River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-09-19
Fate Of His Trained Owl,
A Bird of Wisdom That Took to
Cigarettes and Died.
1JF Eben Brown had only been col

ifIF Eben Brown had only been con
tent to let his trained owl live hap
py life of rural industry among the hills
and dales of Pike county," said Dea-
con Todgers sadly, that owl might
have been with us to-day, the delight
and admiration of all nature lovers.
warned Eben that he was making a
mistake in letting his owl leave town
Cigarette smoking will ruin the
constitution of any owl told him.
even trained one that has become an
experienced pipe smoker. Here's an
owl who is doing his duty in his
humble owlish way, and it's a sin and
a disgrace to expose him to the temp
tations of life in big city
But Eben was tempted by the big
offer made him by the agent of to-
baccc company who wanted to use the
owl for advertising purposes. And
the result was that Eben gained ex-
perience and lost the services of the
best and most intelligent hunting owl
known to The annals of Pike county.
One evening last summer Eben at
tended lecture at the old school
house. The lecture was about the an
cieut Greeks and Romans. Eben list
ened attentiyely until the lecturer
happened to remark that the people
he was talking about lived 1000 years
ago. Then Eben's interest tagged.
1 amt interested in live dagoes,
said Eben, sort of YEARLY, let alone
those who were buried before Column
bus was born. Why don't he talk on
expansion. or bear hunting, or fishing,
or some live issues of the dav?'
by and by the lecturer happened
to mention that the owl was the
chosen bird of Minerva, the Goddess
of Wisdom. This interested Eben, and
all through the lecture | could see
he was bordering over that state
ment.
The owl is an honest, respectable
bird said Eben while we were walking
home. He attends to his duty and
never bothers any one. You never
hear of an owl being arrested for non
support of Mrs Owl and the little
Owlets and no Pike county owl was
ever mixed up in any scandal. But at
that | never knew of any owl doing
anything particularly brilliant. Still
the Greeks were pretty wise old cod
gers about a lot of things and they
must have had some reason for Sc
lecting that particular bird as the
emblem of the Goddess of Wisdom
The subject is worth looking into
"About a week later l dropped over
to Eben's house. He was sitting on
the porch, enjoying his pipe after the
days labor.
Speaking of OWLS said Eben in
his solemn manner, if they are really
such wise birds as they appear TO be
it seems to me that they might be
taught to enjoy pipe. 1t would b,
a sight to delight kind mans heart
TO see an old owl, after a hard nights
work finding food for Mrs. Owl anC
the little ones sitting in front of hi.
home smoking long clay pipe. i
would improve his temper and make
things pleasanter in the family
Il knew Eben's benevolent ide;
wasn't intended entirely for the bene
INT of the owls. but at that couldn
see where Eben was TO get anything
'out of it.
And do you mean to set up to
bacco store in the woods and adver
tisc, Tobacco and cigars sold to al
.Dy,ls of resDeCtnhle families M c;o, p
cites sold TO owls under the age o
1G'?' inquired puzzled like.
s ! may do that in the future re
p,.td Ebcn, calmly. But at present
don't think the demand for tobacc,
among owls would Justify it. Still. i
does seem to me that ! could take
young owl aud teach him to look on
good smoke as the reward of a day
hard work, the proceeds of his labo
10 be turred over to his guide and in