The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-07-06
TUNE SoOTHED MAD BUCK
Jersey Fiddler's Story Of Time
When Deer Overran the
Country.

Deer. are bothering the farmers in
the southern part of New Jersey. For
eight years they have been protected,
and increased to such an extent that
down in the pines" they have be-
come nuisance.
An attempt is to be made at this
session Of the legislature by the gun
clubs to have the law so changed that
deer may be shot, but there is strong
sentiment among the humane socie-
ties against the plan. and there is lit
tie likelihood that the law will be re-
pealed.
The present-day deer is not the wild
creature of half century ago. 1t is
inclined to be friendly with everything
that walks and talks, and in the fall
and spring jumps over fences and
helps itself to the farmers crops. The
farmer is not able to build fences
high enough to keep the deer from
jumping and is forbidden by law to
kill the animals. Charles Griswold,
of Salem township, complains that one
morning he went out to milk and saw
a big buck in his cornf1eld eating the
hay out of the body Of make-believe
he had erected the day before to scare
the deer off.
Edna Griffith, the ten-year-old
daughter of William Grinith, farmer
In the southern part of Cumberland
county, few months ago went into
a pine grove a short distance from
her home looking for blackberries.
She was startled by the sudden ap.
pearance of buck deer. She could
neither run nor scream, and. nearly
tainted when the deer walked up and
rubbed it's nose against her shoulder.
Reassured, the girl plucked a hand
full of leaves and the deer ate out OF
her hand, then followed her to the
door of her home, where 1t was fed
with fresh turnip tops.
Next day the buck reappeared, 40
companied by another buck and two
does. The girl fed them, and the deer
kept coming. Two weeks ago she was
on her way to school a mile from her
home, when burly negro jumped out
of the bushes and grabbed her. The
girl screamed and struggled, but the
negro would have succeeded in drag.
ging her away into the woods had not
the two bucks, followed by the does.
come galloping down the road. The
bucks charged the negro, and one gave
him a jab with its antlers that sent
him sprawling in the road. The ne
gro escaped a second onslaught by
jumping over fence. Edna hurried
to the schoolhouse and gave the alarm.
Farmers beat the bushes for two days
in the neighborhood, but failed to find
the negro.
Elwood Comstock, who enjoys To-
cal notoriety for his ability to play
dancing tunes in the vicinity Of Bap-
tisttown, Hunterdon county, had an
encounter with a husky buck few
nights ago. He had been over to
Birch Hollow to play for party.
His path led through dense growth
of scrub oaks, and at turn Com
stock came upon buck taking a nap.
Comstock had seen deer before, but
never one with temper like that dis
played by this animal. His first i'm
pulse was to run, but he realized
quickly the hopelessness Of such .
chase and stood his ground.
The animal had evidently made up
its mind not to let the man pass.
Comstock talked in notifying tone,
but that didn't change the situation.
It suddenly flashed on Comstock to try
music. The deer raised its head and
gazed with wonderment. The ''Vir-
ginia Reel" and Fishers Hornpipe,"
money Musk" and several other IA
miliar dancing tunes seemed to please.
Then Comstock played Home, Sweet
Home" The deer stood transfxed.
and the fiddler backed away.
When Comstock reached a point
where he could dive into the thick un-
derbrush he did so, leaving his fiddle
box behind him. He got home safely
and the next day found his fiddle box
where he had left it.