Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-10-27
TURTLES WE'RE FIGHTERS.
Nated Each other So Mu~n II Mads the
Good Deacon sad


Mated Each other So Much II Made the
Good Deacon sad.
'1n 1870" saId Deacon Seth Gregg, |
Of old Steuben, II was crossing one |
Of my fathers fields on my way to
the Cohocton for days tishing--for |
there were trout In those days. Bill /,
Spencer was with me. and We came !
upon a couple of lane turtles that
we're having the uglSsst kind OF a
scrap don't know what started |
the light between The turtles. but !
from what know noS IL must have |
been something serio1l The turtles
bit and tumbled ara clawed each
other for spell, and Men Bill and l
separated them aud PCT them a long
distance apart They turned as soon
rs they were down an3 came toward
each other again as fAsl as they could.
which was at the raeo OF about
mile an hour, but thsee was fire In
both their eyes, aud when they got
together they pitchSd in again as
fierce as ever. We hadn't time to
stay there aud watch them, and SO
We went on and left chem fighting.
When we came back that way late In
the afternoon, there were those two
turtles yet, lighting - ugly as ever,
and neither one of them seemed tn
have the best Of It. Then we broke
up the fight / took cue Of the tur.
ties home with me and Bill took the
other one home with him. l cut my
name on the bottom OF my turtles
shell, with the date, Snd Bill cut his
name and the date the same way on
his turtle.
MY folks were getting ready about
then TO move out to Illinois and
Bllps we're going back somewhere In
Massachusetts where they came from
When We went away took my turtle
with me. just for the fun Of the thing,
and Bill took his along to Massa.
chusetts We settled out in San
CANON County, and Peter-that was
my turtles namc-didn't seem to
like It out there. Anyway, he disap-
peared before We had been there
week, and / couldn't ind him, high
nor low. We lived IN Illinois twenty
years. and then, the old folks having
died, / moved back 70 old Steuben,
bought the farm We moved OF Of In
1910, and have lived there ever since.
OF course forgot oil about Peter,
the turtle, Hfty years ago or more
zone day last week was going
over my farm, and not more than
three rods from whore Bill Spicer and
I surprised the turtles at their scrap.
ping match ufty.four years ago last
spring, came on to two turtles
having IL out with one another IN
exactly the same wCy. 1t brought
back the old days like fash. and I
lay down In the grass and watched
those turtles fight ter quarter OF
IN hour. Then 1 got up and took
one of them by the tail and turned
him over on his lack. His under
shell was cut and carved like beech
tree In q country scaooi.housc yard.
] went TO deciphering the carvings.
when the tirst one looked at nearly
made me drop IN ny tracks. And
good reason. There II was, plain as
day: Seth Gregg. ls4O! The very
turtle ! bad caught more than half q
century ago, and which had got away
from me three months later, way out
IN Illinois!
''As SOON as ! could get over my
surprise and wonder began scanning
the other inscriptions on the turtle.
They dated all the way from ls4s
down to 1892, ald the names Oi
places carved now md then showed
IN chronological order that old Pctel
was steadily and uaswcrvin2ly trav
cling east.
"All the time I was examining
Peter the other turtle stood on guard,
glaring ut Peter, aud evidently i'm
patient to resume the dght. So
put Peter down and picked 10 thu
other one. know you will believe
me when I say the first sight OF tn,
under shell OF this turtle actual!
sent me to grass II had carving
too, and the very arst one was W.
Spicer, $780, And there were carv
ings on Biirs turtle, showing that HI
had been unswerviugly headed wes
during the last nifty four years, 40 m!
turtle had been pointed east. Iia(
these turtles been governed by SOM
mysterious instinct that drew then
back to the old home for love OF II, o
had they been nursing undying ami
mostly toward each other for half ,
century and Travelled back with th
hope OF wreaking vengeance each OF
his foe? For the way they glared q
each other and waited for q nov
chance to get even, made up NJ
mind that the turtles had journeye,
all those years toward the old hom
simply with the intention OF havinI
that light out aud so I got up AM
left them by themselves Two day
afterward I went that way again
The turtles lay In q ditch. Pete
had his jaws fast On Bilrs turtle
throat aid Bill's had Peter foul Il
the tender spot under the lef
shoulder. Both we're dead. ] Durie
them right where they lay, and
saddened me 70 know than any liy
ing thing could carry hate SO long an
% far"