The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-06-22
TRICKS OF A PET RAcceen:
His %Fcndaess tor TIE Churn and Raid up,
n iScc-i!iyc.

Until within a few years past hunt
ing the raccoon was the favoritc sport
of young men and boys of Plattsbufg.
The bottom lands of Horse Fork and
Smiths Folks Of the Platte River
abonndcd i'll wild ho,say. grapes, bcr=
rios, p~etsimmuhs. pawpaws, and acorns
upon which countless Toasted
and fattened. The hunt would be on
moonlight nights. beginning about
midnight and lasting till the break Of
day. 1t WAS generally inauguratcd
with the blowing Of horns, shouting of
boys, aud barking of dogs. Only the
country charivnri is equal To The noise
while the hunt ia in progress. As the
raccoon does his travelling hv night.
his trail through the hazel brush along
thc creek border is easily found. Some
times he shows fight and keeps the dogs
nj bay until he al climb a tree, which
proves only II trap for him, as the hun
tiers quickly cut down the tree and cap
ture him. The raccoon is valuable for
his meat. which. roasted. suipasses the
oposs,m OF young pig as a toothsomc
dish. He is also valuable for his fur,
which is thick and long during the
winter month.
The writer well remembers the Pres
idcntiai campaign of 1910, when the
live raccoon was an important factor
III politics. Log cabins, on wheels,
were drawn through the streets of
cities and towns, and with every log
cabin there was u ike raccoon and Il
great hurrah for ''Tipprcanoc and Ty-
Ter too" There are old citizens in
Plattsburg who talk Of the early days
wien the raccoon skin Was current
money for the payment of small debts,
aud the buying of goodS-iwo skins for
81. There is II story of IL fellow mar
rowly escaping lynching for counter
fci'>ng raccoon skins by scwingraccoo!
tails To cat hides.
Bat I" appreciate the :accoon it is
necessary In know him rs II pet. |
wish to give Il truthful accountof a pet
rlccoon that | came near losing Il few
months back. He had watched the
operation OF churning butter one
ing, and for his attention and patience
my wife had rewarded him with a
spoonful of butter and aplntcof honey.
In the course OF themornin@ thechurn,
half filled with buttcrmilk, was set
aside. She. some hours afterward,
wanting buttrrmilk for dinner, sentmc
to get it. ] saw black spot on the
top of the milk that could not quite
understand; nndthcn the chuln seemed
To be fuller of milk than when it was
set aside. | made II pinching grab nj
the black spot. when, to my amaze
ment, out jumped the raccoon. He
had backed himself into the cfurn, tail
foremost, completely hiding his Don
ship in the buttermilk. I'LL but the til
end Of his nose. which WAS the black
SPOT on ,ilo milk which had perplcncd
mo
The pet raccoon. all dripping with
b~ntt@rnilk. sneaked into the corner
grocery ncar BY, and, getting upper
caitcd icl,ind the counter. took refuge
in a barrel half filled with brown sugar.
The @r3eerylnan 500 Hustled him out
Of that, with his furry sides matted
with hnttermiik and sugar. | could
occasionally get II glimpse of him, lick.
ing his furry sides, but could not re,
( III iraei, u kim to ch1stisc him. llG
avoided nae wltiie | had anger in my
eye. In q day or two he disappeared.
The dies aud honey bees may have
,tu,ig him To distraction, or the dogs
max aaaNt discovered tllat he was
I IA a,i..ss sad chased him away.
y !,ns apr&s ,t.:yr this some boys
who had been gathering pawpaws il
the woods came into town and report,
ed HAT u iaecoun'S tail WAS hanging
cut nf a hoe in Il dead limb of Il tree
IN TAacrs pasture. The tree was cut
| down AM, the ratpuon c;,Dt., AL. and il
= ~, ~ hs Niy runaway net