The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-24
GOT THE CHICKEN THIEF.
But Barnes First Caught Two Owls. .
Weasel. . Mink, . Fox and . Coon.

Weasel. . Mink, . Fox and . Coon.
EpaEFIELp. N. Y. Nov. S0-.It took
Farmer Barnes OF Shinhopple more than two
weeks to do II, but he got his chicken thief
at last. And more than tn at. he got ma
terial enough TO start a fair-sized museum.
Farmer Barnes makes a business OF
! raising chickens FOR the market. n has
always on hand a lot OF nice fat ones. Three
weeks ago he noticed that something was
stealing his chickens, and he suspected that
1t wa a fox. 40 he set a trap 20 catch it.
The next morning he had an enormous
horned owl in the trap. Although he had
expected to find a fox, he was satisfied TO
get the chicken thief, even II il had turned
N TO be only an owl.
But. a day or two afterward the farmer
noticed that his chickens were disappearing
just the same. and he concluded that the
thief was a fox after all; 40 he set the trap
again. The next morning he found a
weasel In the trap.
Il might have known the thief was a
weasel, IL | had only thought far enough
eaid the farmer, sure that now the real thief
was caught.
He changed his mind and went back TO
the fox theory again, though, when he
discovered that his dickens were disap-
l'oi III oAhNt WV ma ~ TAlO a. ~
put out the trap a third time to waylay
the fox.
The result OF that trap-setting was a
glossy and very fierce mink, which Farmer
Barnes had TO fight with a club before he
subdued il. The farmer had never hearl
Of mink as chicken thieves. but he couldn't
reconcile tho presence of this one in his
poultry yard with anything else than a
disposition on the part OF the mink TO pur-
loin one of the flock, and he vas inclined
70 tbipL TINT now ha had the frta tkiaf
He put the trap out that night again.
however. TO make sure, and the next morn
ing he found another owl. but this time the
owl was Of the hig BARRE species. Then
the farmer remembered that this sort Of
owl wssthe champion Of all chicken s'ealers.
either winged or footed. and he made up
his mind that this was the marauder that
had been carrying away his fowls.
He vas SO sure Of IL that he did not put
out the trap that night. The following day
he discovered that two ~ his choicest Ply
mouth Rock hens were missing
There Ii no Use In talking, said Farmer
Barnes. Nothing but "A fox could lug
them hens away go back 20 my FIRST
suspicion. The thief that h robblng me
OF my chickens II a fox.
Then Farmer Barnes put out the trap
again. and his JOY was great next morning
"a find a big snd glazing eyed fox with is
~iorefoot fast between the traps jaws.
Il knowed IT," he exclaimed 1t was a
IDt anu fAhN WI ~ lbh dAA NiF lliiAf iH
owls aud the weassls and IA" mink were
only accidental callers. willing. but not
regular
So Farmer Barnes gathered In the foI
and hung the trap up ~ aying done its
whole duty But he changed hls mind
as 10 that when he found that Ia spite u
tile capture ~ the fuE hls chickens were
grow ing lees aud l.-s la number every
day.
hs charged this upon the mate Of tho
fu1 b" had caught, and put out the Trap
again. A fat and mlscliryOus looking
raoo10n Wa What ia" tap Htuusrd 10
Farmer Hama al. urAt muuuiug 10
Regarded tilat as simply auutu'f casual
tIu-iar--f un lac Ifyrssi k'. Aul resolved to
kss'p tiai nap uut ou duty uhul tH had
s,eup.i us NJ foh
4 nighi passed Sithuui tir trap's catch.
ing anything. but "a" mpuuus after tho
rsseHld hislh lanlsf htfutr ru.lssftd
" that tho ZAP had caught luuE t@f.ir i~
49, tu "a" lH.ulify yard itn rYrli,ipits
pfos-d e. b. uIU
Tho tap lrld ~ Ne embrace a kuu
y ilrh Eatr rliui uttdrftrr ~ %. tUlIaIlHH
.tsf ialhF tHur ,i.ruaual usaI Iarsrf
harss arni ha,t and Eut . dau aial lsad'sl
600 nAuhh sallHiaHtHflb sltU lrsu t- iars
o. sslt4uua g. ruH4sts tlu ifsp atrl 10
q lufautf a. ah.fi.ri liaU uf tr ialU
Iaftia btiisus 80 nd asllHtnl 30.
atd - aHItisH uap 60 80 tHt Iia lua
h#s.faI UlgYIH laafi A. fHh Umf anB
HfisI aIIHlal ~ iaYI 90 ta4FIr its.n
.r ~faffsf t.HH fis HaI aeaf A. aa shaI
d Ital iIs ns4H sHHII Dol
AHurs Ya IaaH l#s ftr. hutiH 400
hHH 49,. atHlH n itsI uH snl i]sfHHf
lAss uss nfn IaArtu .s IH .NHhH. uaHI
ha iasH ,ausH alai ihaI H ssH . 90
aisH aA hWi . HHHt