking of the
precedent his Un,ustainoi word of
mJa,h might fail 10 establish, Fame
Dill resolved t. ha" the hrlltcl and uil-
conventional hihri ..atoI. Knowing the
i. iyity and agility 81 the crouudh hog.
and that yhcn oIe IS surprised it will
make for It's hole, 30 matter what may
stand between It AMI tat hole, the
farmer tcni off ..s ycst-tne warmth of
his work having caused him previously
to dispense with his coat-nnd spread
the vest over the ground hogs hole.
"Now," said the farmer, "if that
grounrl-hog eludes ne an reaches its
hole afore / knock it over, il won't be
"hle to find the hole, an while it is
4Innin' around au' to an fro, du1ed an
rerplcxcd lookin' for it, I'll git my work
IA on il with club
All this tine the ground hog. so shy
a'.d wary AID quick t. scout danger IA
they are, nihblcl ava. i'll the clover
patch without Noticing what WIS going
on. The farmer picked up Il stiff club,
and, keeping the burr W between him
and the q Ind-ho., walked briskiy to-
wards the Latter. lie lad goue bnt
few step, when the hungry rodent
stoprcd feeding, picked up it's ears,
saw the farm r., and st.rted on the dou-
bic quick for its hole. As il curse
would necessarily bring il lace 10 face
with the farmer, that strategic ycarner
after ground-hoS meat stopped and wait
cd lor the game to come up and he
killed. The groundlI0y rushed upon
Its fate but its fate was too slow, and
when Ihe farmer brought his club down
on the spot lie thought the grounding
would he, the quick little animal lodged
al shot straight between Dill's legs.
Dill turned around in time to see the
groand-hog not running about dazed
and perpIexcd, seeking tie hole that
had been SD cunningly aud merciles "
hidden from 1t, but diving with marvel.
Gus precision against the vest, Just mt
the spot where the be was hidden, and !
disappearing with the vest into what |
ever subterrnean depths lay beyond.
The thing WAS done So quickly and |
neatly that it was Il full minnie before |
Farmer Din coull find words 70 express
his surprise. ] ne words were few.
Well, I'll b. darned, said he.
Mr.. Dill walked i'll dazed sort Of |
way back to the hole and, stopping
down, lookol through the dark portal
of the ground hogs hauIi. As he gazed
his countenance began to change. Some
thing akin to despair appeared where
only amazcment appeared before. With
out word he rushed TO whero he had
been at work, rushed back again with
las pickay" and went to digging madlv
in the ground hogs burrow. The ground
was soft, the digging ,..Sy. and the far
mer worked Ike steam shovel, follow
ing the sub:crTancan passage of the
ground hogs home, but somehow he
couldn't come up with What he was af-
ter. Neighbor Griffin came along in
his wagon AMI stopped. He watched
Farmer Dill digging away for a. minute
OF two and then said:
"Haint ye wastin' n good deal O.
time grubbin' for ground hog, neigh
Dor =
"Not when Tn grubbin' for this
ground hog, l hain't," replied Farmer
Dill, between whacks with his pick.
"How so :" said the neighbor.
Cause" said Farmer Dill.
us he more than the average in heft."
asked Neighbor Griffil.
"No.' exclaimed the farmer, pausing
IN his work, with an evident Intention
% end the Il conversation right there.
'Ihis ground hog is not big un at all.
Hes little un. But he's just ben big
cough to run away with n vest o'mine,
IN that vest has got thirty as pooty dol
ars in one of its pockets rs Yer ever
,ee!'
Then TIL farmer went on with his
mining. Ncighbor Griffin jumped out
If his wagon, got shovel and lent the
armer Il hand. They dug a quarter of
he way arc nj The meadow and Mt last
AN the ground hog and the vest down,
he former wrapped hclplcssly in the
after. The farmer snatchcd his lost
and shook the ground hog
nut, which scamperrl ava across the
OF, fleeing from it,, sadly dsmantled
leartli. The $50 was all right in the
'ocket, and rs Farmer Dill gave sigh
# relief and moppcd his brow with hi
hirt sleeve, he remarked to Neighllor
iriffin:
at hain't a powerful sight - money,
mt its too much topay for one lesson
a ground hog bunting
Then Farmer Dill went back to his
itching and Neig5or Griffin drove on
II his way.