Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-20
THE P0RcUPINE:
Is a Very Useful Animal
When Tanned.
This Hedgehog Collected Apples
for CidermiIl.
4 Thrilling Story Told a Journal Man,
Saturday.


the doctrines eXpounded by Fred
Campbell, father Of the hedgehog Doun-
" act.
The story was whispered to the Jour
ildl representative during the silence
of Saturday afternoon, by a man
prominent in the States affairs. who
IS ever ready to put in Il word in favor
OF III" much @nuSed pine. The gentle
man i'll question is rather corpulent
and. strange to SAY. prefers walking TO
riding. invariably using the stairs in
ascending to the upper halls instead
of taking the elevator. In this instance
he had paused for a moment at the
first landing Of the long flight Of mar
Bile steps leading from the rotunda to
the lobby on the third floor.
Il tell you." said he. striking match
Oh the Oil portrait of Father Washing
ton. ''porcupines are not as bad as
they're painted" He proceeded to re-
light a ,iinSy looking corncob that had
gone out, and continued earnestly:
They have q great many good
points, To this assertion the reporter
iclt obliged to acquiesce. And then
between putfs:
Il know" said he. that much has
been written concerning their abnormal
appetites and their alleged depreda-
tons in our wild lands. | was also
prese 1t at The show before the legal IF.
fairs committee last month i'll which
F'rad Campbell and his stuffed poccu-
pine Mere the chief actors but take
no stock ir such hoSh. Understand me.
| Judge from personal observations
only"
The reporter with a scent for news
bred at country pumpkin shows,
trimmed his ears TO attention. The
speaker pulled vigorously at the corn
cob for fully three minutes-spat at a
cuspidor across the landing and con-
tinued:
Il happened to be in the vicinity of
Olemon stream, PcnubScot county, one
fall. on hunting trip. | had a friend
with me from Boston who had never
been in the woods before. and we were
particularly anxious to bag some game
but luck seemed to BE- against us.
We started out from camp one
morning, taking Il circl,itous route ana
intending 10 return during the latter
part of the afternoon. But after din
ner we seemed to have lost our bear
inss. for instead of stifkfng the river
and following it up to our camp as we
had intended. we found ourselves in a
part of the section new to me. | have
hunted several times in that vicinity,
but never before had lost my bear
inES.
coming suddenly over u ridge which
seemed somewhat open we Spied a por-
cupine i'll a tree a little ahead of u.s.
started to shoot hut my friend
stopped me. He was struck with the
peculiar movements of the animal.
which we watched.
1T was standing well out on the limb
of an apple tree. its hind feet and claws
clinging firmly to limb while its fore
paws CRASHED a limb higher W and
consequently smaller. In IL second it
daWned upon us what the animal was
up To. 1t was in an apple tree and by
jumping up and down on the limb
shook the fruit to the ground.
soon the porcupine scrambled to
the ground and rolled all the apples
that had fallen. into a pile, exactly be-
meath the limb where ii was standing
when we first saw it. Our curiosity
was aroused and we watched eagerly.
Back il went to the limb and shook it
vigorously. then climbed down and pro-
ceede1 as before to gather the apple g
into a pile. This operation was con-
tinued until there was a good sized pile
of apples Under the limb.
We'll sir. would YOU believe it: that
pine suddenly eripped the limb on
which it vas standing. with all tours.
ana suddenly Whirled over and hung
to the branch with its sharp claws. In
topiy-turvy attitude. Then immcdi-
ately it extended it's qulls-the way it
does when attacked-until its back pre-
scented the appearance Of Il thousand
minute baEonet points. Then dropped
back first-fairly into the center of
that heap of apples.
Here the speaker paused a minute
for breath. while the reporter waited
III breathlesS suspense for the rest.
After seemingly hours had elapsed he
continued:
We'll, sir. when that porcupine got
up there was an apple impaled on ev-
cry quill-muSt nave been thousands
Ct them. And it could just barely nav
iGatc with its big harvest. We fol-
lowed along as closely as We dared
he WIS big porcuLinc. too: must have
weighed almost 81 poundS-'most a
quarter of a mile until We came sud-
denly to a small. oue-Story house. with
a building almost as lHrg" as the domi-
Gle itself. directly behind it.
I'VE followed the ANIMAL into the
doorway, when a man approached us.
lot seeming TO notice the po-cupine.
which disappeared around the corner
of the house.
ITO make long story short. the man
owned cider mill and being of an en-
terprising nature had taken advantage
Of his environments to increase his
livelihood. He had caught and trained
number of porcupines, which were
numerous in that vicinity. to gather hie
crop of apples for him. II vas reve-
lation--"
But the reporter suddenly remem-
bered that there was list Of new cor
POI atoms down in the secretary OF
States Office iha; must be copied. ana
could wait to hear no more.