Mexico Missouri message., 1902-11-13
WOODCHUCK TO BURN
CLEVER SCHEME OF MAINE MAN
is WELL REWARDED.
lcc.Cream-Filled Pee the deans of
Keeping His Larder Well Supplied
With the Toothsome Dainty-Sim.
pie But Deadly Trap.

If PclcE Spraguc hadn't had ten
der heart he never would have been
able TO discover how 10 catch more
WoudCAUCks than he and his family
could eat. says Il Linn CNIainc) cor
rvap1rdcnt OF the New York Sun.
Just because he was good to a tame
Woudcluck OF his own ana tried 10
relieve it from agony, he was able to
study the habits of wild woodchucks,
AID thereby learned a fact in natural
history which has cleared the farms
OF an annoying pest and has furnished
the ncighborhOOd with palatablc roast
Woodcauck since early in June.
one morning when Sprague was
driving his COWS to pasture he found
a poor, omaciated woodchuCk lying in
the dust Of the highway, nearly dead
for want of water. The animal had
started for a stream with its compan-
ions and its strength had given out
before it could reach the nearest
brook.
It was not in Sprague's nature to
see anything suffer. so he picked up
.h" dying creature. and, taking it
nome, Ted il on warm milk and clover
until it was able to care IOr itself.
iy the time heavy frosts fell the
wooddchnck was as large as a bull
terrier and nearly as scrvicCable in a
rough and tumble fight. 1t grew so
b,.HIoront that Sprague resolved to
nave a WoodChuck roast the following
Sunday, but was foilcd in his plan by
the woodchuck's going into winter
. quarters TWO days before it was 10
be executed.
Coming out lean ana hungry in the
spring, the woodchuck devoted its
cLdoaVors to putting on fat in which
1t was encouraged by Sprague, who
know how good is roast woodChuck
when taken in conjunction with boiled
onions and hard cider.
The irst warm Sunday that arrived
in June Spraguo hunted up his freezer
and made ice cream for himself and
I family. Having more than could be
eaten, and wishing to fatten the wood
chuck as rapidly as possible he gave
the surplus cream TO his pet. The
woodchuck, being maccustomed TO
oadng ice at any time, was taken with
a sudden chin, and would have suf-
icrCi an attack of pneumonia had not
Spraguc wrapped it in warm blankets
and placed it on sunny hillside TO
recover.
While the sick animal was lying in
the grass suffering from aguc, a wild
woodchuck came along looking for
fresh clover. No sooner did il hear
the teeth of the pet animal chatterinG
with cold than it took the sound rs u
challenge to fight and went in with
fury. Tho sick animal being as
saultcd AT a time when it could not
defend itself, beat haaty retreat to
the house, followed by its victorious
enemy, who thus came within easy
range of club In Sprague's hand. and
was served up rs roast woodchuck at
Mondays dinner
Spraguc keeps can of ice cream
constantly in his ice house since
then. Whenever he feels the need
of roast woodchuck for dinner he
gorgCs his pet with ice cream and
sends ii TO the hillside. whcrc its
teeth chatter so loudly with calls and
feyc. that every wild wooden uck Genes
from its hole to join in deadly com.
bat. AS one woodchuci cannot hope
to win against host, the pct falls
back 10 it's Notifications in the cellar
thus giving Sprague a chance to Sc.
lect the latest animal in the herd.