The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-05-30
THE SLY OLD COON.
ODo Of the Most Familiar of Americas
Amamala


0ss Of the Most FAMILIAR of Americas
Animals
Between Canada and the Gulf of
Mexico and the Rocky Mountains and
the Atlantic coat there is no better
known animal to the farmer than this
same old cOOn-he Is not known as a
friend either, and he is treated ac-
cordingly.
He likes chickens and he dOteS on
sweet corn, and therefore he is voted
nuisance and an enemy; for his cum
ming and perseverance in rObbing hen
rOOsts, and in fOraglng through the
garden make him a marked coon in
every sense Of the word. But, COM
ing out only at night time, he must
be hunted then. or never, since he
never moves by daylight.
The raccoOn (plscyOn latOr) is the
only animal of its kind in America.
1t is very near relative to the black
bear and has been playfully called the
''waSh bear" by many observers who
have watched its antics as it spOrted
in the water edges Of creeks and
rivers, where it is very fond of going,
since it greedily eats frogs and cray
fish, and on the sea coast and its
eStuarieS it is a great fisherman for
crabs, and when thus engaged it af-
fOrds an entertaining study and has
given rise to no end of queer fables
about Its method of fishing and crab
bling, using its tail as bait, sc.
From the strict habit of this in
teresting animal to do all of its NOV
ing about only during night, it is
very difficult to give more than a
general outline of Its peculiar method
of fOraging for existence. 1t is tres
dweller and always resorts to the
hollow of some tree trunk to rear its
young in and to pass the daytime in
tervals in sound sleep. 1t has from
four to six young, and rears these in
this arbOreal retreat. They are
brought forth usually in the spring,
and the coon mother devOteS herself
to their care for several months, or,
at least, until they are about as large
as herself: she leads them down at
night into the best resorts Of their
chosen prey, and she has not got to
60 far, for they can and do eat most
everything-such as mice, birds eggs
and the helpless young turtles and
eggs, clans, crabs. crayflsh, insects,
nuts of all kinds and orchard fruits,
sweet corn in especial, and any green
corn for that matter, and frequently,
far too frequently, they visit the
farmers hen house, more for eggs
and young chickens than the old
birds.
Thus it will be observed that
though the coon lives in the tree top,
yet it does not find its food there,
though it is most expert climber
1t is a rather slow traveller when on
foot over the ground, and it would
be easily run up tree by an active
man. could that man see it and where
to run when it is out prospecting;
therefore the services of the coon dog
that yellow cur that spOrtsmen's
tales have fastened in QUE mind-are
called into play. Brer coon is en-
dOwed with a very fresh. scent, and it
is very poor stick of q dog that cam
yet it can make an ugly fight and
winning one usually if pitted against
only one dog, but it seldom offers
battle when pursued if it can reach
any kind of a tree trunk or sapllng
1t will, if possible, gain the largest
tree in the thicket, knowing that it
is just so much more inaccessible to
the noisy dogs and men that are hot
on its trail -WashingtOn Star: