Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-18

SANG TO the conclusion ,h., a.
naa tneir hrtedine place ,inSer -, .,.e sIl,'eIs
| ,hc,. Hnat be u whDle cospmnni,, -
si.,, n thcis: Well | wen, IN s.,.s y.
sn,I.ts untlI about ten years aea vshsn ~.
srus oaisn only tu. ned on, abou, 'w.r,,
sS,iSks !, Taen ! said 70 my wills: wife.
they Nilj .. es'r7s scarce. and i'm AFRAID
Breed EN-. ST. she sals ga a., =
.snar 70 eonI.s up soma nlan IA hraas
NV anslly come % ihs esnelusIos
eaia,, we way 10 DO II was 10 let M
uS,G,n! i've Ia peace under the barn, In, "a
I, . practice OF feeding them. Then
ua nsw an the skunks for mile sbouI
updsr MN nnd Tie thing out and gather
,n,i tried this and for two seasons didn't
s ~, skunk Al the end Of the second
you couldn't move about the barn
1T 1T uanger OF stepping on skunk. In
,'.s,,i nn1o,ning when the sun came up there
~ "vu'a oe dozsns Of the old ones come
~ eaen Win their kittens on the SUN
sonn y sue sue o. the barn to sun themselves.
,.ss Su ,u,E sot 70 know me as the one who
provided their food for them. and first
Moulu follow me- and then the whole
ptsAeI OF them would answer my whistle
nov ! can pick theni up and handle them
and tney don't try either to bite me or 10
pertume me, had a Frenehman from New
hork Up here last summer and he showed
me now 10 take the musk bags from the
young ones. and nov ali The kittens as
sSoh as they get tame enough 70 handle are
renewed Of the glands which .secsete the
offensive iluid which, for better name. /
call musk. I don't dare Try this on some
Of ihe old ones. however. but they are as
tame as cats, and as ! keep them for
breeders ! don't bo.her with thom"
While We were talllng TO the old man
an old female skunk accompanied by two
pretty ltttle black and white kittens. had
come out OF hole In the foundation Of
the barn and stood cycling US askance.
That's an old she one that's been breed
ing four years. She's tame as tabby."
said Hapelyed as ho advanced toward the
odiferous animal The kittens ran under
the barn. hut the old one hoisted her bushy
tai in the air and advanced TO meet tho
Cd man rubbing herself up against his legs
like a cat. while he reached down aud
strokcd her back with his hand.
Then he went into the house and same
back with a pan OF chopped liver and the
lungs Of some animal reeking with blood.
u only feed them once week, and
bring this up from the slaughter house in
Port aud the res, Of the time let them
hustle for Themselves" he said.
Then he began ehirruplng sound. and
almost In an instant the ground seemed TO
be covered with skunks. They came from
under the barn aud other outbulldings in
twos aud fours and In dozenK; mother
skunks and bucks and httenloss female
skunks, until the air seemed TO be ready for
some terrible explosion. SO laden was u
with ietid odo-s. The skunhs fairly seemed
TO swarm over the Old man, as he scattered
their food right and loft and finally emptlel
the pan, when each. with Its roeking NOR
sell again disappeared under the cid barn.
They'll suck the blood out OF IL. then
they'll 60 TO sleep" said the old man, as
the last OF his pncanny pets disappeared
you see he said. 1--WE got every skunk
from AL over the township; come right here
to me &c be In due time stripped OF his hide
TO furnish some young lady In the city with
an Alaska sable muf or boa. All do to
breed them Ia TO feed them and let them
alone The Lord gives mo the increase"
Now, Uncle ST." said my friend, "you
have told US how you breed your Ekunks
md We have seen the critters. but you
haven't told US how you kill them when you
want to send their pelts to market"
ooh, that'1 eaGlly done. | Just whistle
o them, and ouch as | can pick up with
ny hands l hold a sponge saturated with |
'hloroform T. their noses for a minute;
hen drop them In barrel Of water to b.
uro they won't come to again. Those that
yill not allow me to handle them | APP
roach with the deadly sponge fastened to |
he end OF a long wand. and when poke II at /
hem they VIII always smell OF 1t. and that |
Ikea thsm. II don'i knock them out this
way | shoot them with an air-gun that |
hrows a dart sharp like a needle, always
hooting them 10 the head. 80 "a TO kill +.
hem Instantly. The gun makes no report |
never allow qua loaded with powder TO i
'e fired on the place, az II would irightcn |
be animals aud cause them to scatter"
Mr.. Rapeiysa then called the attention |