Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-05-03
ENGLISH LORDS BUY
1000 PRAIRIE DOGS
A New Industry Springs VI
Through Sporting Proclivi-
ties of Britishers.
TAKE PLACE OF HARES
Noblemen Said to Have Signed Conc
tract to Pay So Each at Point of
Shipment-Misied as to
Character of Bea SITS.

Huron, S. D., April 27.-Securing a
contract from English lords, holdlng
estates in Ireland, for 1000 prairie dogs
to take the place of the exterminated
rabbits and hares for sporting purposes,
Mrs. Nellie Madden OF Waukon. Wis.
refuses to place any valuation upon her
land situated four miles north of HUI
ron, and has taken IL from the market.
The land is overrun with prairie dogs,
which have made 1t wholly unfit for
farming or grazing purposes, and has
always been considered practically val
ueless,
The prairie dogs are very prolific and
multiply rapidly, and for this reason
the county authorities have done every
thing possible to exterminate them, of
fering bounties for their capture or de-.
struCtion. The colony of the little pests
is the only one in the Jim river valley
and one of the few east of the Mis-
souri, river, and the little animals are
considered a worse plague than that of
the Russian thistles of a few years
ago.
May BE Caught in Nets.
Much money has been spent in vain
in the attempt to rid the county of the
little beasts, n the prospect OF their
expectation will therefore be hailed
with delight by the farmers Of the vi
cinity. How the dogs will be captured
for shipment is as yet a problem, but
this viii doubtless be accomplished by
means of a net. for when one becomes
~entangled it's loyal brothers rush to it's
assistance and become themselves
caught in the meshes.
Though the land which the prairie
dogs have taken possession of is prac-
tically worthless, still G.. G. Issenhuth,
q real estate dealer of this city, wished
TO list it for sale, n to that end
wrote the owner, receiving the follow
ing letter today in reply:
VIII say that my land north of HUI
ron is not for sale. i have never seen
this land, but understand there is a
large city Of the prairie dog family in
possession.
So Per, r. O. B. Cars at Huron.
Il have a contract TO furnish parties
In Ireland with 1000 dogs to take the
place of h eXterminated hares and
rabbits for sporting purposes. / will be
out there June / and will send the first
consignment of dogs to Queenstown by
Canada Royal steam vessel Majestic.
The dogs bring SO each at the depot in
Huron
Evidently the foreigners are expect
ing a certain species of dog about the
size of an ordinary canine, and as the
prairie" naturally implies wild they
are anticipating rare sport in running
down these willy natives Of the western
pains. The ordinary prairie dog is
about as large as an overgroWn rat,
ana as they live in towns where the
holes are as thick as in q cribbage
board and all connected by under
ground passages, the dogs seldom get
more than six or eight feet from shell
ter. They are saucy, but very timid.
1t is hard to shoot them. as they sit
directly over the mouth of the hole
and when wounded will drop back into
1T: or failing to fall entirety out Of sight
the other dogs will drag the ~unfortu-
nate one TO safety. There is simply no
sport in shooting them, and they are
without doubt the worst pest that has
ever infested this section of the coun-
try, n if st. Patrick were alive today
he would have his work 10 do all over
again.
Receiving So. each for 1000 prairie
dogs, Mrs. Madden will realize Sc 900 on
this years "crop'-a profitable yield
considering the b~arrenness of this par
ticular piece of land.