Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-11-15
Turtles Went on Strike
CNAPPING turtles was always a
They Were Pushed Beyond the
Limit by q Mean Man.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"CNAPPING turtles was always a
- fad with ST Evershed," said
Deacon Ellis, reminiscently. "'Train a
turtle in the way he should go and when
he is old he will not depart therefrom,
81 says to me the other day. "A man
with brains and couple of swapping
turtles can supply the whole village
with ducks without doing but mighty
little work.
"'Snapping turtles have their rights,
as we'll as other people, replies. And
it's shame to be working them over
time, now that the nights are getting
cold.' But ST just laughed and said he
wasn't afraid of his turtles going on a
strike. They did, though, and that's
why ST is mourning the loss of a toe
and four valuable trained turtles.
Ducks are plentiful in the lake and
there is a big demand for them, but,
owing to the amount they have been
shot at, they have got mighty shy. This
spring ST was cunning for ducks when
he saw one light down and start feed
ing. ST was wondering whether to try
a shot at him when the duck began to
squawk and flop around and act as if
something was holding it down.
Damaged queer says 81, that duck
acts as if it was caught in trap
$50 ST started over to find out what
was causing the duck so much trouble.
Sure enough, it had been caught in a
trap, but not the kind ST thought.
While Mr.. Duck had been incoming
around in the soft mud, looking for food,
he had stepped on a swapping turtle,
which was lying partly under the mud.
Swapping turtles are not fond of being
walked on, and this particular turtle
just shot out his long neck, got good
grip on the duck, and hung on after
the calm, impartial manner of swapping
turtles.
Isl carried duck and swapping turtle
back to his house, and, as there wasn't
any way of making the turtle let go, he
cut off the part where the turtle had
fastened his grip On the unlucky duck.
Now ST is the happiest, contentedest
man in the world when he can get
somewhat else to do his work, and he
figured over the duck-and-turtle prob
lem for quite awhile.
"'Ducks is inquisitive by NATURE he
says to his wife, always wanting to find
out just what anything new is. Snap
ping turtles have no particular feeling
against ducks, but they might be
taught to have. Blamed if I don t think
I've struck great combination.
$50 ST goes over to the creek and
catches four young swapping turtles.
Then he gets stuffed duck and begins
the work of training. He would take
the duck and poke it right in the face
of turtle. Out would come the tur-
ties head, and he would make snap at
the duck. Then ST would pull the duck
back, and with little stick he had been
holding back out of sight of the tur-
tie he would give the turtle a whack
on the back or hind legs. The turtles
attention being concentrated on the
duck, he wouldn't blame ST for the
blow with the stick, but would lay it all
to the inoncent stuffed duck. Swapping
turtles amt any too lovable by ma
ture, and these young ones of Sis soon
began to connect the appearance of a
duck with a whack of stick. Ducks
just drew out all the evil in those snap
ping turtles natures. The sight of a
duck had the same effect on them that
q red rag does on bull. You could see
their little eyes igleam, it made them
so mad. But a swapping turtle knows
that running amt it's main hold, and
Sis turtles would just lay back with
their heads under their shells, as limo
cent-looking as could be, until stuffed
duck was near enough for them to have
. chance to grab it. Then they would
shoot out their heads, and if they got
. hold, heaven and earth wouldn't make
them let go. They tore up consider
able number of ducks before ST got
them trained, but ST didn't care.
Don't you Worry he says to his
wife. The swapping turtle is an under
estimated animal. ~ They will furnish
the swapping qualities and Twill supply
the brain work, and the combination
will make Pike county ducks weary.
Isl always fed the turtles and gave,
them fresh water and soft mud to lie in.
The result was that, while these mis-
guided turtles hated ducks worse and
worse each day, they thought the world
Of ST. They would scramble out of their
mud whenever ST came into the pen he
kept them in, and follow him about like
lot of unusually clumsy puppies. By
and by ST thought he had his turtles
trained all right, 10 he got ready to
put his duck-catching plans into opera
tion- First he made four little floats,
like little rata Then he slinnad q