The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-05-03
ENGLISH LORDS BUY
1000 PRAIRIE DOGS
a New Industry Springs Up
Through Sporting ProcIivi.
ties of Britishers.
TAKE A OF HAREsI
AobIemen Said to Have Signed COM
tract to Pay So Each at Point Of
Shipment-Misled as to
Character Of Bea SITS.

Huron. S. D.. April 27.-Securing a
contract from English lords, holding
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
LAM situate four miles north of Hu1
ron and has taken 1t from the market!
The land is overrun with prairie dogsJ
which have made 1t wholly unfit for
farming or grazing purposes, and has
always been considered practically vail
ueless,
The prairie dogs are very prolific and
multiply rapidly, and for his reason
the county authorities have done everyi
thing possible to exterminate them, OF,
aering bounties for their capture or deI
struction. The colony of the little pesta
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 vainl
IN the attempt to rid the county of theI
little beasts. and the prospect of their
expectation will therefore be hailedl
with delight by the farmers of the vi-|
cinity. How the dogs will be capturedl
TOT shipment is as yet a problem, butt
$500 WIN DG ACCOMPLISHED Uyl
means of a net. for when one becomesk
e%ntangled it's loyal brothers rush to itsi
assistance and become themselvesl
caught in the meshes.
Though the land which the prairiel
dogs v taken possession Of is prac-I
a real estate dealer of this city, wished
TO list it for sale. and to that end
wrote the owner, receiving the follow
Ing letter today in reply: |
Will say that my land north of HUI
ron Is not for sale. l nave never seem
iarge city of the prairie deg familyiinl
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 the exterminated hares andi
RABBITS for sporting purposes. I will be
out there June / and will SEND the first
consignment of dogs to Queenstown BY
canada Royal steam vessel Majestic. /
n dogs bring IS 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
plains. The ordinary prairie dog is
ABOUT as large as an overgrown rat, |
ana as they live in towns where the I
holes are as thick as in a 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. |
Ut 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 entirely 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, and If st. Patrick were alive today |
he would have his work TO do all over
again.
Receiving SO each for 1000 prairie
dogs, Mrs. Madden will realize Sc, 1000 on |
this years "crop"-a profitable yield
considering the b~arrenness of this par-|
ticular piece of land.