The morning news., 1897-01-03
JERSEYS HAMMER SKUNK COUNTY.
1t Has Its skunk Lore and a Farmer
Who Has Raised Skunks For For

1t Has Its skunk Lore and n Farmer
Who Has Raised skunks For For
ty Years.
New Jersey Letter in New York Sun.
Alioway township, Salem county, is cell
ebrated for its skunks. 1t has the honor
of being the banner skunk township of
New Jersey, and good many curious and
interesting experiences with the bushy-
tailed despoiler of hen roots are related by
the residents Of that corner of the state.
Elias Halbrook of SWINGS Corners had
trouble with a dozen or so of the creatures
a short time ago. He tells the story in
his own language thus:
"Td been over to Job Thompson's to
play fer dance that Jobs girl, Lucy, Vas
giving to some of her chums. Cider was
going round all the evening at a purity
lively rate, and L got all I could hold con-
veniently. Twas about three months old,
and getting ruther hard, sot fellow
couldn't drink more'n jug full without
feeling it more or less.
along bout midnight i began to get
kinder 'logy. Couldn't seem to touch the
tunes up on the old fiddle to suit every
body. There was more or less remarks
made about the way / was playing, till
finally / got tired on t, a d, stopping
short off in the middle of d quadrille
wrapped the fiddle up ad started for home,
not saying 'goodby, hope you don't care,
or nothing.
"'Twas a purity sharp night, and. stick
ing the fiddle under my oYercoat, / start
ed across lots. l could cut off about a
mile by going that way. The path was
through Beck's holler, which is one of the
best skunk hunting grounds in the town
ship. But 1 wasn't hunting skunks, and
didn't think about running across any of
EN- When got about half way through
the hollow / smelt skunks, and all of a
sudden / came across a couple footing
round in the path square ahead of me.
wasn't feeling very good-natured and
picking up stone l let it drive at 'em.
Twas good shot, and one of the skunks
was knocked heels over head.
II presume he thought the other skunk
had knocked him down and it made him
maddern a black bull with a red shirt
ahead of him. He got up and the way he
sailed into the other skunk was a caution.
Twas a rough and tumble fight, and In
less than four minutes there was a dozen
or more of the creatures mixed up In 1t.
Il thought I'd take a hand in it my
self, and, picking up stone, let 1t drive
plumb into the middle of the pack. That
broke up the fight. Every burned skunk
tail up in the air, came toward me on the
jump. When you see a skunk making for
you with his tail up you want to make
yourself scarce, and il don't do any good
to run, for a skunk can beat you every
time. The only thing to do Is to climb a
tree, If there's one around handy, and
that's exactly what / did. There was a
young chestnut by the path and l went
up 1t as fast as ever 1 Skinned up cree
in my life. The skunks came down and
went into camp right under me, waiting,
/ suppose, TIL undertook to come down.
/ could see 'em plain enough, and for a
while, ! amused myself by cutting off
pieces Of the limbs and throwing them at
the pack. But they had no notion Of goin
away. They were calculating to get even
with me.
1T got over being funny purity soon. 1
shifted In the tree, but / couldn't get COM
fortably fixed, and twas getting colder ev-
cry minute. Just to make it a little more
interesting for me, the skunks would get
up once in while and walk around, wav-
ing their tails in the air, and then had
to hold my nose and the limb all at once
AL the time / was getting sleepier and
stiffer In the legs. l couldn't think out
any plan to get away without getting
mixed up with the skunks. which was
sumpthin' that didn't want to do, for
had my best clothes on.
'Id heard tell about animals being
charmed by the music Of the fiddle. and
thought I'd try II. So l got out the old
fiddle and tuned her up. When ia get
er in shape / struck up purity lively Jig,
but II didn't have any effect on the skunks
except TO make 'em get up and shake their
tails more'n they did before. l couldn't
fiddle and hold my nose all at once. so
qiiit hddling and cudgelled my brain for
some plan TO fool them. Finally ! struck
it. took the strings off the fiddle. /
had some more IN my pocket and tied
'em together. Then / cut a stick about
two foot and a half long and tied one
end Of the fiddle string to the middle Of
It. pulled off my overcoat and, sticking