Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-06
BARNES ON
THE TRAIL Of THE
P0RCUP|NE
Animal is of a Retiring
Disposition Says Well Known
Forest Service Man Doing
Lots Of Damage.

Especial CarresponSrncs 10 Morning yonrnaIi
Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. i.-Will G.
Barnes has been studying the porcu
pine. Mr.. Barnes. who is a grazing
chief OF the forest service, is a gentle
man of observing habits and in his
present capacity he has seen many
things, some OF which he refuses to
tell about on the ground that he may
be charged with natur taking.
But MIR, Barnes has admitted that
ne is pretty wen acquainted with the
.porcupine. whom he finds of q retir-
ing, bashful disposition, but who takes
advantage of his solitary existence to
do considerable damage to Uncle
Sans trees. Mr.. Barnes exhibited a
number of fine quili pens made from
the quills Of this interesting little ami
NAL. Regarding the report that the
%porcupine shoots his quills. as alleged,
Mr.. Barnes is understood TO state that
he has often seen the animal shoot
its quilts with marvellous accuracy for
ms much as three hundred feet. skill
fully impaling flying birds. which he
then devours.
Regarding a recent article as 70 the
dcstructiveness OF the animal in the
Alaskan forests, Mr.. Barnes SAYS the
facts related as to the destrictiveness
of the porcupine were correct, only
that they aid not go faf enough The
little animal is doing a great deal
more damage than the article indi-
Gated ana in a great many places be-
side Alaska. Right here in Arizona.
Tor instance. an In The Tonic country,
acres and acres Of young trees are in
jured or killed annually ny porcu-
pines.
But the intimation that the forest
service is not alive TO the facts is en-
tirely wrong. said Mr. Barnes. On the
contrary a great deal OF attention is
being paid To the porcupinc pest and
the handling of il, IN this part OF the
country at least. is one of the duties of
MIR. Barnes official position He SAYS
that the forest rangers are instructed
ut all times to destroy the peskx por-
Icupines wherever they can he found
and they are provided with poison,
traps and ammunition for II a very
purpose. Ii is to he as far as posi-
BILE "a war 90 eradication, and the rang
crs are to leave no stone unturned 10
kin the varmints. They either circle
or strip the bark from Young trees II
an extent that is IN some places quite
alarming
Half the residents of Arizona prob
hiy noNer saw "a %porcupine or at most
only "a very few OF them. and there
are doubtless many citizens who would
be- surprised 70 learn that the animal
& found IN his country at all Nor
IRE there MANY o. them in this part
of it. though In years past ore has
been occasionally brought to Phoenix
such incidents. however are So rare
that o. %porcupine on exhibition in a
Phoenix window would he "a real at
Traction.
The %porcupine. SAYS Mr. Barnes :
90 very retiring sort Of an animal lie
seems to know that he is not wanted
In The best society and takes all uls-
sible precautions To Keep out OF a..
Moreover. his destructive tastes are
such thai he wants lo be let alone in
his work. for he seems To know that
FAULT Viii he found with IT, Ever in
the forests country the animal is often
hard to locate until the evidence nf his
whereabouts is seen on the harked
trees in the vicinity. but wherever a
colony Of them is located it is IN first
duty of the forest ranger TO eNtarmin~
ate il by whatever method he deems
most effective.