Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-30
a% maz-~~
MRasu. ha Knew.

"Ras", He Knew.
IA. E, Jackson in the Tama News.l
Last week, while yet the summer
haze was lingering and the autumn
frosts not come; while the leaves had
fallen-plenty for q carpet ye. left
plenty for shade-I rode Pepper" out
to the mouth of Benefits creek, then
up along the stream mile o, So to
where it leaves the river woods for The
open prairie fields.
For years, when but a boy, lived
hard by the banks Of BENEFITS creek
and oft have followed it's meanderins
course, from bubbling springs in High
land where the stream had birth 20
where it joined the river-"Ras' Stew
ems and /. "Ras" Stevens? His father
was a tenant on an adjoining farm. He
was my senior by year, a naturalist
by birth and to laziness inclined. Once
on the blackboard at the old log school
he spelled his name out thus entire
"E-r-a-s-t-u-s"-in scribbly scrawly
characters-and all the pupils laughed.
To me he was sort of Peter Pan"
He knew thousand things not learned
from books and oft I've wondered how
he knew. Twas "Ras' that told me
that the moss grew only on the north
side of the trees land when you're lost
that's how you find your way out OF
the woods" He said that hawks do not
have gizzards like the prairie hens
and that the eyes Of birds are like
the lens in microscopes. so they can
see gnat. while flying thru the air.
and tinest plant louise looks as big as
bumblebees to birds. He could explain
just how snake could run without
m Foots nd cof1 Oshinay's full
grown fish and not minnow at all.
No African explorer was more proud
Of putting a nameless river on q map
than we of Benefits creek. Down near
the mouth Of the river CLAIMS plowed
tedious way up in the creek-bed sand
and "Ras" knew how to open shells BY
touching "hinge- spring muscle" as he
called 1t, with his knife ana thus dis
close the pearly luster there within.
"Ras" said sometimes q tiny grain OF
| sand gets in between the mussel and
its shell and Just to save itself from
being scratched the mussel covers this
with slime-"and that's what makes Q
pearl"-and "Ras" he knew.
And where fallen Eastwood lay
half buried in decay, with fibrous bark
enwrapping in tattered shroud the
dead and punky body Of the tree. "Ras'
said. Now here Wen find some snails."
And so we did! With pearly, curled-up
houses on their backs-like chambered
nautilus Of the sea. He said that snails
are good to eat and that In France they
buy them by the peck as we do peas.
Further up the creek white
barked sycamore. uprooted by the
wind and flood Of some tempestuous
day, had fallen cross the stream.
For years 1t furnished foot-log bridge
to all who came to the trail; and drift
wood, piled against the mighty trunk,
made dam. with lake above and rapid
falls below. Here "Ras" and caught
sunfish and the silvery perch.
Just at the bend above, where
branching elm trees meet in arch
a curtain down the banks, and with
hiding place secure, "Ras" said, we'll
scare a rabbit up"-and when we poked
into the nest out jumped cotton tail
brown, as hare should be In sum-
mer -time-for "Ras" he said. They're
always brown in summertime to look
more like the ground and leaves. SO
hawks can't see 'em near so plain; but
in the winter when the snow is on.
they're grey and sometimes nearly
white-but hawks is mostly gone in
winter anyway. They go south where
ptcls.n's better than up here" And
"Ras". he knew.
Just round the bend above the
driftwood dam there was the Indian
ford. The Indians then. as did the
birds. went south In early fall, and
at the shallow ford the threadlike
caravans crossed over on their way
and then they came again in spring.
Then came the thickets,, where in
winter time we trapped the quail and
sold them to Tom Whitaker. "Ras"
made the traps of wooden Stats laid
four in square, and on these four, four
more. Then other tours each shorter
than the one below, till half grown pyr-
amid was made. Then hickory bow was
tied across the top and not q nail was
used. Snap triggers each like fig
ure four were made and baited with
ban ear Of corn; then traps were set
and covered with old weeds. and
wheat was trailed along the frozen
creek leading to generous feed with
in.
And further up the stream was
Buffers Grove, where grew wild
onions and the pungent leeks that
gave sharp flavor to the sandwich
Of the fishing lunch. And artichokes.
the "wapsai- pinniac" Of the Indian
tongue. that "Ras." would bake In
Jackets Of white clay. Here too the
creek cut deeply thru the prairie sod
and long slough grass. like lions
name. hung thickly DER the edges Of
the banks. With peak'd straw hats. to
ends Of lathes attached, we dipped the
minnows from the deeper pools, best
bait for larger fishing down below.
So as rode up Benefits creek last
week walked again with ''Ras.," and
trapped and fished and waded in the
brook and gathered long stemmed
lilies IN the fields and heard again the
reasons why the hare is brown and
whip-poor-will IL grey in summer time
twas worth the while.
And now know that
:; :: ssas., nc !!ss:::sss; ". ~ -.
Philander's Mistake.
"Philander." said . pretty girl to her