Evening journal., 1901-02-14
HOW Is this FOR A
TBRRAPIN STORY?
Effects Of Slow and Fast
Time on Their Move
mentS


newspaper which gives much attention
to the chronology Of curious and rare
words has for several weeks been at
work on the word "souhwy," used in
some parts of the West by swineherds
to round up their droves of hogs. There
has been correspondence about it from
different PARTS of the country, one
writer claiming to have found the root
of the word in the Syro-Phoenician
language The same word prevails on
the Eastern Shore and is used to drive
away a hog when he is where he ought
not to be or is doing something he
should not do. Here it is frequently
contracted into "swee." A curious and
interesting collection Of Eastern Shore
words used in calling animals and
which the animals themselves under
stand can be made. "Choakl choak!
calls hogs, and If it is feeding time they
will come galloping to the trough. In
the old days Of the country grogshops
when the thirsty the idle and the pen
niless gathered about them, there was
one IN the Neck district of Dorchester
county. 1t amused an old countryman
TO sometimes buy quart OF whis-
a
en-penny bit was called-set it on
goods box outside the store and call
out "Chcaki chOaki chOaki" and the
topcrs would come running to the
swill. so swinish did men become
among such surroundings. But all
this has been changed years ago.
A horse or a colt will come for the
Eastern Shcre word "Cub-oub-
cub" for three times; "Sukey
sukey. sukey,' calls COW
and "Heah, heah heah, heah, pup
py." a dog. OF course "puss" is the cat
call and "chtckey" the hen call. pee
pes-pee-pee," four times, calls the tur-
key flock, and "Dill-dill-dill' or Trick
ey, hickey, ckey' the ducks. No call
that has y-t teen tried viii bring the
guinea nor The pea fowl They are not
more than half domesticated Wild
fowls can be called only by perfectly
initiating one Of their own notes. 1t is
well known that some cats and some
seG'pents understand hypnot SIN and use
it to charm" birds to their destruc-
ton. It is also well known that GER
tain animals are affected and influenced
by music-animals that have not beer
captured and trained, but that are stal
ferae naturae. Mice are very susccpti-
BILE to musical sounds and are frequent
ly drawn from their holes by the play
ing OF a violin or the soft notes of a
piano. while mere noise frightens them
and drives them into their most secret
lairs.
1t is not generally known that Of all
animals the terrapin and other turtles
seem to be most susceptible to noises
of a certain kind. If there are turtles
in the water and person beats on the
side or bottom Of "A bOaf with a stick
they will come to the ST ace and eau
tiOusly poke their heads above water
and curiOusly peer around, taking care
to keep a respectful and safe distance
from the man and the boat.
"A very curious illustration of the ef-
feet on terrapin of the drumming sound
made by the beating with a stick on a
solid wooden substance was witnessed
by the writer a few years ago. Rob
ert Lowry, of New York and NJ. T.
GoldsbOrough and Oswald Tilghman OF
Talbot county, had a terrapin pond
about two acres in extent, on Oxwell
creek near Oxford. Sometimes there
would be several thousand terrapins in
the pond. The keeper of the pond and
the caretaker of the terrapins was
Captain Charles COrzran, who lived in
a house built for him on the bank of
the creek. This was his sole occupa.
ton. and the captain studied the hab It!
of the impOunded terrapin very closel,
and inteligently. The terrapins wer,
fed on hard crabs. which were caugh
IN.
mill and thrown into the pond, alwayl
at the same place, but not alwav
at the same hour. After throwing tn
food into the water the captain woull
beat on the boards of the pond fenc
with a stick and soon from all parts o
the pond could be seen the turtle head
above the water, making with all spec
possible to the feeding ground, nl
though before he commenced to thum
very few heads could be seen, perhap
none
Captain Corkran had some rhythmi
skill. He could beat the time of an
ordinary tune on the fence with hi
stick and he found his terrapin head
would respond. To the slow movemer
of the "Old Hundred" they would at
vance in slow and stately procession
while to the rapid tune Of "Old Da
Tucker" they would move their nech
in a ierky way from side to side. an
If he beat il very fast they would di
their heads under the water and be
them up again two or three times
second. Dixie" seemed to be the
favorite, and they would respond to 4
movements with something like mil
tary precision. The captain would u
frequently the first stanza of "Au
Lang Syne" to show off the tunef
prociivities OF his terrap,ns. He wou
hum the words and beat the mOveme
in four different times. He first VI
very slow and would be answered by
very digntfed head and neck NOV
ment; then he would pass to a fast
time and the turtles would show mul