River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-18
FRISBIE'S PET OTTER.
A Clever Creature with One Bad Habit
Which Caused Its Death.

Which Caused Its Death.
Harvey Frisbie drives tin peddler's
cart through the upper Lehigh and
Pocono regions at regular intervals.
He sells tinware to the farmers, hunt
ers, lumbermen and mountaineers, and
he gathers up paper. rags and fur skins
among the natives, paying cash for
them i'm case he can't make dicker
for some of his wares. All the people
through these sections know the jolly
peddler, and they are always glad
when he comes around, for he gener-
ally has a new story or two TO tell
them, and his visit is a break in the
dull monotony of their lives. Up to a
short time ago Peddler Frisbie had a
pet animal that greatly interested and
amused his many customers all along
his rough and hilly route; but it will
amuse them no more forever, for it met
a sudden and tragic fate the other day.
Peddler Frisbie's pet animal was
tame otter that he called Funny, and
it was as interesting creature as the
writer has ever seen in the POcOnO re-
gions.
Three years ago this spring Farmer
AlonzO Miller caught two young offers
near the head of Ash creek, in Clifton
township. They were as black as jet
and very cunning little creatures, and
Farmer Miller took them home. Ped
der Frisbie's cart stood in front of his
house when he got there, and the
storytelling peddler was very much
taken up with the young offers. lie
picked out the one he wanted. and he
told Farmer Miller that he would tame
the young otter before the middle of
summer. The farmer didn't believe
that it was possible, but the peddler
knew what he was about. When Ped
dler Frisbie came around six months
later he had the otter with him. 1t
was as tame as a kitten, and i:new its
name as well as any of the children
knew theirs. From that day until
Funny's sudden death, Fodder Frisbie
carted the otter around with him on all
of his long journeys into the wilds.
Whenever it rained Funny lay IN a
y
seat, and whom the weather was fine he
sat by the side of his master or capered
around on the top of the cart as they
logged over the rough roads. Funny
was the peddler's constant companion,
and he was as much attached to his
owner as dogs get to be to their mas
tiers. He would beg for food when he
was hungry. and Peddler Frisbie soon
got TO know just what the young outer
meant by his various noises
There are many trout streams in the
PocOnO and Lehigh country, aud what
amused the peddler's customers about
the yoang otter more than any thing
else was to see him glide into pool,
flop and wriggle around bit, and then
scaInper out with plump trout in his
mouth or paws. Peddler Frisbie took
a good deal Of comfort in showing his
customers how Funny caught trout in
tke brook, and ii was a common thing
for the whole family OF y wcod-chOpper
or "A farmer to follow Frisbie and his
otter to the bank of the nearest stream
to see Funny get his food in the way
that nature had taught him TO. After
the otter had got his belly full Of trout
he could not be coaxed or driven to
glide into the creek again. If the cart
happened to be rolling along near the
bank of sparkling. murmuring stream
Ehen the otter was hungry, he would
make such fuss that Peddler Frisbie
would have to stop his horse, lift Funny
from the cart, and let him get his din
new out OF the brook. Then he would
make his way back to the cart. and be
contented until he got hungry again.
Funny had one trick that many Of the
wives OF the peddler's customers didn't
like at all. and it was this habit that
cost him his life. Peddler Frisbie
generally let his pet follow him into
the houses wherever he made bargains
for fur or sold tinware, and the otter
had the habit of climbing on every bed
that was in sight, stepping around
with his dirty feet. and nesting UNDER
meath the bedclOthes il no one drove
him of.
When Peddler Frisbie made his last
trip through Coolbaugh township last
winter, the weather was warm and
springlike. The front door OF James
Gleason's house stood open when he
drove his cart in front of the dooryard
gate. The otter ran into the house
ahead of him. and made for Mrs. Glea-
sons bed. which stood in a corner OF
Tho front room. Mrs Gleason was
rolling out pie-crust on the table when
the otter climbed into her bed. and she
beat poor Funny's brains out with the
rolling pin. she was So vexed at his
getting her bed dirty. Peddler Frisbie
felt bad. but he could do nothing. and
he is going 10 try to find another baby
otter to take Funny's place. Scranton |
pa Cor. \. Y. sun