The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-04
QUEEN HELPS TWO MAINE
BOYS EARN SOME MONEY
Boom in Moleskins Since Her
Majesty Set the Style of
Wearing Frock.
ALEXANDRA'S NEW FAD

EAST HAMPDEN, Me. March 3.-James
Cary and Thomas Clark, two schoolboys
who wanted to earn money in their spare
time mornings and evenings, have collected
a snug savings bank account since Novem-
Der by catching moles and selling their
skins to a fur buyer in St. Louis
Until less than a year ago the pelts of
moles were not listed by any fur buyer in
America, and If the skins were mentioned,
which was seldom, they were classed with
the pelts of the domestic cat, the rabbit and
the woodchuck as having no commercial
value
The sudden advance of moleskins to pop
ular favor was due TO the fact that Queen
Alexandra OF England has discarded her
wraps Of American seals and OF Siberian
sables and has taken to wearing cloak
made from the skins of more than 200 moles
captured on the Kings farm at Sandring-
ham, thus setting an example OF patron
Immediately after the Queen put on her
new cloak and wore IL In public the price
of American moleskins went up from moth
ing TO 10 and 10 cents for every thick-furred
skin which could be found.
The ground was frozen when the circulars
telling about the new fur arrived in Maine,
but the boys were not discouraged. They
knew IL was as impossible to catch mOles
under frozen ground as il was to dig clans
at high tide, but IL they. could not seek
the rext best thing, which was to lure the
moles out and trap them above the frost.
Among the treasures owned by the two
bows was a kiln shed of an abandoned
backward, under which in the rich loan
they were rearing millions OF angleworms,
intending 10 sell them for bait 40 the fish
ermen when the law was of on trout The
bows knew that moles obtained most of
their living by bUrTowing below the earth
and feeding on earthworms. and arguing
from cause TO effect. they concluded that If
the moles knew where the angleworm pre-
serve was the animals would visit the
place to satisfy their hunger.
During the time when the ground was
bare I'm December the boys carried many
earthworms 10 the meadows where the
open holes. Later, when the animals had
learned 10 come up after dark for their
daily feed. the boys dropped lines of worms
along the fields, making trail which led
20 the shed in the old brickyard.
In a few days the angleworm pits were
filed with greedy moles seeking TO eat up
the bait which was intended for the Usher
men. The worms werc- transferred 70
barrels and boxes. and traps Were set about
the shed in every place where the worms
had been.
Though moles are nearly blind and have
no sense OF hearing, they can smell an
angleWOrm far away. BY filling the sheds
with self-setting traps which were baited
with earthwOrms the boys caught more
than 1000 mOles inside OF q week.
Since the snow has fallen fewer of the
animals find their way TO the traps, though
a dozen or SO are caught every night AS
fast as the boys skin the mOles the bodies
are thrown into the boxes and barrels of
earth where the earthworms are fattening
for the fishermen. so that the moles which
grew big and fat from feeding on earth
worms are finally turned over 10 be de-
voured by their victims.