The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-10-12
AN o.-D wooDcHUCK's FATE.
A Long Island Farmers Expertence-Pa-
thence vs.. Instinct,

A Long Island Farmers Experience-P.-
thence vs.. Instinct.
"Speakin' of woodchucks," said an
old Long Island farmer the other day,
me of some curious incidents
with 'em. "Twarn't more'n fifty years
ago when they were Us thick as flies on
this island, an we ate them instead OF
rabbits, an made muffiers an mittens
out of their skins. They was mighty
warm, too, those old woodchuck nit
tens and mutf1ers. When a man wanted
q big fellow he only had ter walk
down into the nearest field and take
his pick out of two or three. They
was SO plentiful that it was no trouble
to kill EN-. But they have been killed
now SO that there amt many more
Once in awhile a big
fellow brings up a litter into the
lower clover lot, and we have to root
'em out.
Ever hunt woodchucks? Wa-al, il
amt much eff they be young ones. II
you wait long enough you'll catch
them. runnin' across the lot in broad
daylight. II you are a good shot you
a bring one down. They're tough,
an a big fellow will carry away a big
load Of shot. But II you get hold Of a
big fellow, an old veteran, so to speak,
you'll find It no easy job to dislodge
him. He's too KNOWN q cuss to live.
He'll only eat your clover at night, an
Lord! how much he can get away with
in one night! In the daytime he keeps
close into his hole and laughs at you.
Dig him out? Waai, yes; you can try
1t; but he'll dig q great deal faster on
the other end than you will, and take
1t easy Mt that. Mind ye, I'm talkin'
of old ones-those that know all the
tricks of the business. The wood
chucks that ye find on Long Island are
wiser than those most anywhere else.
cause they have to be cunnin' and
close to civilization that they learn
new tricks all the time.
"a lew years ago a cunning old fell
low took up his home in that clover
field just OF the lower medders, an we
had the hardest time to kill him We can
imagine. l guess afore we got through
with him he cost us bout one hundred
dollars-that is fur clover destroyed,
and labor At m dollar and a half per
day lost In trying to capture him.
Twarn't any use layin' in wait for him
with a shotgun. He was too wise to
poke his nose out of the hole. But ev-
cry night he'd come out aud eat clover
fast enough. He brought up seven lit
tiers of young chucks in that field, but
we killed 'em all except the old one.
He'd bring Q new mate with him to his
home every season, but she'd get shot
in trying to save her young ones. But
we could never get q shot at the prime
mover of the whole trouble. We wait
ed fur him on moonlight nights, an,
did get . shot at him onct. But 7 guess
we only crippled him, an he never ven
tured out again except on dark nights.
We had NO chance then. We tried to
1ig him out, but after three days OF
steady work WI got tired. Then we
started to burn and smoke him out, but
Il amt NO easy matter to mako smoke
60 down hill and get into all of the
holes that . woodchuck can make
Finally, we decided to drown the old
critter out. We got together all the
old pork aud Oil barrels that we could
And an filed them full of water
Then, when everything was ready, s
an Jake, my two sons, stood ready
with q ~pitchfork and shotgun, while
poured the water into the hole. WAL
sir, that hole held more water thar
any millpond-
ut took the hull ten barrelsful t6
bring it up to the surface, and then
jest as I put in the last pailful, thai
pesky old chuck showed his nose. S
jabbed at him with the pitchfork, anC
Jake shot the handle to pieces as ht
banged away at the o~ritter. But Il
waru't no use. The water soaked
away rapidly, and the woodchucl
vent down again, grinning at oul
failure.
But Se warn't 30 easily discour
Aked. Next day we added five NOR,
barrels and all the tubs and pail
round the house. Then we began Il
appd the hole again. This time W,
had plenty Of water, but there was NJ
woodchuck to appear. The water
cagAe UP to the surface and flowed GU
Of the hole, but no woodchuck. w,
tuOukhS AC uoo bClt hAS uOllc lOr KUN
after his first duching. But no; h
came out again that night, an at,
more clover than usual jest as eft Il
spite US WAL, we found out In tim,
that the critter was so wise that b,
had dug his hole way up toward q hill
o that he could sit UP there and watol
q pouring water In at the other end
This put . stop TO any attempt u
row him out
1T was 81 that rugged up the trs,
hat finally caught the old fellow. H,
hook q big stone weighing bout eft!
pounds and suspended it right over tn
Iole. Then he fixed q little stick dow,
below list a. he would set a rabbi
rap. The old muskrat cpuldp't ga
out Of the hole Roway without hittin;
that stick. and-w we'll, the thing hap
pened two nights later. The first nigh
the critter didn't venture out, but tn.
second morning the stone was down
an the old fellow was crushed beneatl
it. We amt had none in the feik
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