The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-11-01
A PLAYFUL BADGER.
HE WAS FULL OF LIFE, BUT REFUSED
TO BE TRAINED.
Brief History of an Attempt to Make
Pet OF Him In n Colorado Camp.
Conclusion of the Crank Who
Tried to Do the Trnininr.


who is fond Of animals, why people
don't give more attention to the badger.
He has lots Of character.
Once when | was younger / was
boolkeeper for few months at a grad
inc camp a few miles south of Pueblo.
Colo. One day the contractor appeared
III camp, bringing badger which he had
caught on his farm
You boys can put in your time train
ing him. said he.
I'VE were pleased enough. but the bad
ger gave us to understand from the first
that he wanted none of us. emphasizing
his decision by snap at Gleason's hand.
We managed to get collar and chain
attached to him, and turbed him into
a biz box.
There he was on his guard every
moment and ready to charge any one or
anything that crowded him in the least
lie Snarlcd and roarcd, and when he
tired of that he gruntcd like pig. He
was absolutely without fear of anything
that walked or crawlcd. He tackled an
immense St Bernard owned by one of
our subcontractors. Poor Rex had never
seen badger before. and he was greatly
aStoniShcd. First he smelt of the badg-
er's hind leg. Then he sat down ana
gently waved one paw over the crca-
lures head. This the badger took as
direct insult, and the next minute he was
hanging on to the dogs nose When
freed, Rex was not seen for two days.
Jim Gleason was the commissary
man. He had followed camp life for %
years, and had developed into the worst
crank | ever ran up against. But for
some reason he was quite ticlllcd over
the badger. Maybe he recognized a kin
drod spirit He said:
I'm have that badger tame in two
days. He's only scared little; that's
all
He told us of coon he once caught
in Arizona and tanned so it followed him
about like a dog. Just before | dropped
off to sleep the first night he Informed me
in an offhand way that he'd teach the
badger to shake hands before 10 o'clock
the next day.
but when morning came the badger
was missing The chain was in the box
all right, but the badger aud the collar
were gone. Gleason felt bad.
Its a COMPOUNDED shame he said.
1 took a liking TO that cuss. and was
Let's look for him. Maybe he is around
camp yet
'He spent two or three hours hunting
for the badger. and when he finally gave
it up he said mournfully. It's a shame;
the poor little thing may starvc'
when he turned in that night. he left
a piece of fresh beef outside the commits
sary door in hopes he said. that the
b,,,, l.,
morning | was awakened by Gleasons
voice raised in loud and picturesque cuss
words. He was an artist at the business
when he set out to do good job.
Look At that he said. and pointed
at hole in the ground just outside the
tent. Then he dragged me into the tent.
and showed me another hole just under
his desk.
1.-THE nerve of him. roared jim after
| put meat out for him and done every
thing for him | could, He's in that hole.
and there's a five pound piece of bacon
in there with him. come in just in
time, and seen him get away with it,
The cold ingratitudc of the badger
seemed to strike Gleason to the heart.
and turn all his kindness to gall. | asked
him when he was going to give the bad
ger his first lesson in shaking hands, but
he didn't seem to see the point. He
hunted up two pals and spent most OF
the forenoon Juggling water from the
ditch and pouring it into the holes Every
time he emptied a pail he picked M a
Iiuu an" M"''neu Tue 'oie' Paoy LOT the
n",SVI MH'n ne u"shcu out; hut the
u,'uN'i u'H" ! ""Sn' "hu HnaIH NieaSoh
'n'SW 'He pa''S at lnP hoirs IN disgust
ana l,aSSeu Il UP as a pad JOB.
N'''' uiilHer l slar'' IcroSs the com
lil'SS"rN leiit 10 tne Sleeping tent ana my
loot N'H' through up TO my knee Glea-
sou St'"'ei toward me- ana he went
through zoo. lheh we noticed little
rouhd noieS IN different parts of the dirt
moor me oadser was at work under
mining us.
>. N'N' morning big piece of beef had
u'S"pp'nf'd. we Eravely asked Gleason
TO please put out good lunch for the
poor httle beast that night. Jim said
nolhlhG an day lie appeared to he
thinking. hen night came. he opened
ms mouth tohg enough To tell me that
he show me the badgers skin when |
turned out next morning.
some Time IN the middle of the night
! was aWakened 10y an uncamhly racket /
My hrSt thought was that the men We're
hah%lng the cook proceeding frequent
ly threatened. leapcd out To save the
cook, but instead Of 4 hanging bee |
tete tctc in the commissary tent. The T
badger was IN his hole all except his /