The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-04-12
.IAR On PORCUP|NES
ANIMAL3 n aENAcE TO PENNSYL-
WANNA FORESTS.
60 Trouhic1oIre That Reward Is Put
en- Their Ieads-Sp Isndd Wood
ed Atca Little Known Elk
ccpt TO Natives.

Laportc, Pa.-The war of Kitchens
creek is en- 1t Is a war Of eXtermina-
ton, or attempted determination. of
The porcurine tribe of that locality,
in the hope Of saving TO future genera
lions the virgin hemlock trees that so
10 make thiB famous retreat the pic
turesque place that it is. The care
taker, who is on duty for the owner,
CC! Ricketts,, is offering one dollar
for every rorcupine killed on the pre-
serve.
Colonies of porcupines have this
Winter virtually killed some of the big
kelnlocks, and MS these are the very
pride OF their owner and the delight
of tho tourist who explores the Kitch
ems creek gorge the loss of the giants
of the fore st is a very serious one
Tho mischief Of the porcupines con-
sisls in c1awing the bark from the
limbs in search of ants and other in
scots, resulting in the trees rapid de-
cline and often in its death
The hcmock forest which covers
tEe Kitchens Greek preserve is the
only VIRGIN tree growth yet standing
In Sullivan or Luzernc counties, and it
affords TIE student Of present day tim
Der conservation a fine lesson in what
the hemlock growth was when the
woodlands ak began the slaughter
Ard because it is the only consider
abe thick timber belt still standing ii
serves to attract innumerable num-
bcrs Of tie denizens of the forest to
itg shelter. The Kitchens Creek pre-
srrye runs FROM near Fairmouat
SHINES II Luzerno county to Long
Pond, or Canoga lake. in this county,
distance Of eight miles, and for the
most Of tho way II Is through a roc6
r3H1o2 gorge. surprising in pctur-
csau0 grandeur the famed Watkins
Gls n In New York state, containing no
lcs3 than half dozen cascades, some
OF which are CO feet high, and one de-
clarod TO .be as gorge0usly beautiful
as tho storicd Minnehaha. Compare
tiy, ly few Ponnsylvanians know Of
thc existence of this retreat, for the
reason that Il is accessible only by
team or afoot, either down the gorge
from the Ricketts, end. from the edge
OF Long Pond or by way of the mouth.
Ave miles below, where the old turn
pike from Benton to Towanda crosses
over the edge of one of the waterfalls.
It requires a full day to explore the
two branches of the creek, to aid in
which the carotakcr has spent years
and years in building log bridges, rock
steps and digging passages out of the
hanks to permit one to crawl around
the edge of the noisy cataracts.
So absolutely alone and primitive
arc the conditions that obtain there
that the preserve is regular paradise
for black bears. beers are frequently
seen along the creek, and the nights
are often made dismal by the yowl OF
the catamount and wildcat. 1t is to
preserve this very wilderness against
tho rayages Of time or natural enemy
that the war on the porcupines has
been begun Once before, about ten
wears ago, a like crusade against the
tree enemy, "porkie," had to be prose
cuted, at which time nearly 200 of the
animals were shot or trapped.
It is only on dark, rainy days that
a chance TO shoot them is to be had,
as at other times they keep securely
hidden. They are night providers and
quite susceptible to the tempting NOR
sci of a wellbaited trap, so that for
the most part they must be taken in
this way They usually dwell in col
onios and seem not to be either
frightened or discouraged because
their brother or sister, or father or
mother set caught when colony is
located the whole gang can be taken
In night or two-or In a single
night, for that matter, If one has traps
enough One trapper in the former
war against the pestiferous 'porkie"
caught IS in a single night but as the
,rize then was only so cents n head
he didn't make the haul that the pres
crt rate OF one dollar apiece offers.
4 single ccl3ny of porcupines is
known to have ruined a hemlock tree
n a single night, and If they were per
miitod 10 flourish unchecked they
would ultimately accomplish q forests
ruin as effectively as a forest fire.