The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-08
To HUNT SQUIRRELS
Washington Farmers Having Q
Hard Time witt the Pests.
They Are the Kind That Burrow in thu
Ground and Ruin CropsLDeadly In
strumenfs of All Kinds Used
Against Them.

It has. been the hope and prayer OF
Ill farmers in TIE southern and western
parts of Whitman county, WASH, for
Seversl years past that some kind OF
= contagious disease would break out
Dr. could be inoculated into the trouble
sonae ground squirrel Several at
tempts have been made to breed some
kind of disease among them, but all
keem to have been unsuccessful.
In view of these numerous unsuccess-
full attempts. and the interest taken in
fhematter. considerable comment was
caused a few days ago by the report
coming from near Penawawa that
there was some kind ola disease which
was killing the pests in large numbers,
and the country might hope to be free
from their devastatingiravages.
A Spolesman-Review correspondent
ha.Smade an extensive trip through the
infested district In order to investigate
the authenticity of.the reports and the
extent to which the disease is proving
fatal There seemsito be no doubt that
there is tagionsam them which
Is proving fatal to asfew, though not TO
the extent that has been represented.
The first effect on the animals is to
make them dumpy and stupid, then
scabs or sores appear on the body OF
the animal, and soon they lose the use
of their hind parts and are barely ablc
to get around Very few dead squirrels
were found. but theSnimals seem to be
less numerous than they were few
weeks ago. This decrease IN Eumb ers
is explained by some observers by the
fact that the females have gone IN their
holes to have their young. but it has
also been noticed in districts where the
young squirrels are old enough to get
out of the holes Already preparations
are being made to spread the disease.
Inquiries come from all over the coun-
try concerning the authenticity Of the
reports and the effect it is having to
decrease the numbers and ravages Of
the pests.
But while farmers are anxiously
watching the outcome of the infection,
they are by no means idle IN aiding
nature to destroy'their enemy. Traps,
guns. bombs, and alfEinds of poisons are
used to aid in their destruction. One
CoEfax firm has already sold over five
hundred ounces of strychnine and other
pois;ons in proportion. Arsenic seems
to be sprnging into favor as a de-
stroyer. but,son who have been ex-
pe1imeutang with Il report rather IN
favoratRy Since the success Of the
western onechird of this county DE.
ponds almost entirely on the discovery
of some method which VIII promptly
and effectively exterminate these mis-
chievous little. animals, all new sug-
restions to thatsend are thankfully re.
ceiyed and given a fair trial. In
Spokane county five hundred patent
bombs for the, of SOUR
rels have been received by the county
commissioners for distribution among
the farmers.
"They operate" said Commissioner
Thorpe, "on the same principle as the
giant powder cones, with sulphur and
other paralyzing ingredients, and at
the close of the process slight explo-
sion occurs, producing pyrotechnic
display that sends the victims off to
squirrel heaven in blaze of glory, so
to speak, from beneath the depths Of
the earth. The only objection we have
to the bombs is that they come too
high. The owners of the patent want
two cents apiece for them We feel
that the county cannot afford to pay
that price while practically the same
results are obtained by the giant pow
der suffocating process, which comes q
great deal cheaper"
1.-The fact has leaked out" said a
farmer at the court house, THAT much
of the opposition TO the giant powder
for the determination of squirrels has
been wrought up BY agitators in the
interest of patented contrivances and
vendors of poisons, who are travelling
Dver the country, decrying the efficacy
Of all methods but their own"
More than a dozen farmers testify to
the good results of the giant powder
method, as advised by the commits
sioners, one man expressing the opinion
that if Systematically operated there
need rot be ground squirrel left in
the state of Washington within two
years.