The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-08
COLONEL ROOSEVELT DIDN'T
MAKE VERY GOOD CHOICE

was not any too wise in adopting the
bull moose as his emblem:
When Colonel Roosevelt exclaimed
in Chicago that he felt like a bull
moose, he probably had little idea that
he was adding a new animal to the
political menagerie and giving the
cartoonists and photographers the
chance Of their lives. But if he didn't.
he has found it out since. And along
with it, we have all discovered how
little we know about this denizen of
the wildwood, whose feelings are
seemingly so similar TO those Of
great statesman about to go on the
rampage The editor of the New York
Independent, unable to restrain his
curiosity about the bull moose's traits
appealed to Rev. William J. Long who
was denounced by the colonel some
time back as a nature faker," and Mr.
Long has responded feelingly. He
writes what we fear is a rather satir-
ical article, prefaced with letter to
the editor. in which he disclaims any
expert knowledge of the subject, say
ing that he has met only three or four
hundred moose in their native haunts.
He congratulates himself, however, on
having found in secondhand shop
an old volume written by ct. Roose-
welt, who, you remember, once had
considerable local reputation = as
naturalist, especially among federal
office olders whose positions were not
secured by civil service regulations"
And he goes on:
find upon examination that the es-
teemed author actually killed two bull
moose that were not looking and chas-
ed three more that would not wait to
be shot He was also intimate with
Hank Griffin, who once saw a moose
somewhere out West. He speaks,
therefore. with authority.
That Mr.. Long has a poor opinion of
the bull moose is made very, very plain
in the following paragraphs from his
article:
The bull moose lives the public
domain and is a very wasteful feeder.
AS +. Roosevelt we'll says, mo beast is
more destructive to the young growths
of a forest" When his great paunch is
full to bursting of the delicacieS he
has gathered from the common supply,
he wanders toward his day-bed, strip
ping the bark from tender young
trees, especially of the rarer and more
beautiful kind, like the mountain ash
and the striped maple. His method is
to strike his strong front feet into the
bark and tear off a great strip by lift
ing his head. He chews a bit of this,
only to throw it aside and strip an
other tree further In trailing
bull moose one can often follow his
course far ahead by the unsightly
gashes "peelngs' which he leaves
behind him. Another destructive meth
Cd of feeding is by riding down young
trees whose tops are above his reach
ct
down by his great weight. holding it
under his belly while he eats all the
buds and tender twigs. tree thus
moose ridden rarely RECEIVERS 1t re-
mains bent or broken, like a discarded
boss; it can not breathe without its
leaves; it dies and the winter SHOWS
cover it from sight.
Another noticeable characteristic of
the bull moose is his inordinate and
Interchangeable selfishness. Whether
roaming the woods in solitude, or tear
ing up the earth, or coming headlong
to the call, he is thinking, first, last,
and all the time of the safety of his
own skin and the fulness of his own
stomach. l can take off my hat to a
COW moose, having frequently seen her
sacrifice herself to save her offspring
or to protect the herd in the winter
yard; but L never yet saw a bull moose
do anything for anybody but himself
He is the incarnation of self-interest
A COW, or even a calf moose, if she
sees danger approaching, will warn
the others before she takes the first
step for her own safety; but a bull
moose will sneak away silently at the
first sniff of peril, leaving all others
to look out for themselves. And that,
by the way, is the real reason why a
female animal Is invariably found at
the head of a band of moose or deer of
any kind. If they are approaching
danger, you will invariably find the
cows ahead, the calves close behind,
while far in the rear comes the bull,
taking care not to expose his precious
hide, and running from a safe dis
lance at the first warning of danger.
This characteristic of the noble totem,
however, need not be emphasized-un-
less, perchance. the new party goes
over bodily to the suffragettes.
Further indications of the bulls es-
sential selfishness are found in his fire.
quent abuse and browbeating of all
other moose that are smaller than him
self He can not tolerate a rival, but
flies into a jealous rage at the first
suggestion that there is any other
bull moose in the universe. His voice
at such times is a squeaking grunt,
ridiculously small for so great an ami
NAL, which sounds like ungwuh.
ungwuh! Herein we have a suggestion
of those ferocious warriors described
in Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac
who always began a speech by shout
ing "Ongewehonwe" which, in the
tongue of that tribe. means, II am the
only man; all others are squaws or
liars"
At all times the bull moose is easily
fascinated by too bright a light. Oc-
casional1y, when | am studying the
animals at night. with a jack in the
DOW OF my canoe, l run across his lord
ship filling himself with lush lily
roots. Most animals will stare at the
jack Tor time, and then turn away
into the woods. Enough limeIight is
as. good as a feast for a sensible crea-
ture Now and then, however | meet
bull moose that stares too long at
the light, much as a politician might
look too much upon glory, and he ends
by noundering headlong toward the
thing that dazzles him. At such times
he is dangerous. In his blind infat-
uation he sees nothing but the bright
object of his desire. and he clumsily
knocks down everything in his path as
he jumps toward it. Once L was upset
in this way by fool moose that
tumbled over my canoe and that
houndered madly when the jack was
extinguished, hitting out aimlessIy
with hoofs and antlers. The only sure
cure for such a bull is darkness. obliv-