Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-18
Boys Squirrel Story.

With some of the war gossip of to-
day has appeared the remark that the
American boy inherits very little of the
sturdy traits of character that marked
the heroes of the Revolution" In
other words. that in courage the
Americans are degenerating. Young
America believes this is all nonsense.
All over the land there are evidences
they say. of superior culture and
strength, and if foreign foes should
come they will find that in the char
actcr and courage of the American
boy there is nothing wanting. An ex-
ample:
The Berskeart family OF seven boys,
living south of the city. compares favor
ably with their great grandfather who
was hero in 1912. Their grandfather
was one Of the early settlers Of Indiana.
and he delights in relating to the boys
the adventures of their ancestors. But
the other day the boys forced their
"grard-pap," rs they call him, to adj
NIT that they are not inferior in cour-
age. They have single-barrcled shot
gun that will throw shot about thirty
yards, and they have killed young rab-
bits and squirrels with it; but have also
wasted about five pounds of shots and
powder on an old squirrel that lived in
"A large oak tree. The other day the
boys saw this veteran Of the wood in
mulberry tree helping himself to the
! delicious fruit. The oldest boy, who
is just fifteen. crawled up to- the tree,
leveed the gun and fired at the coveted
prize. The shot Knocked off n few
leaves and tickled the squirrel but he
did not fall
He ran up the tree frisking his tail.
Then he jumped from the mulberry
into the branches of beech, and from
the beech he crossed into a tall maple
sugar. The top branches of the latter
crossed large limb of the massive
oak. The squirrel mounted the limb
Of the oak, and ran down about fifteen
feet to curve. Then he looked Gun
ningly at the boys and disappeared in
hole.
The younger lads looked at the squir-
rels vanishing tail with considerable
dismay, but the older ones exclaimed.
AT he kin do that we kin. toor One
boy ran home after climbing material,
aud in another half hour the two older
boys came sliding down the large oak
limb with all the material necessary
for capture. A cage was placed
over the hole. One boy sounded along
the limb, and then cut open small
cavity. Then he inserted slim stick
into the den, and in a moment more
the old sly squirrel ran out into the
cage prisoner. A ball of Irvine was
then fastened to the cage. and it was
lowered to the ground. Then there was
nothing for the boys to do but to come
down, but first they had to go up that
limb.
Probably any other persons in the
same position, supplied with "A hatchet,
would have fallen of or cut notches to
climb up by, but not so wi the boys.
They had tred cutting notches with
dull Ratchet before. One boy drew
from his pocket number of large
nails that are used in building bridges.
He then drove them into the limb.
like the iron haud-holds on the tele-
graph poles. Then, in about ten min
utes more the boys, including grand
dad, who had come out To see what
they were up to. gathered around the
cage to view the prize. The old veteran
turned his eyes up ut the dizzy night,
and rs the tears twiukled under his
glasses, he said:
BOYS your grand-dad would abin
,feared TO done it.
The boys are now supplied with a
Winchester rifle, aud hey are practic-
,ng on squirrels eyes hundred yard.
with remarkable success.
They will Soou he ready for me in
raiders. - indianapolis Nct0S.