The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-23
HAWK THE FARMERS FRIEND.
If You Don't Believe 1t, List to Tale
of the Rural Philosopher.


of the Rural PHILOSOPHER.
"a man is foolish ever to get mad
at anything" said the Rural Philos-
opher, but If I hadn't forgot myself
and let my dander get way up the
other day I'd had to eat all the words
I've been saying in favor of hawks for
the past 1 don't know how many years,
and stand up and admit that hawks
are sly and destructive enemies of the
farmer, as all my neighbors have AL
ways declared they were, instead Of
being the farmers friend, as l have
spent a good deal or my time during
all those years in trying to demon
strate.
MY wife came to me in a great
state of vexation the other day and
she said to me:
" 'Erastus, this has got to have a
stop put to it,
&" What has, my dear?' I asked.
This carrying off of our chickens
by hawks she replied.
'Hawks!' 1 said. You mean weas-
els, my dear. Or rats
:" L mean hawks' said she, with
much emphasis. And they've got to
have a stop put to 'em or we won't
have chicken leftH
"Fhen l had to laugh, of course, ana
/ talked to her about how hawks didn't
steal chickens, but lowered over us,
picking up rats and weasels and the
like of such things that were the rear
destroyers of our chickens.
" From wham you say, said ], l
think it is weasels that are killing the
chickens now I'll set a trap for EN-
80 l set trap. l baited 1t with
chicken. 1 tied a live chicken to the
trap in such a way that. any weasel
or rat that came to get the chicken
would have to step on the jaws or
the trap first, and that would be the
end of the rat or weasel.
Next morning / was up and arouho
early and said to myself that l guess
ed l would go out and see which my
trap had caught, weasel or rat. AS
/ started toward the poultry yard
saw a tremendous hawk dropping down
upon it like cannon ball let loose
from somewhere or other. ] stopped IN
my tracks. astounded, hurt.
This to me?' I murmured. This 10
me?' /. who have never dared to run
for even the smallest office in my town.
ship because 1 have stood up and sworn
by the hawk as the farmers friend ana
defended it as the persistent wiper
out of the real enemies of their chick
ems instead of the lugger-off of the
chickens themselves? This is tough!
said.
But the hawk came right on, and
the next instant was away again, tax
ing trap, chicken and all. Then l got
mad. I wouldn't have had Amanda
hear what 1 said for a few seconds, not
for words. And l swore vengeance
against hawks from that time forward
would buy ball and powder and the
low for hawks thenceforth. And at
breakfast l said:
Amanda, you were right. 1t IS
hawks. And they are going to be put
a stop tor
AN hour later l was busy about the
farm, and / saw hawk soaring tndt
way, from the wood lot, and drawing
rapidly nearer. / gritted my teeth anu
hurried in the house to get my gun.
Then ] hurried out again and lay low
behind the fence. The hawk CAM
straight toward the poultry yard, ana
so swift was his intent that he haq
swooped down on the yard before
hardly knew what was going on.
All! said l. Another marauoer
to make me out but an idle theorlst,
and humble me before my family ana
neighbors l will put ball in HIM
"And 1 did. AS the hawk rose from
the yard, to my surprise without
chicken in it's claws, | fired. lho
hawk fell back dead. / walked over
to the yard. Imagine my surprise
ind in the center OF an excited 5lC"F
of chickens the very chicken Whlch
had used as decoy at the trap hdg
set for weasels, and which l nau
seen a hawk carry away an hour Dc
fore.
This was a puzzler, and / sat down
to try and figure it out when one y.
my boys came and said he would I'M
to have the big hawk to mount
dressed the bird myself, and give yoa
my word that at first was more tlan
a little surprised when l found M
side of that hawk a weasel that hao
not been there a great while. 1ue
the whole thing became plain 10 NV
and 1 was pleased, tell you. 49,.
"Why? Because 1 more than es ,,
knew that hawks wore the tarilel
friends. That hawk had seen the
sci just as 1t got into my trap an
not knowing anything about the tiaS
being there, but only intent on getuns
that weasel and saving the chlcN ~
had bounced down and snatchea "a
weasel. OF course, trap, chicken an
all had to go along. The hawk Us ',s
the whole business home. MAJ IN
breakfast on the weasel ana .it t,h
brought the chicken back Vie
scarcely q feather on II rufhea-oiy
TO fall a victim to my regrettaple
lamentable lapse from theory
condition that confronted me. .,5s
"The hawk the farmers IrioN4
Wen. that ought to prove IL