The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
MUskRAT CATCHING IN MAINE.
II Is n Profitable Industry for Those Who
Know the Tricks.

'"
, 'Noi HDp'N'' oN' Wv, Wv , 90
W US % 81" ,O'u anu 'o'N ~ -
al"'ns Wv ucau Seus'N WI Wv o""'," W ~
h anu ''""'"s'''' p'"'' VIC "''" " e'i
" O"'" 'h'i' "i""' ""u''' "'" p"' ", WV
",,'VaS' IN an arc" oi "h acres a. VIZ ioo'
v. 'io'D''oA r"nu ""'e VIA" 'oU 10,
orc :" p'o'cSS W 'ohs"u '"""' '"e 'a"r,'S WV.
'nsS are "auc oi ueau g'"SScS anu nahH' Wv"
OF water soaked wood hnd small stones all cement
ed with clay mud chcwed to fine mortar ana lald
ON evenly by the paws of the industrious little
nnima''. The foundation wall, which IL about
six fec, in diameter. is laid on n shelving shore
A., 80, -, -, =
III nVe or SIX feet OF sui water, ana ~ bul' up
high with great care until the surface of the pond
isrcached Except for two or three holes near this
-, -. -. ~ -,
ground Whlch serve Tor doors 10 hIlo" inc HuSN
rats TO pass in and out below the ice, the walls
are amno,h and fr,is,,n in the water like mice
INV a., ,'',n,.i Iii, ",s ,.,',., a,,i
NooNc "h"t 'he ou'S'uc walls atc '"uE" n"u
untidy. with great tufts of dead grasses prorudIng
from nil sd,s giving , stranger the immersion
a., a., -. - -. ~. -. ,, It,, -, ,ho
NAV 'he MOUSE WAS hfo"h up oS 'ho h'""' VI Wv
feet above winter Old hunters soy that musk.
, -. T., -, 49,, A., it., ,,-
'a'' KNOW VI 'u'an'c no" nsn w. s,"'ns 'e'',-
cts will raise the ponds. and erect their homes
nccord,nrly There ia a srmblance of truth In
,.a s,a,,,,,o,, h...,,.. III a.. .,,,,s.a Il, ,,,.n
"o NN""ion" oV'nuS al wv" houNc' !" s''''
pond are of the same height This year the
structures in EsldIng,ou Pond are three feet six
,r,h.a .ho,o vt, ,,,I,. a., II,,h,ool a POND
.n'neS noo'' "a"'' "n''e III i,",o'""h wv"
they rlsc more than four feet below the wafer
line the cones are ot bare mud inside. \ floor
inside Of the cone few inches above the water.
Upon this scaToldlng the muSktats lie with their
bo,Js r,,r,In,, o. ,I, h,,,. :, ,h, ,c,,,, -, IN
"'""' '''",S W. '''' wv" ~ Wv Gnu
case OF sudden alarm III" inmates may "N'n""
,rho,,h ,t,o I.u. - N,;,, t,,Li,t ,b. k,l,u- az
,,,,.i.,.,, 1904, NJ, ,,,i ,,,,u ,,,,,. ,ho,, IN,
"'uSNiaN "h"' "h''" anu NP'"' "''''' ''"" WV
Tho animals AZ" caught In small steel trays that
set on top ot logs the margin " the ponds
and are weighted viii, stones Us soon a. n
musLrai Is caught II plunErs into the water, the
weight ON the trap holding down until the animal
IS drowned. When n muskrnt IL trapped on land
Il eats is lex oil alu,c the trap aud escapes on
three legs. Later when the ponds b"gin To irr"s,
money hunting mtIskrnts on sE hirs While
muskrat is rnmIcllrd tn get air IN order tn breathe
il can travel for miles under the Ice crossing wide
lakes and STAYING Tor hours hrlu. The frozen coat
inK, in order Ia do this II must sion as often aS
once I'm twenty MINUTES and rir,i its breath into
forming A I'm, vale bubble which rnn l. seen easily
through ihc Thin Ice N,rr IL has been r>pU.rl
TO ,hs Ma'c, Tor few minutes 'nr nHhGle o.EGmG i
To- iis lungs ard resumes lis tourney Hons Vii,
are fsmtiinr Win IA" ways 81 animals SLATE over
The ncwiv frozen p"nds i%rkinr Tor bubbles. which
,h.y r.,,ic,t,i, Min he hIndr of A., nnrLr, Lmi,,
Is soon AS IN, air "S,srrs The opening is plugged
Win silver Of w"oi. aud The imprisoned animal
.nnth"tr nrmr Ihr sp't yh"f, II lrir II ur"+,nus
bubble Iat"r The bodies IRE rhnnprd nut Win
and SKIN rom f,,rttn nfty mniskrats = day from
n ,,,,,J "a i,,r huhl,lr. ,t, ulruty
In sL,mnins muslt,t an ,nc,son is made
pulIe, down ,Trt ,n, head The WTV a man
tsH"s " ." ' III, sEr, rhr SKIN IS Ihrn GnTm "
IipsiI. ,,, sn,I ln,,lr 81, ,,,t, sll,,rl. IN st,,J
- - '''' - II.,.i - ~ a