The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-16
MANS WARFARE ON ANIMALS.
Despite Heavy Penalties Attached
Poaching Is Prncticcd.

This article recalls the case OF the
two sons of the American millionaire
who as Lord Lovat's tenant at Beau
fort, Scotland, found themselves in
the High Court at Edinburgh charged
with shooting what they considered
poachers, and every now and again
one reads of a "murderous" aifray
between gamekeepers and poachers.
The commonest form of poaching is
for rabbits. The plan on farm Is to
drive the rabbits around the edge of
a field and catch them In a net at
particular outlets. Poachers also eX-
tend their operations to deer in pri-
vate parks, a common method being
to scale a tree, wait until they APP
pear beneath its branches. and then
drop a heavy bar on the head of one
of them. Deer poaching is risky, as
1t is difficult to carry off the carcass
without detection, says the London
Sphere.
But only fraction of the cases of
poaching ever come to light. The
present writer was recently informed
by small squire I'm Bucks that he
never dreams of bringing a poacher
into court. When he finds one on his
grounds he invites him into the pub
lie road and administers a sound
thrashing.
The fine close fur of the mole has
only recently become appreciated by
the fashionable world, and the little
skins which formerly were wasted
are now a valuable article of com
merce. The color of the mole (Which
varies in length from 4 II inches to 6
inches from tip to tip) is velvety
gray in all its shades and with points
of white. A coat made out of these
costs $500 or more.
An old time trapper who has been
at his work over thirty years, says
his average catch is 100 a week, rep
resenting the astonishing total Of
over 100000 moies. His mode of
catching is simple - apparently
When a mole has thrown up many
earth mounds the mole catcher
carefully examines the "lie" of them,
and his praCticed eye soon spots
where the main gallery will be: this
Is always some FIVE inches below the
surface and may safely be supposed
to be running down to a stream II
any be near.
With sharp spade he slices down
into this, disturbing the mould as lit
tie as possible, and only removing
enough OF it to make room for the
trap-a cylinder-whiCh is placed in
the gallery SO as to act as a continu-
alton of it. He then throws a little
soil over 1t and fills above with the
earth as before so as to allow no ray
of light. A mole running down the
gallery passes through the cylinder,
and its nose touches the concealed
circular spring in the middle, which
closes, catching the victim round the
neck or middle and killing at once.
1t is imperative that nothing but a
smell Of earth should be apparent
about the trap, otherwise the mole
would not approach, its sense of
smell being most acute, so the mole
catcher never handles coffee tobac-
co or even soap for many hours be-
fore setting the traps for the little
creature on which the farmer car
ries on such a ceaseless warfare.
This particular trapper has more
orders for skins than he can possibly
supply. He is especially interested
in one old customer, who found out
the value of mole fur long before it
became a fashion. He takes 500
skins every winter.-New York
American.