The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-09
TnB BEAGLE noe cor on TO II.
ne let the ~iee 60 Devr H,s Threst ssst
ss the sktpper Williams Dos DID.

- NAs v
Since cold weather set in and the observsn'
Jerseyman's flower beds have been cleaned mp
he and his family have noticed that there has
been a large increase in the number Of mice In
the house. All summer long there was hardly
n mouse In the house. Once in a while there
could be seen traces Of mice indoors. ana per
haps half n dozen were caught In the traps our
ing that time. Out in the garden they were
plentiful. There was a pile OF bricks In which
n great lot Of them lived. and they
had deep burrows in the sandy SOIL
as well. They were tame. and could
often be seen running In and out among the
plants. picking up seeds. They seemed to live
principally upon the flower seeds. There were
rats out in the garden. too. These came from q
neighboring stable. They were also tame, and
were often seen In the fall. especially about the
long line of scarlet runner beam, which were
trained over a division fence. Tho rats were
after the rlpcncd beans. These they gathered
by standing up on their hind legs and pulling
the pods OF with their front feet. When they
had gathered a sufficient quantity TO make a
jog, they would run OF and hide them and re-
turn for more.
The Jcrscyinan also has some water rats
which burrDw into the banks Of his two little
ponds along the river side and occasionally let
the water out, but he does not disturb any Of
these animals until he Is obliged TO do so for
self-protcction. His two dogs have the run OF
his place in the day time. but they have not been
taught to hunt animals. and have left the rats
and mice undlsturbcd during the summer.
When the mice made their appearance in the
house In force, II became necessary to do some
thing. Just how many Of these mice there were
was uncertain. but II was made pretty clear that
all that had lived and been bred in tho. garden
had come iu, for "A burrow was found which led
from the ,uudside down under the foundation
walls and tAfa Fln gullnE Tha ma uata A a
much Mt home ~ they had been In the garden.
They ran, about the Kitchen and picked up
crumbs while work was going on there. They
wouldn't 90 int ordinary traps, 80 n meat pan
was set, with u figure ! snare under II.
The first mouse was caught in five minutes
after the trap was set. Then it was determined
70 teach the dogs To- catch and Kill them, One
d2g IL a ltttle wcascl-ltkc brown beagle. slow on
his feet. but as quick as n wink in dartlng about
with his long neck. The other is much bigger,
and OF that ,celebrnted mixture known as the
Skipper Williams pure mongrcl breed.
1t didn't take "A great while to excite the GU
riOstty Of the dogs IS to the contents OF tlf trap.
One Of, the peculiarities of the Skipper will
liams dog IS that he will never let the beagle
have anything to eat II he can help IT,. He will
s fraS Sn w t S, II any 9g"@ 0ih}i to oI pTG Ns.dd Il. T The
mouse gave u jump and disappeared. Those
who hid, watched Il closely saw that II went
!iains. Tha' dog. however, didn't seem to know
t.. for he did not even seem to swallow. and was
for more mice. The beagle didn't know what
had become OF The mouse. and when the empty
trup was SHOWN 10 NM began n great hunt about
the room to discover Il trace of the mouse.
Another trap had been set in the mean time.
and this already had a mouse in 1t. This was
opened at once in the same way. The mouse, as
before, sprang toward the floor and Disappeared,
r. The other had. down the throa; of the Skipper
Williams: The catching OF the mice began at
10 O'Clock az night. and was continued until
: y. VI. In that time seventeen mice had been
caught. and every one had jumped directly
down the throat OF the skipper Williams dog.
The next night the traps were set again and
three more mice disappeared in turn down the
same road before the beagle discovered tho
game. Then he took "A real pirt in the snort,
The next mouse he caught. He killed 1t and
IL out of his mouth. The Skipper Will
ianIS promptly swallowed 1t. The beaglc'S ire
up then, He got his share OF the evenings
'atch after that. and let every mouse drop down
Ms throat, just ~ the skipper Williams was
ioing: There was no sour ut branching bonet.
md often no sign that the mice had been even
tipped In the dogs jaws, and just what went on
liter the mice got down into the Internal
economy of the dogs is an interesting subject
or speculation. The dogs didn't mind il.
The supply or mice Is running short now. but
here may be enough caught yet, perhaps, TO
throw some light upon the matter.