The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-12-10
TRAPPING MUSkRATS,
PROSE POEM BY THE BANGOR NEWS
PHILOSOPHER.

PHlLOSUPdEk.
: we bark back to former time and
K over our sins and half attempts
eng good, we consider the best and
I enjoyable incidents in our life
? during the cold days of November
december, when we put out traps
nuskrats with the idea of earning a
+ double sleds for sliding down the
hills which began at salt water
seemed to stretch up until their
mits rubbed against the under side
he moon. In fact, it was a long,
lime before we could be fully con-
ed that the full moon did not give
portion of itself every night scrap
.gainst the lodges and rough rocks
II we knew were on the top of the
otherwise, why should the moon
alter every night? The sun came
rgularly, or did not vary greatly,
if the moon was slow in coming
t the hill, the reason was plainly
20 the fact that she had become
K IN trying to climb the further
and had scrubbed herself over the
en- ground until her face was all
ed and there was great and rag
"goneness" on the lower side,
4 would naturally hit upon the
In this way we reasoned out our
.essons in astronomy, and since
ave grown up and read books and
old of our error we are not so
bout it now, for there are a whole
things which scientific men can
account for today, and why
.ln't they be wrong about the
as well as concerning other
to return to the muskrats. Is
R healty boy in the world today
.oes not wish to become famous
III. We know a score of boys, and
their confidence as long as our
holds out, and we should be
ned to recognize one of them un-
ne crossed his fingers over his
{ and solemnly assured us-So
alm-that next to becoming a cir
lei, he had rather be hunter
10 be any other thing.
I nearly every bearded and yellow
q hunter we have ever read about
his glorious career by trapping
ats. We all know the story by
f. How the boy hunters went out
.orning and found that big bear
ualloWed the muskrat caught in
ap. and the trap had lodged in his
ch, where he couldn't get it up,
-o the bear was compelled to stay
he was-growing madden all the
until the brave boy came up with
wv and arrow, and drawing his
. back until his thumb hit his ear,
70 the deadly arrow and pierced
ar in the eye. binding him on
Ie, thus enabling the boy to creep
I'd next to the slghtless eye and
- lis faithful hunting knife into
art of the ferociouS animal. OF
e. the bear turned out to be fatter
he looked, so when the carcass was
I'd and the people had made much
;he event. the boy hero took some
- bears fat on the sly and rubbed
oss his upper lip, after which
ache sprang up in single night,
made the boy look so fierce and
ous that he hired out as full
AZ man and spent the best of his
. The woods, where he killed bears
anthers and slew big water snakes,
itd such time as no other boy
think of having.
,se long walks along the frozen
IN the early morning looking for
4lats i'll the traps were the begin
IF the idea of becoming famous
er. and though other boys caught
zane than we did, and though we
compelled by cruel parents to go
TO a dull old school and to study
which never did anybody good
gin we have never become a famous
IF. nor yet a famous anything, we
{ pleasantest dreams of our life
e. DAYS when the traps were out
-4r tide allowed us to stalk along
ore and peer into the dark holes
we had hidden the traps SO the
tide would come up and drown
,ptives before they could find time
# off the imprisoned leg and escape
tripod instead of a quadruped.
alat skins were bringing ten cents
q then, with now and then twelve
s for an extra large one with fine
and though from nearly 30 traps
Us a good morning which gave us
ieits, we actually believed we were
lie road to immense wealth, and
lered what we were going to do
50 much money. 1t was cold work
lng the wet bodies home, and 1t
still colder, standing out and skin
them and stretching the skins
The prepared shingles, but it did
seem like work, because we liked
, it, and the harder we labored the
er the time we had.
year ago we stole enough time
the labor of securing our bread
molasses to go back to that old
ing ground and walk along the
Of muddy shore front where we
10 set traps for muskrats, and the
. joyful sight that met our eyes
hit to make the world sick with en-
was boy with ragged trousers and
lies on his face and warts on his
is, tiptoing along the salt margin
Uplifting the sods and looking into
roles to learn if he bad caught any
4rats. We said then, as we say
and as we shall say always, that
10Y who hunts muskrats with traps
dreams of what he is going to do
\ he puts bears grease on his up
Up and grows mustache, is the
happy and wholly contented per-
he world holds or can ever hold:
say this advisedly, knowing full
that if we could hear the musk
side of the story, the case might
5ainst us in trial by jury, but if it
then the jury must be composed OF
1rats, for no jury composed OF
or of men who had ever been boys
do such a dishonorable thing as
ndemn a boy for taking big slices