Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-08
Oddities of wild Animals.
(Trlbune.)


people who live near the haunts Of
wild ANIMALS see a good many strange
sights II they are watchful," said a woods
man "Our folks once had a stumpy lol
with woods on three sides OF II. The ne.d
had been seeded 10 clover, and fifteen or
twenty woodchucks dug holes In the
ground and lived high and in peace till 4.
bear got in the habit, along in July, OF
stealing out OF the woods just before sun
set every day. erouching In the tall clover,
and bouncing on wosdchuek while IL
was getting its supper Father Wouluh
shoot the bear, because It's fur was good
for nothing then, and he wanted IL to
thin out the woodchucks. When the bear
had killed a number OF woodehucks ana
carried them into the woods wise Ola
yoodchuck in the upper end or the heid
began TO smell a rat, and whenever the
hear stole out of the timber the cunning
old woodchuck would sit by its hole ana
whistle Ike everything 10 warn the other
woodchucks OF the bears presence. Then
he and all the woodchucks IN the lot
would scoot into their holes. and the bear
would SLOUGH back to the woods looking
sbeenish. When the alert old woodchuck
had played that trick on Bruin re"
times the bear went to thinking, we
thought. for at noon one hot day We saw
the hear shamble out OF the WOODS ana
climb I'D a tree just above the cute ola
woodehuck's burrow. Not single WOOD
chuck WAS in sight, and that made us
wander what the bear was up 10. Inc
hear stayed in the tree all the afternoon
and inst before shutdown we saw the cute
ola woodchuck crawl out Of its hole ana
take n survey of the field. He dldh Sc,
the hear. so pretty soon he scampered on
some distance from his hole ana began 10
nibble clover contentedly NO sooner hau
enc uoodchuck started 10 eat his supper
W.. w the hear let itself drop from the
t,roh n landed near the hole, got on It's
taet in a second and lay fiat IN the clover.
rhe yoodchuck heard the thud and scam
aared for his hole. and the cunning bear
nahhed him and squeezed him TO death
in a hurry. With the wise woOdchucR out
-, the way the bear had smooth shedding.
and before the end OF August II killed
every woodchuck in the lot.
oI,EER EXPERIENCE.
"One summer / worked for man on
tho sinnamahoning creek, VINO hau
oueer experience with an inquisitiVe pea,
The water used on the premises was ioreee
20 the house from a spring back Oh
Knoll by a hydraulic ram that STOOD IN
a covered plank box Few ieet oeiom
the spring. Every beat or the ram
valve could be plainly heard IN the "oou
house. and the ram had worked all rish.
for six years, when one morning !" -
hsIkv lust as the owner was dipping ms
nan into the trough. 1t stopped and
started several times, and the astonisheu
farmer after he had listened to It's Jam
horee a while. handed monkey-wreneh
40 me and told me 10 go over 10 the
snrinp and find out what the matter was
Inst then the mans wife wanted me 10 90
something In the cellar, so the man tooh
the wrench and started for the spring
when no got TO the edge of a grove the Sc
cret ~ the rams queer conduct was reveal
"a 10 him. He saw a large bear with us
nav. on the box peering down at the
ram the animals inquisltiveness having
driven IL to tear the cover OF 10 ma
out what sort of a thing was oeauhs
in the box. The bear was very much
amused with lis new playthins' LOT y
toucsed the valve several times with us
raw and acted as II II was trying 10
ascertain why the valve didn't work when
its nav was on Il. The curious animal
clrcIed around the box. eyed the valve,
and seemed 10 be bound to solve the mys-
terry Finally the bear grabbed the box
and vrenohed It apart. That was more
than the man could stand. so he ran 10
the house. got the rife. and hurried back
lust in time 10 see the bear upset The
ram and almost ruin II. and ne banged
away and killed the bear.
..while watching for shot at deer
near a deerlick one fall I noticed huge
yeljov1aekets' nest hanging from the
limb of an !ronwood sap!ing. not far from
a tree that / had climbed up. A little
before sunset I saw fine buck making
mis- way toward the lick. AS he approach
ed the yellowjackets' nest noticed
q movement In the foliage overhead. and
the next instant q catamount plunged