Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-10
MOLE CATCHING.
AN ENGLISHMAN WHO MAKES !
LIVING IN A QUEER WAY.

British Farmers Think That DIoles Are
Nuisances and Pay Laborers to Destroy
.:tc Useful Little Creatures-Opinion of
Surrey Hunter.
Here is the opinion of an old Surrey
mole catcher on the matter of the whole
Fale destruction of our friends:
"Yes, l ketches 'em right enough;
has orders for to do it, but amt bin at
this ere sort O work all my days. 'Tis
the way o the world; when your hairs
gray they say the steel's gone out a ye
and only the iron is left" This is a
common saying in our county. but
knows better; there's many an old ak
cuts better than new un. bin head
. keeper, bless We, in tn old squire's time,
afore these ERE changes cum. They
amt got rid O me; bides here; l might
do wuss. But it do seem a most mortal
let down, arter shootin an trappin all sort
O. things, fur chap to cum down to
mole catchin."
81 should just like to have your opin-
ion on this very subject; no one can have
had better opportunities for seeing the
matter all around 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
and the harm on 'em. They don't kill
game, that l knows; but l tell zee what,
hills INV IL.
medders, just outside o covers, is the
very best place fur the birds to peck an
scratch about in-them an the emmet
hills. There's lots O things gets killed
that amt no harm to nothing. But you
has orders to kill 'em, an if you don't do
it you gifts the sack. That's the head an
tail of my business, as l sees it. One
time the farmers killed all the sparrers.
They knows better now, most of 'em.
AS to moles, there was a pretty cry out
if molehill showed in medder, an
On'y some of 'em 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
it, their runs is like so many pipes laid
down.
''Then they knocks them hills what
the moles throws up over the medder,
an It's the very best top dressing 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 it. They eats
all sczts O things that bides both under
an above the ground. They aint in one
place, neither, all their lives. So pears
to me that if they was to level the hills
in 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 mole an I've ketched q
weazel many time. An what many
different colors I've ketched-white 'uns,
sandy an white, black an white am tor
toise shell, same as our old tabby at
home.
when they heaves, things watches
for 'em; crows fetches 'em 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 'em like lightning when l was keep
ering. Not O late years l amt; scarce
nothin don't dare show itself now; if it
do it has to be killed somehow or other
Moles amt the right things to get into
gardens, that's sure; more they amt to
git OH gentleman's lawn; but these
amt the proper place for them. The
fields an medders is, you may depend on
it, else what would they be there fur?
mo, never knowed bad feed where
moles worked; but l got my livin to git,
an they moles has to be killed, so | does
it. 1t makes it a bit awkard when they
gifts in they big grass medders where
they uses these ere new mowin ma
chimes; but moles was about long afore
they was. If you asks my 'pinion on it,
mister, says they does a lot more good
than they does harm. Massey, oh, it
does make thet 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 thet these ERE
ideas about things don't help poor man
to get his livin, an if moles wasn't killed
the mole catching trade would go to
ruin. There amt such a heap on 'em
arter all; one family on 'em-four, five,
OF even three-will chuck up a rare lot
O hills. They work like 'osses, and is
as hungry as wolves, though they be but
such little 'uns. I've seen 'em running
about like rats in the daylight lots O.
times. They'll fight most desprit; some
on 'em gets so artful there's no trapping
on 'em. Then you has to let 'em bide
bit. An that's just about all as can be
said about the good an the harm o moles.
But say, mister, It's a rare drop down
fur a ctap from a double barrel to a
mole spud an they traps, an l be gettin
In years now."-Pall Mall Budget.