The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-28
Citizens Of
The Forest.



A forest is sometimes described as
a collection Of trees. and the deserip-
ton is about as enIightening as the
statement that city is collection Of
buildings. Like the city. the forest
Eas a vast population, without which
l. would be as interesting as city
without its citizens. We admire
beautiful trees as We admire beauti-
ful buildings, for themselves, but
more interesting 10 some Of US at
least are the lives aud works of the
creatures which inhabit the buildings
and the trees respectively. When
enter 2 forest in winter or summer, /
am always aware that I am not alone.
though the air be so stil that enc
might hear the growing Of the trees.
know that I am watched by many
eyes, and that at every football
scores of ears are on the alert. /
know that / am causing many a light
sleeping creature to start up in his
bed and from close observation I am
led to believe, too, that in the woods
visit most frequently some Of the
wild things turn over for another nap,
with the more or less district impress
sion that ''its only the fellow with
the SLOUGH hat and khaki breeches.
and there's no use staying awake for
him
If you so into the woods in the early
spring, you may at first be under the
impression that there is little life
about you. But sit down awhile. and
wait in some spot, where your figure
VIII not be too conspicuous, and you
viii probably see some Of the crea-
lures whose work you temporarily in
terrupted. First of all. perhaps, You
viii hear a faint, crisp drumming
sOund-the sound made by @ wood
mouse, when ne drums with enc fore
foot on a dry leaf, and after short
interval, you VIII probably hear the
answering "b-r-r-r-T-r'' Of another
mouse. Then, il you are quiet, you
viii see the dainty form Of the crea-
ture itself, with its tawny upper parts
white belly and feet, its large black
eyes. its well-sheped, translucent ears,
its trembling whiskers and its long.
silky tail, the latter held carefully OF
the ground in a graceful curve. out
from the shadow Of bunch Of with
cred leaves he skips, leaps lightly
over the ground 10 a wild cherry tree,
where he searches for and eventually
finds a cherry stone. a simple mat
ter, this hunting for and finding of a
meal; and yet TO the mouse it was
bCsiness-Tery important business,
since it must be attended to faithful
" every day If he would avoid hun-
ger or even starvation.
Next, perhaps you viii be aware
that a red squared is peering out at
YOU from a kpot-hole in an old oak
tree. Keep still, and, when he goes
out 10 dine, perhaps he viii betray the
whereabouts of some store of nuts
gathered e And these If
tie boards. how many busy days they
represent-days at the end of which
even his wiry legs must have ached-
] sometimes wonder If, at the end Of
autumn, the squirrels and other crea-
lures which have been laying up food
for the winter, feel any satisfaction,
akin 10 that which is felt by farmers
when their crops are all garnered.
And I wonder If, when the stores of
a red squirrel are discovered and
eaten up by q pig, the owner does not
have a feeling somewhat similar TO
that experienced by a thrifty man
whose savings are stolen by q burglar.
And. as you sit there in silence, you
may hear the sudden "thump' of "a
rabbit who, hopping quietly through
the underground, has discovered
your. presence It is not unlikely that
he was travelling on business Of some
kind, important to himself at least,
And what meant the "thump" he gave
by bringing his long hind feet sharp
y TO the ground? Was it, as many
claim, a warning given to his fellows,
or was it possibly the expression Of
his personal disapprOval of something
which interfered temporarily with the
work he had in hand?
And perhaps close TO YOU on the
ground. q pellet OF matted fur may
betray the presence OF some large owl;
probably the barred owl, which lives
in hollow high up in the very tree
against which you lean. He, too, has
much business I'm the wood, and his
business is with the mice, the squirrels,
The rabbits and the grouse-With any
living creature which he can kill He
IS an actor of many roles, this great
owl with the big round head and the
dark brown, half human eyes. Now he
is the midnight hunter. coursing the
startled rabbit through the forest
gladeS. Now ne is q pOacher, killing
grouse within the boundaries Of some
game preserve; and next night behold
him as the farmers ally, exterminat-
ing rats and mice and mOles. At one
hour be Is q murderer, staying perhaps
q mother squirrel, whose babies VIII
slowly starve to death in their nest;
at the next ne is an angel of mercy,
ending as with lightning the sufferings
which otherwise mikht finger in agony
for days.
Yes. there is always important busi-
ness going forward in the forest, and
the better il is understood the more
important it seems. There. are beavers
telling trees. making dams. flooding
acres Of land and building houses SUI
Derior TO those Of certain tribes OF men.
There are pOrcupiues stripping and
killing a hundred trees apiece per an
mum. woOdchucks and chipmunks ex-
csvating long, winding subterranean
tunnels. muskrats diving for musseis
and the roots of water plants, and
mink and offers fishing in the streams
and ponds. All the year round. and
at all hours of the day and night,
there are citizens Of the forest city ply
ing their trades, earning their bread, -
and Going their parts toward the carry
ing out OF "the beautiful PLAN
Deafness Cannot be Cured
By local applications as they cannot
s.ana4 ne Eflfla cod f4orffnst fef tho s-ss.