Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-21

4 Boys Experience "a Trying 60 Get ri
of the Triesy tittle Pests.

/ ~fN~-
Boys Experience "a Trying 90 Get Rid
Of the Trle'iy tiuie Pests.
had an inie .ne experience with
wOodohucks. vi, ; New Hampshire
boy The mi- ,lrvous rodents nearly
destroyed iic.i OF slower. and then be
gan to fori,i,. i bean patch In which
had "A r. .calar mterSt, as the pro
eeeds Of II we're expected to defray my
expenses term OF two at the village
academy | set traps in vain. The
woodcluckS were too cunning TO touch
my bait when they had Held OF clover
in wb:ch TO forage ! tried to get a
shot at them. but they were too wary
/ tot me. Tim, my Dig. managed, with
my energetic assistance in denolishing
| the stone wall where they had taken
refuge. to catch two Of the trespassers
and shake them to death hut that was
all
When | saw my academy tuition
falling before the woodchucks' sharp
teeth and adding 10 the sickness of
their fat sides | was fully aroused.
stoned up half dozen woodchuck |
holes. but it availed nothing The ras
Gals seemed Just as numerous and de |
voured clover and beans just rs per
sistently as before They had reached
an age and sire when holes were of
small account. In several instances the
stones were removed doubt If | ever
succeeded In penning a single wood
chuck.
Their time of feeding. ] learned, was
very early In the morning and | NJ
solved to be in season for them For
four mornings was in the field watch
ing for them between 3 and o'clock
| succeeded in shooting one. TIL willy
fellows then began feeding in the even
Ing. 1t seemed as II they kept spies on
the lookout constantly. {
just at dusk one day came upon a 4
solitary woodchuck helping himself to {
NY beans seized stone and threw s
{. and the woodchuck Tell | ran for S
ward to secure my game The next 4
moment the little beast, which had S
,een merely stunned, rallied and set I
lis sharp teeth ia my finger | choked 2
Iim until he was glad TO let go.
| was on the point of closing his ca {
eer then and there in summary fash a
)d, when decided to wait bit and "
lake an experiment carried the c
brown coated animal TO the h
ouse, where | sinearAd him all over $,
18th tar and then attached an old Ii
eigh bell To his neck by stout wire. Il
took him in a wire cage, TN angry, a
isgusted woodchuck. to the bean patch {,
nd gave his freedom The instant he h
'as at liberty he began scratching at IL
he bell wire, rolling over and paving h
le dirt in vain endeavor to clean c,
ilnself Soon lie ran otf into the bean a.
atch. 81
went out TO the tield next morning 10
, see if my experiment had resulted in T
nything. There were no fresh signs of =
in the beans and ! was
toward the clover. following
ong little beaten track made by the
oodchueks in their travels between l.
leir two feeding grounds. when came Ct
pom the dead and mut;lated body of II
lie unlueky creature which had tar 10
u the previous day. pr
From the signs | judged that his fol er
Nv wcodehuekS, enraSed at his dis cg
raeetul appearance, had attacked him Is
! body and literally torn him to al
leceS in
That was the end OF the wOOdchueks' n
epredationS | never SAW a sign of ir
leir work afterward They deserted IL
lie premises, learuei however, tina. d
farmer living few tuileS away was a
Iueh annoyed by wOOdehueks about e,
lat time, and think il probable that F
ley were the same which had given Il
ie trouble earlier in the season
Outh's Companion