The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-12-02
Dr.. Nabours Believes Raising
the Little Animals Would
be Profitable Here.
ARE EASILY DOMESTlCATED
State Agricultural College Is Conduct
ing Series of Experiments to
Discover Best Methods.

r. K. Nabours, professor of zoology In
the Kansas State Agricultural Col
lego.
wild fur-bearing animals are be-
coming so scarce that people every
where are concerned about the prob
able sources of fur" said Doctor Ma
bours. Raising the wild fox in Can
ada is being tried, but the output of
fur is insufficient to supply the full
demand, and the process OF raising
the animals is extremely expensive.
Karakule sheep afford a good substi-
tute in quality but not as yet in guam
tity because of the difficulty in i'm
porting them from Bokhara.
"The skunk presents, perhaps, the
best possibility for domestication and
breeding of any fur animal. 1t is easy
to raise in captivity, eats almost any
thing, and becomes surprisingly tame,
even making a desirable pet. The
musk glands are easily removed when
the animal is young. so that the of
fensive odor is eliminated
The zoology department is undertake
ing some preliminary experiments in
order to find out the best methods
of raising skunks, their heredity,
habits, and the best varieties to use.
Because of the fact that the expert
ments are yet in their infancy the de-
partment is not ready to give out any
complete rules Tor skunk raising.
The experiments. as far as carried
out, indicate considerable future for
this industry. More than SO persons
in Kansas have already made be-
ginning in skunk breeding. Members
of the United States biological survey
have for years been advocating ex-
periments along this line.
X x x
Mines School Burned.-Fire which
originated in restaurant destroyed
four frame buildings at Weir City and
for the second time in a year the
Kansas State School of Mines is left
without a home. The burned build
ings were located between two brick
buildings. The school of mines occu-
pied the upper floor of one of the
brick buildings which was badly dam
aged It is said the school did not
save more than $500 worth of equip
ment. About a year ago the building
in which the school was located
burned to the ground.
X x
Wins Pledge Casa controversy
over pledge OF $4,000 subscribed by
R. D. Sabin. farmer of Reno County,
to the building fund of Bible college
In Minneapolis, ended recently when
the probate court at Hutchinson de-
cided in favor of Sabins widow.
Died After Running Upstairs. =
While consulting his family doctor at
Wellington after having run quite rap
idly upstairs, I. A. Zug, widely known
merchant, died from heart disease. He
was 43 years old.
Woman Dead of Burns-Mrs. Au-
gust Neimann is dead at her home
west of Frankfort as a result of her
clothing catching fire from stove.
Her back from the shoulders down
was burned
Arkansas City Pioneer Dead.-Dr
G. w. Parr. 70 years old. pioneer
resident of Cowley and Sumner coun.
ties, is dead at his home at Geuda
Springs.
Pioneer Woman Dead-Mrs. Anna
Minnie Weiche died at the home OF
her daughter, Mrs. William Thiessen
near Marysville. She was 81 years
old. Six sons and three daughters
survive her. She was one of the first
settlers in the county.
X
Hutchinson Gazette SoId.-Chestel
C. Leasure of Wichita, formerly par
owner of the Wellington Daily Jour
nal, has bought a half interest in the
Gazette at Hutchinson, and with JohI
M. Schwinn will conduct it in the fu
ture. Mr.. Schwinn has been connect
ed with the Hutchinson News.
X x x
Hunter Accidentally Shot-Clarenc,
Jones of Wichita died of an Academia
gunshot wound in the leg while beiR.
taken to a hospital there on a SAINT;
Fe train. He was injured when
shotgun fell from an automobile b
was driving on a hunting trip from
Norwich An artery was severed.
EIdorado Refinery Sold.-J. J. TAI
man and NJ. Taxman, Illinois refiner
and oil operators, have bought tn
Eldorado Refinery Company's plant a
Eldorado and are now in charge Tn
price paid was $4,000. The Taxma
brothers will enlarge and improve tn
plant. which has capacity of a thoS
sand barrels day.
X X x
Shot Firer KfTed.-Charles Heller
q shot firer, was instantly killed i
Grow Nine No. 20, southwest c
Scammon the other night. He lei
awidow and six children.
X
The Kansas University wireless
station in charge of L. E. Whitt
more. instructor of physics at the un
versity. and son OF L. D. Whittemo1
o. Topeka, has reached such a STAG
of effectiveness that he intercept
messages from stations in Florid
Virginia. Texas and from ships in III