The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-11-07
RAISING MUSKRATS.
The Crop Is Large in the Marshes
of Maryland
Thousands of Acres Are Devoted
Solely to the Farming of the AMI
mails for Their Fur - How
\, They Are Caught.

Dorchester, stretching from Fishing
bay. near the Chesapeake on the west,
to the Delaware line On the east, IS
harvested NaryiaEd's great muskrat
crop. Last year the catch aggregated
1y.v0 ats. and This year, judging from
the start already made. the crop viii
be even larger. The hunting season be-
gins January l and closes March 81.
The great marsh section Of Dor
chester county borders mainly On the
Blacksster. Transquakin and Chica-
comico rivers, in the election districts
known as Lake, Draw bridge and Buck
rown. where for miles the country IS a
mOnoiOuOus level, the high grass shut
ting ont from view the iEky waters Of
the rivers. which, though extremely
narrow, are nausable. \ few years
ago much Of the land VA looked upon
IS an irrrderTiAble waste, and it re-
ma.ned part OF the public domain, be
ing the property OF the stste- Farm
ers pasiured their hogs upon the grass
and there was 10 thought that other
use might b found fer these tracts
The Increase in the demand for musk
rat skins as well as for tie fur Of the
otter and mink changed all this. I
within Tie last few years the Maryland
land Office has issued patents 70 thou
l sands Of acres taken up solely with a
view 10 muskrat farming. There are
still thousands OF acres e these marsh
lands in the possession Ct the state,
more than eyea The larai commissioners
can trzre. and all 70 be had merely for
the asstug. Should Germany ard Rus
sia. Which now manifest such q fond
ness for the skins Of the American
musLnat. continue q take all tat we
can ship. there IS 10 doubt that all
these waste lands viii o have OWL
ers. In these marshes otter and minks
were almost as plentiful as Uuskrats,
but in recent years the latter have had
almost undsturbed possession and
have been protected by legislation
The tyI6.-al muskrat huhter IS as Pc
culiar q product Of this region az IS the
muskrat. Though he lives in . section
that is fairly reeking with malaria, the
home of ehills, fever and ague and
mosquitoes. he is a picture Ct rugged
d, heath. ard is hardy ard long lived.
The people of these marshes are plain
and simple and very hOspiiable. Their
homes are small and rude built, usually
che story il height and containing but
tro OF three rooms. The children are
as hardy as their parents, though in
this country . stranger can 10 more
keep in good health than he can in
Cuba during the rainy season. The
muskrat builds his house in the shape
, OF Z mound and aims TO make II high
: enough TO be safe from the highest
tide, but in the spring and fall tidal
waves sometimes feed the little struc-
lures, drowning the young, and then
follows a shortage IL the muskrat crop.
: The houses are built Of grass, woven
into a sort Of cloth.
There are several methods of catch.
Z ing tkeli;tle animals. the most common
e being by the use of the ordinary stee
{ trap and gigging. The traps are SCI
D in the paths made by the rats IN thell
e travels through the marshes Giggine
n furnishes the most interesting end ex
: citing sport. The gig IS a weapon
o about three feet long. having FIVE o.
; six sharp steel prongs, each 2A feet Il
i length and several inches apart Thr
d weapon is made just long enough 70.
4 a man to easily thrust ii through TIT
Il grassy home OF the muskTat- hunt
5 Ct must approach these little housei
1 against the wind. and 3 windy day l
4 much the best for successful work
K The animals sense of smell is acute
and on detecting the approach OF \ M
n man being al the rats scamper o IN
It upper chamber of the house 10 N
Y lower ones, where they are out OF rescI
l. Of the gig. When the hunter az
proaches a muskrat house properly
5. is not unusual for him 10 catch c "a
Z on each prong Of the gig. But no mat
D. ter how many there may be in III
? house. the first throw of the sig IS III
IN hunters only successful one. for thOs
SIS he fails 10 catch then make their eS
i, cape.
n The days hunt over, the trapPer II
n turns to his home and prepares bot
the fur and the flesh of the anim'
for market. With remarkable rapiS
ity the skin is removed. An eSpel
in can skin a muskrat in less than nal
Il a minute. After the skin is remove
Id il is stretched over a single TO dry {
IL cure. This process requires about fou
ed days. The outside OF 5 rat ual
81 per's cabin IS always hung with bunehS
OF skins. and on the inside they are IN
b quently hung from the raf'ers- II
meat of the rats is washed and pr
TO pared for buyers who visit the marsh'
Tut almost daily. and they find \ ready ma
he ket for the meat in nearby towns an
ed, in New York and other cities. II
Ct muskrat lives principally on root
res These he gathers from the marshes al
ne mounting a tUssjek washes them
om clean as bieaShed celery. The mus
rats Will eat ducks or any fowl ths
can capture and kill, but nothing the
ind dead.
Ths skin of the muskrat now br'n:
bat about Is cents. Last year the mark
ert price was 81 cents for blacks ana
his cents fer reds. The black is a rich
led and more desirable color. but the blas
d a rats are not so plentiful as the re
Now and then = white mCSSTot
y