The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-09-28
FINS, FURS AND FEATHERS

Says a dispatch from Peking. China:
After trimming the feathers and other
wise Disgusting their mascot eagle. the
United States Marines attached to the
American Legation here recently sue
ceeding in matching their bird of free
dom to fight previously undefeated
cock which was the pride of the Chinese
sporting element.
Upon being placed in the pit the
eagle went to sleep. The cock. full of
pepper, bravely handed his adversary
two blows. This was too much for the
Marine mascot; he awoke from his
dream of the snow-capped Sierras and
deliberately pulled the chickens head
off.
Our sea.soliders anticipate no further
challenge.
Chuck, the black cur dog of the P.
Reed family on the Highway west of
the city, is possessed of a patrician
loyalty for his friends. Recently when
one of the big team of horses driven
by Mr.. Reed and boon companion of
Chuck from his days of puppyhood. be-
came sick and died in the field, the dog
refused to leave the side of his dead
friend.
The harness was removed from the
dead horse and taken by the master to
the barn. Still Chuck fingered. lying
quietly by the side of his fallen chum.
Donald Nckelsen, who is spending his
summer vacation working at the Ruth
ton yards of the Stanley Smith Lum-
ber Co., the day following the horses
death carried food to the dog. Chuck
refused to eat and despite former
reputation for friendliness attacked
Mr.. Nickelsen on his approach.
That night the dog was led home by
Mr.. Reed at the end of rope. Dur
I ing the night the rope was chewed in
two and Chuck was again found beside
the horse, where he remained until the
animal was buried.
MIR. and Mrs. Willis Van Horn have
returned from an outing on Lake Che
Ian, WASH. where they enjoyed some
excellent fishing.
"lt was excellent SPORT" says Mrs.
Van Horn. 1--WE trolled for the great
lake beauties. The limit is 20 pounds,
and the boatmen carry scales and are
careful that no one exceeds the limit.
1t is an easy matter for one to land 20
pounds in very short time.
d. A. Turner, who has the reputa-
tion for having destroyed more cats
than any other man in Oregon, despite
some criticism still wages a relentless
battle against the animals. Because
the article comedies with his own
views Mr.. Turner has submitted to the
Glacier for publication an article clip
ped from the Christian Herald. The
story, entitled, "The Murderer in Your
Town., follows in part:
In an article in the New York Even
ing Journal Garrett P. Serviss tells
some interesting facts about cats and
the habits of cats. To quote directly:
''As to the pretended usefulness of
cats as a destroyer of rats, the Massa.
chusetts Indictment is too moderate in
alleging that not more than one cat in
every three ever kills rat. 1t is a
habit of cats to keep out of the way of
rats. A rat is mean animal, but q
terrible fighter when cornered; and
cats do not attack fighters. AS to
mice, my own experience is that a
house cat will not even try to exter-
inmate them. rather suspect that
she likes to see them about, the house
being her game preserve. Ii rubber
ball would squesl she would as soon
worry that as worry mouse. AS soon
as her victim ceases to suffer she let's
| it alone.
"The Massachusetts ornithologist
AYERS that the public has no conception
of the enormous number of stray cats
that Ioan the woods, the fields and the
neighborhood houses, barns and villages
at night. We have got rid of the ma
tive wildcat, he says, and in its place
we have introduced a far more destruc-
tive animal, coddled in our homes, and
made companion for our children, to
whom it undoubtedly often brings un-
explained disease and DEATH"
This last statement by MIR. Serviss
has come home to US. lately. in very
forcible way. Since the infantile par
alysis epidemic broke out the health
officials of New York are proving that
they fear cats-for the stray cats of
the city are mostly diseased scaven-
gers, who haunt garbage pals and
refuse piles. They carry disease to
many homes, and the health officials
realize that they have helped spread
the paralysis.
A few days ago saw a little girl
in one of the crowded slum districts.
She held a lean, vicious looking cat
under one arm. The child was thin
and pale, in an ideal condition to alb
sorb germs, and the cat had sore, in
famed eyes and NANCY, dirty coat.
As | watched | saw the little girl
stroke the cats patchy fur with her
small thin hand; second later ! saw
her yawn and rub her sleepy eyes with
that same hand. | wonder how many
times q day other children do that
same thing?