The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-11-19
GOPHER FARMING.
Successful Experiment OF a DIS
oouraged Florida Orchardlet.
Tao Unique Industry Ia the Outcome OF
Having His Orange Grove Killed
by Laze wintcr's sovcre
Frcasa,


Frosta.
Gopher faruing is one Of the unique
industries which an original man Of
Floridn has gone into since his orange
grove was killed to the roots by last
winters cold weather. Henry DAILY
welle, German by birth, but who has
been IN Florida for decade, expects TO
have fifty thousand gophers ON the
market inside of two years Fifty
thousand gophers ought to contribute
In some degree to the discontinue of
the beef trust,
The gopher OF Florida, says the St,
houis Republic, is not the gopher Of
more northern latitudes- He is called
by the encyclopaedists the testudo
polyphemus, species Of turtle, which
ean claim first cousinahip to the tor
6oise He makes his home In the high,
rolling pine land OF this state. He and
she rattlesnake are the best Of COM
panions, Wherever gopher hole 10 TO
ise found, there also will be found
rattlesnale, The gopher snake 10 also
q friend OF the gopher
Mr.. Dhlywclle's furm ia situated on
the banks of the Wekiva river. The
Wekiva is named for the central figure
"a maiden-in q Seminole Indian
legend Wekiva, the beautiful daugh-
tar of the ancient Thomas Tiger Tail,
celebrated for the number Of scalps he
had taken. was once In love with n hand,
some Indian youth, who stood six teet
in his moccnsina, and could shoot an
arrow through the heart Of bear.
The youth Tilted Wekfva, and she wept
50 copiously that where once was arid
sand there Ia now beautiful and cool
river.
Ar. DElywene lives with his family
eia wife, three blue-eyed girls and two
tow-headed boys, in two-roomed resi-
dence, the walls Of which are of hewn
pine. In his first struggle for exist
tonee m this state gopher more often
furnished the piece de resistance OF his
dinner than Florida beet "Why
would 1t not do he asked himself one
day, ITO raise these things for marketa'
There was ample demand for gophers
hl all Of the Florida markets, the resi-
dents Of the country US well as those OF
the city regarding the gopher, properly
e0olfed, as delicacy equal to diamond.
backed terrapin. He resolved TO carry
out his idea, so he and his boys secured
she country for miles and mica, and
gathered together all the gophsrs they
could find, and placed thoin upon u
two-thousand-acre tract Of virgin pine,
The gophers took kindly to the spot
and industriously set to work to dig
themselves homes in the yellow sand.
The place Ia now literally honey
eombed with their tunnels.
The only unpleasant feature Of gopher
farming, according to Dnlywelle, is the
snakes Hundreds Of rattlesnakes have
focked to the homes of the 9ophers
Not a day passes out the gopher raiser
and his boys kill from three to dozen.
They never venture into the farn with.
out heavy top boots, heavy stick and
pint Of antidotc. The Snakes, while
dangerous, are also made to yield 0
revenue to this provident farmer. He
cures the skins and sells them to curic
dealers The curio dealers have then
manufactured into purses and hanc
satehels, and sell them to the visitor,
from the north who visit this state dur
| ing the winter season. Rattlesnalte oil
rs far-famed as cure for rheumatism
and number Of Wholesale drug houses
buy their oil from Mr. Dalywelle.
There ia rare favor to the gopher
that cannot fail TO tickle the palate o
the epieure. Mr.. Dalywelle says tha
In the course Of few years the pcopl,
| Of the whole unien will be educated II
gophcrs- Then, he predicts, the gophe
will not go begging ut twenty-hv,
cents apiece, but will command thirty
six dollars dozen. He proposes to m
augurate the kindergarten movement
and says that in q few weeks, whei
Tophers are fattest, he will send pail
10 President Cleyeland, and other dis
singuished men. All he asks in return
Is an honest testimonial ss to how
gopher compares with other meat.