The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10
A CYCLONE IN FUR.
RAVAGES OF THE FEROCIOUS
LITTLE MONGOOSE.
It Created Sad Havoc Among Small
Animals In Jamaica-Its Intro
duction to Vanderbilt's
Farm In North Carolina.

country, and ne mas COUSIN
who belongs so the very highest
Egyptian aristocracy, but it is doubt
full If he can be considered desirable
immigrant. When it was announced
the other day that an Anchor Line
steamer from the Orient had brought
to New York several mongooses among
the other oonsignments to W. Z. Van
derbilt, and that the owner proposed
to turn these Oriental ratkillers and
serpent-exterminators lat large upon
his Southern acres, the question i'm
mediately suggested itself: s'Does he
know the responsibilities he is assum-
ing"
In India and in Egypt the fierce
ichneumons Pharoah's rats, or mon
goose, as they are variously called,
are held in the greatest esteem for
their services in ridding the fields OF
venomous serpents and destructive
rodents, and in the latter country
have been classed with sacred croco-
diles, COWS and scarab@. That Is
good record as far as it goes Moth
ing can exceed the certainty and &C.
lerity with which one of these gray,
ruddy.headed, broad-jawed, short
legged, ferret-like, fierce little cy-
clones in fur will master an enraged
reptile, escaping the deadly fangs,
lodging with the rapidity of light
and seizing the vulnerable point with
unerring accuracy.
No small creature that knows the
mongoose will stand against him If he
can help it; rat is powerless in his
strong grip; it is even said that
larger animals will flee before his de-
moniacal attack, and yet =
Has not Mr.. Belmont made mis-
take in sending these mongooses to
Mr.. Vanderbilt; and will not MIR. Van
derbilt make much greater mistake
in giving them roaming commission
in the United States? The introduc.
ton of the mild and timid rabbit into
Australia and the tremendous factor
which Sir Bunny has become in Aus
tralian agricultural affairs should be a
warning to the importer Of foreign an
imals. They sometimes develop sin
pular habits and traits under peculiar
circumstances. The English sparrow
is even now piping an amen to this
statement. -,
But it is not necessary to go aheld
for examples which may prove the pos
sibility Of danger in this direction.
Mr.. Vanderbilt's is not the first at
tempt which has been made to induce
the mongoose to transfer the scene OF
his Iabors and usefulness to other
scenes, and the result of a former ex-
pertinent was distinctly disastrous.
Several years ago prominent cit1-
zen and popular member OF the Gov
ernment of Jamaica, in the West In
dies, was filed with the idea OF per-
forming O wise and merito.ious SER
vice to his country. He was gentle
man of more than ordinary culture
and ability, q legislator, planter, o
student of science, q fellow OF several
societies. He was, besides, a traveller
and an enthusiast. To him was due
the introduction of Indian coolie labor
into Jamaica, to the great benefit and
comfort of many Of the planters.
But in an evil hour he imported a
pair of Indian mongooses and set them
free in one of his canefelds In val
lev of that beautiful, mountainous
island where the producers OF sugar
cane had lost thousands Of pounds
sterling annually through the depre-
dations of the cane rat.
After firing of the rat diet the mon,
goose turned to other food. he had
loved crocodile eggs in the far away
land of his canonization, and he found
that turtle eggs were not a bad sub
stitute. He soon created panic in
the turtle market. Eggs of other
kind did not come amiss, and what
was more natural than that he should
vary his omelet with an occasional
fowlp Presently the natives rose IN
arms. It was not so bad that they
could not keep no chickens them
selves, but it was hard, indeed, that
thew should find all their neighbors'
henneries empty. Poultry became
scarce in certain localities, and the
moneoose again bulled the market.
By this time black looks began to
be cast upon the gentleman who had
introduced the inchneumon, and rom
the most popular he rapidly became
the most execrated citizen OF the
colony.
mongoose. In India he had never
thoueht of climbing o tree. In ia
maica he acquired the climbing habit
and the birds began to show signs OF
becoming extinct. In fact few years
of mongoose threatened the e1tinc-
ton of every other small animal on
the island. ,
Then the people who had been loud
in praise of the gentleman who had
innocently brought this trouble upon
them cursed him openly, and more
than once ran after his carriage, shout
ine his name with the hateful appel'
lation, "Mongoose" tackled to it; =,
North Carolina is very much ike
Jamaica in many of its features. There
is little doubt that the lnchneumon
would flourish and multiply there II
he was once given chance 1t would
be sad if, after few years, an OUT
ragged populace should turn from
chickenless henneries and gameless
woods to greet the owner OF many
acres with the derisive or sullen cry
of "Mongoose Vanderbilt"
If the objection is raised that this