Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-08-23
Satiricai Story of the Habitat OF
the Animal Dragged From
0bscurity by "Me Too" and
Made the Emblem OF Progress
ives.

ives.
When Colonel Roosevelt exclaim-
ed in Chicago that he felt like a
bull moose, he probably had little
idea that he was adding new an
iInal to the political menagerie and
giving the cartoonists and para
graphers the chance of their lives.
But if he didn't he has found ii out
since. And along with it, we have
all discovered how little we know
about this denizen of the wildwood,
whose feelings are so similar to
those of a great statesman about to
60 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 denounc-
ed by the Colonel some time back
as a Mature faker," and Mr.. Long
has responded feelingIy. He writes
what we fear is a rather satirical
article, prefaced with a letter to
the editor in which he disclaims
any expert knowledge of the sub
ject, saying that he has met only
three or four hundred moose IN
their native haunts. He cOngratu-
lates himself however, on having
found in a secondhand shop an
old volume written by IT ROose-
welt, who, you remember, once had
considerable local reputation as a
naturlist, especially among Federal
office holders whose positions were
not secured by civil service reg
ulations," And he goes on:
II find upon examination that thel
esteemed author actually killed two
bull moose that were not looking
and chased 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 poor opin-
ion of the bull moose is made very, |
very plain III the following para
graphs from his article
The bull moose lives on the pub
lie domain and is a very wasteful |
feeder. As T. Roosevelt we'll says,
no beast is more destructive to
the forest" When his great
paunch is full to bursting of the
delicaces he has gathered from the
common supply, he wanders to-
ward his daybed, stripping the bark
from the tender young trees. especi-
ally of the rarer and most beau
tiful kinds, like the mountain ash
and the striped maple. His meth
cd is to strike his strong front feet
into the bark and tear off great
strip by difting his head. He chews
a bit of this, only to throw it aside
and strip another tree farther on.
In trailing a bull moose one can
often follow his course far ahead
by the unsightly gashes or peel
ings" which he leaves behind him.
Another destructive method of feed
ing is by riding down young trees
whose tops are above his reach. He
straddles the trunk, bending it dow
oy his great weight, holding it
under his belly while he eats all
the buds and tender twigs. A tree
thus moose-ridden rarely RECEIVERS
IL remains bent or broken, like
discarded boss; it cannot breathe
without its leaves, it dies and the {
winter SHOWS cover it from sight.
Another characteristic of the bull
moose is in his inordinate and I'M
changeable selfishness. Whether
roaming the woods in solitude, or
tearing up the earth, or coming
1eadlong to the call, he is thinking, e
first, last, and all the time, of the
safety of his own skin and the full
ness of his own stomach. / can a
AXE off my hat to a cow moose, u
having frequently seen her sacri- q
icing herself to save her offspring .
IT to protect the herd in the winter d
,ard; but never yet saw bull .
moose do anything for anybody but y
himself. He is the incarnation OF
elf interest. A COW, or even
alf moose, if she sees danger a
will warn the others Il
efore she takes the first step for o.
,er own safety; but bull moose d.