The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-09-26

livery stable there is ano thcr guess
due you. That owl of mine would
pine away and die if he couldn't see
honest old Eben Brown every day.
And he's accustomed to the woods
and mountains and wouldn't be of any
use in a city, where there is no game
to be hunted
"The stranger explained that he was
the agent for cigarette factory and
wanted the owl as an advertisement
for his line of goods. Eben was
shocked.
"'Do / look like man who would
smoke cigarettes, or train an owl to
use them?' he asked. Since he left
the egg not drop of liquor or q
cigarette has touched the beak of that
virtuous owl. And you want me to
let him go to the city where he
would learn all kinds of bad habits?
How would | feel if that owl came
back to me at the end of the sea-
son wearing golf stockings, putting on
a cigarette and with an appetite for
mixed drinks?'
nv dStnt EdNl SCI HIS vi
lg the owl. which he said would be
unique advertisement for his line
OF goods. He offered $50 a week reT;
tsr the use Of the owl and promise,
~ return him in good condition 4.
the end of the season. While Eben
was in doubt | called over at his
house. The agent was trying TO per-
suade Eben TO part with the owl.
warned him against it.
"'You're making a good income out
of the earnest, honest efforts of that
owl as it is | told Eben. by trying
to grasp too much you will lose gooG
money and ruin the owls health and
morals. If that owl is used for al
advertisement, he will be putting cigar
cites from morning to night \
smoke once in awhile may not hurt
him, but whoever heard of young
owl who became addicted to the cigar
cite habit and lived to green old
age?'
"'And how many owls did you ever
know that was hurt by cigarette
smol>ing?' inquired the agent, sarcas-
tic like.
Il never had an extended acquaint-
ance with owls who used the weed,
replied sternly. Pike county owls
are birds of good morals and bettel
habits. If | met an owl coming
through the woods with cigarette in
his mouth | would cut him dead
"But the agent insisted that the
line of goods he was selling never
injured anyone, man or owl. The REM
the agent offered was considerably
more than Eben was getting from tn,
sale OF game birds, and at last h,
agreed to let the agent have the val
ued bird for ten weeks. But he wa
filed with misgivings.
"'Take good care of him. he sait
to the agent. That bird is the prid
of my heart and my chief source of in
come. If anything should happen t,
him it would break my heart am
make il necessary for me TO do a con
siderable amount of unWelcCme toll
The first week after the owl lef
Eben was lonely and downhearteG
and didn't know what to do with him
self He tried to do a little hunting
but having become accustomed 10 d.
pending upon the owl ne was out o
practice and didn't meet with mucl
success. At the end of the week h
received check for $50, one week
rent for the owl. This cheered hin
up quite a bit. l told him no goot
would come of the money.
"'That's blood money | said, COR
that's paid you in exchange for tn,
physical and spiritual good OF you
feathered pet, who is now exposed t,
clouds of cigarette smoke and tn,
temptations of life in a great city
No blessing will come to you from
that check.
"Ebep sneered and said that he no
ticed that the check cashed for a.
much as if it had had whole buncl
Of blessings attached to it. But in til,
end he was punished for his greed anC
lack of moral principles.
For two weeks Eben received
checks regularly and cXulted in the
easy lll'itA llt was lllhhlilG, ~ ilt
end of the third week a box came by
express directed to him. The box had
air holes in it and evidently contained
some living creature. Eben pried off
the cover and there was his pet owl
But how changed from the strong,
healthy animal that had left home a
few weeks before. His feathers were
ruffied up, his eyes were dim, and ev-
cry few minutes he would give a
pathetic owl cough that was painful
to listen to. Too many cigarettes, and
the temptations of city life had proved
too much for the trained owl and
he had been sent home to die.
"Eben lifted the poor bird out of
the box, placed him on the sofa and
brought out the old owl pipe that
the owl had formerly enjoyed smok-
ing in the morning after hard nights
work. The pet owls eyes frightened
when he saw the pipe. He tried to
take it in his beak. The effort was
too much for him. He gave a little
groan and closed his eyes forever.
Eben was pretty well broken up over