Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-09
MOLE CATCHING.

Here Is the opinion or an OLD surrey
mole catcher on the matter Of the whole
sale destruction of our friends:
Yes. ketches EN- right enough; |
has orders for 10 do il, but amt bin at
this ere sort o work all my days. It's
the way o the world; when your hairs
gray they say the steels gone out o We
and only the iron is left" This is
common saying IN our county. But
knows better; there's many an old az
cuts better than a new IN. | bin head
keeper, blesc We. in tn ole Csire's time,
afore these ere changes cum. They
amt got nd o me; bides here; might
do wuss. But it do seem a most mortal
let down. arter shoOtin an trappin all sort
O. things. fur a chap 10 cum down TO
mole catchin."
i should Just like 10 have your opin-
ion on this very subject; no one can have
had better opportunities for seeing the
matter all around. l should say you can
speak as certainly as most as TO the good
and the harm they do"
''Ah, that's just it, mister; you've hit
the nail on the head. There's the good
aud the harm on 'em. They don't kill
game. that knows; but tell zee what,
them hills as they turns up in rough
mcdders, Just outside o covers, Is the
very best place fur the birds 10 peck an
scratch abo1t in-them an the emmett
hills. There's lots o things gets killed
that amt no harm TO nothing. But you
has orders to kill EN-, an if you don't do
it yOu gifts the sack. That's the head an
tail of my business, as | sees il. One
time the farmers killed all the sparrers.
They knows better now, most of 'em.
As 10 moles, there was pretty cry out
ii molehill showed in medder, an
on'y some Of EN- understands what them
little creturs does for the land yet. Fur
when there's bit O. cold, low lying
medder ground-most of that sort o.
land is damplike-an the moles works
il, their runs is like so many pipes laid
down.
Then they knocks them hills what
the moles throws up over the medder,
an us the very best top dressing a bit o
that sort o land can have, is that what
the moles has brought up on top o the
ground. There amt no sheep feed like
that what they gifts off old molehills.
An then see here, they feed desprit
sharp when they goes at 1t. They eats
all sorts o things that bides both under
an above the ground. They amt in one
place. neither, all their lives. SO pears
10 me that If they was 10 level the hills
in a medder when the moles had left it
things would be all right like. There's
lots o. things kills moles besides US as
ketches them, both above and below.
I've set fur a mole an I've ketched
weazel many time. An what a many
different colors I've ketched-whte 'uns,
sandy an white. black an white an tor
toise shell, same as our old tabby at
home.
When they neaves, things watches
for EN-; cruws fetches EN- out on it.
You ken see their flick like, when they
moles gifts on the top o their hills a
working. I've seen they buzzard hawks
grip EN- like lightning when | was keep
ering. Not o late years | amt; scarce
nothin don't dare show itself now; if it
do it mas 70 be killed somehow or other.
Moles amt the right things to get into
gardens. that's sure; more they amt to
git on a gentleman's lawn: but these
amt the proper place for them. The
fields an medders Is. you may depend on
il. else what would they be there fur?
"No, / never knowed bad feed where
moles worked; but got my livin to git,
an they moles has 10 be killed. so | does
IL IL makes II a bit awk'ard when they
gifts in they big grass medders where
they uses these exc new mowin ma
chimes; bat moles was about long afore
they was IL you asks my 'pinion on it.
mister, SAYS they does a lot more good
than they does harm. Massey. oh, 10
does make tibet mowin machine bump
when there's many on 'em. But that's
about all the harm they do; they don't
thin the grass crop: where they has
their hills the grass Is uncommon thick.
But you an me knows tibet these ere
ideas about things don't help poor man
t. get his hvin. an if moles wasn't killed
the mole catching trade would 60 &c
ruin. There amt such heap on EN-
after all: one family on 'e1n--four. FIVE.
OF even three-will chuck up a rare lot
o. hills. They work like 'osses, and Is
a. hungry a. wolves, though they BE- but
such little 'uns I've seen EN- running
about like rats IN the daylight lots O.
times. They'll fight most desprit. some
on an gets 80 srtful there's no trapping
on 'em. Then You has "a Jet 'etn bide
bit An that's Just about all as can "a
said about the good Al the harm O. moles.
But | say. mister, tbs rare drop down
fur a chap from a double barrel 70 a
mole spud an they traps An be geftin
in years now. Pail Mall Budget.