The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-03-31
A QUEER CONTROVERSY.
Maine Farmers Disputing Over the
Skunks Rat Catching Ability.
Tournaments Have Been Held by
Shooting Clubs for the Purpose of
Determining This Impor-
tant Question.

The 500 bet regarding the ability of
an average Maine skunk to catch an
average Maine mouse is stiIl unpaid, and
until the question is definitely settled
the advocates of the proposed law pro
hibiting the trapping of foxes can
make no Roadway against popular
pre- JUDGE. Last spring the Sun gave
an outline of the dispute. 1t was in
tended then to settle the whole question
by an open field trial between a skunk
and any number of healthy mice which
The fox trappers might choose to pro-
duce. Since then three tournaments
have been held, and though every one
was largely attended and much money
wagered on the result, the referees have
been unable to render n decision In
favor of either side.
At the first trial the skunk was shy
and so frightened at the crowds of
men that he wouldn't pick up a mouse
when it was placed under his nose,
though it is claimed that he caught and
ate two mice after the men had gone
away. While this answered the de
mands of science, il was far from salts
factory TO the bettors, who insisted on
seeing the skunk catch and eat a mouse
before they paid over their money. At
the second trial held in Sidney in De-
tobcr a tame skunk that had been kept
hungry for two days was introduced
into the pen among the mice. This
skunk had no trouble in catching three
mice. all of which he doyOurol in the
presence Of the spectators. Before
decision could be given the men who
had wa~orcd money against the skunk
declared that the mice had been caught
recently, and were in dazcd condition,
which untitled them for trial. Upon
hearing this argument the referee re-
fused to declare the skunk the winner,
and appointed third trial. which came
off in Randolph early in November.
Ten tame white mice were turned
loose in n tightly fenced area two rods
square, and when the. guests had assem-
bled and the bets had been made the
tame skunk of the previous meeting
was put among them. The skunk was
not hungry and paid no heed TO the mice
that sCampcrcd about at his feet. \
mouse was killed and fed to him to
sharpen his appetite, after which he
seemed to have no trouble in catching
all the mice he wanted. When he had
killed four without making any at
tempt to eat them, the men who had bet
on the skunk demanded a decision,
claiminCthat the skunk had fulfilled his
contract; hut the fox champions de-
INJURED, saying that white mice were not
SO agile rs the wild field mice. and as
sorting that the two rods limita-
ton of the pen gave the skunk am adj
vantage which he could not get in the
OPEN field. For these reasons the
referee declared all bets off and APP
pointed fourth meeting, to be held
in Chelsea next May.
Members Of the Brunswick Fur club
and others who hunt foxes with dogs
say that the welfare of all the apple or
chards in Maine depends upon the re-
suit of this contest. They say that by
using new bait, which has peculiar
fascinating smell for foxes, the trap
pers arc killing Off all the foxes in
Maine, and taking them at a time when
the fox is practically worthless. One
trapper who passed two weeks in the
Aroostook county last February came
home with more than 300 pelts. In
kemnebec county the new scent has
been used with such effect that man
may travel all day in newly faNlen snow
and not see fox track. Ii is further
asserted that no sooner did the foxes
disappear from their haunts than the
mice began to girdie the apple trees,
killing whole orchards in a single win
ter. For these reasons the men who
hunt foxes with dogs asked the state
to put stop to trapping. and came be-
fore the legislature with the names of
more than 5000 chardists attached
TO their petitions. In the debate which
followed Secretary McKeen, Of the
board Of agriculture. said that akunks
killed more mice than foxes, and as
foxes killed skunks, the hunters
were trying to preserve the wrong ami
NAL. This ASSERTION was disputed by
all the hunters. and supported BY a
good number Of the farmers present.
Then a member OF the Pur club offered
10 bet 500 that a akunk couldn't catch
. mouse in an open field. This was
grabbed up by farmer. and before The.
committee adjourned more than $1,000
had been wssercd on the result. = ~