Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-28
In ODD SILVER NINE
|7,se Van Etten's Swamp
Proves a Bonanza.
!. GREAT MUsKRAT Farm.
,,,,ou, Little Creatures That Fur-
uIsh Mueh "Minf' Fun
uo,cuns READY roB foAcHHRs-
a, .Mush' Nats,r ola FAKE
"a He Stands Ready to
p.faaa chem. pseV~

= \, o,sego County, New York. where
w msadows made famous in Cooper's
s,o,.Klng tale, THE Deerslayer,"
eA.. ,he axe called otsego there lives a
IN who claims descent from one oil the
|Srnt,rs 40 much written about by Cooper
n ovns a little lowland farm. on when
l rs,sas corn and other farm produce, but
4. rro,nd is valuable to him because 1t
4 -.a,,ins In the meadows a number o. run
4 ~ brooks which furnish homes for myrl-
N n, tho little furbearing animal, tho
4 "a,,,ssb better known as the muanat
~ Van Etten, the farmer, carefully pro-
n ~, The little animals from all intruders
4 a viii allow no trespassing on his pre-
4 100 he has gone to tho extent OF
a ..,Iny Of In many places wet Spots In
H. swally meadows SO the rats eau pulld
7 hsIr nests undlsturbed and propagate with
. N Interference from the poacher or the
tsIghbors' dogs.
a The spirit OF heredlty Is strong in Farmer
MO and although he does not neglect his
I'M. he is a born trapper and hunter. He
likewise thrifty. and that is tho reason
4 protects his muakrats,
E. ran across Zeke few days ago up In
'Alercer street, New York, where all the
In trappers come to sell their skins. The
ey appearance Of the man determined
a to scrape acquaintance with him. AS l
81 nc passing through Mercer, near Broome
tueet, saw a great slx-footer Of country
|i3nan standing on a corner. He was clad
q ION head to foot In garb Of muskrat fur,
tgercoat, trousers, vest, coat and cap.
n THAT fellow is worth talking TO-" solilo-
,tuiled l. as | stepped up 10 him. Before
asked him who he was | hastened to as
l,ure him that / was not bunlSo man, but
/. imply newspaper man in search Of a
b. ,tory and seeing him dressed from head TO
bot in muskrat fur, thought he might have
( N Interesting story TO tell,
lie laughed heartily and said: mot a
lunco man but iis, a newspaper man. hey
I'm gll dInged II that amt peart.
4. Tome now. IS there any difference twixt
|;ho two breeds of liars?'
vi fastened to assure him that newspaper
sn we're always men Of the greatest prob
IN and that to tell lie was something
No. would not do under any circumstances.
* well. you're lookln' for a story. air
IN! Well. l think you're list about my fit.
~ let's and an eating house where we
a. IN fiji up"
= told him O.. a place In Duane street,
cor Broadway, where the diners can look
bon the walls and find consolation in
kl1lng such scripWral warnings as Flee
f1m the Wrath to Come" and others Of
like kind. He consented to go there. and
ah We were seated at one Of the tables.
you cont know me, do your" he asked
Bier be had put away about pound OF
rloln steak, three cups OF coffee and as
ANY pieces Of pumpkin pie and trimmings.
wei, think | can tell you a story worth
ntin' Pm a professional trapper and
live up on Otsogo Lake, about eight miles
5m Cooperst0wn. | am the great grand
IN q Urlah Van Etten, and he was the
an Cooper took for his character OF Deer
saver Ny father E2cklel Van Etten
f5T James FeuEimOrc Cooper we'll, and
f told him SO. My people went to Otsego
fom Esopus 0n the Hudson River before
u Revolutionary war. and down to your
tHnble servant. Ezekiel Van Etten, tho
Eungtr they have been farmers by occu-
nucn and hunters and trappers by choice"