Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-06
A REVOLVING CRUELTY.

/ Editor Every Evening: ! desire to cal
! vo,,r attention and that OF the people oi
Delaware generally to what,1 call the
most inhuman practice carried on and
allowed under our State laws That is,
the trapping of muskrats, under the
present method.
This little animal makes its home in the
banks along the streams of running water,
in nearly all the meadow lands in the
State. In some localities il becomes very
destructive, especially along river banks
and in and around sluices, where it often
cuts its way through the banks, letting
the tide water in, covering the lowlands,
in some instances for miles But this is
ap exception TO the rule as they seem to
have an intuition that this would lead to
their own destruction, as where river
banks are weak and often broken, they
build their homes Of weeds and roots to the
height of three or four feet on the level
meadows, So as TO be out of reach OF rising
tides
They live on roots almost entirely.
never having been known to destroy crops
Of any kind. From their dcns IN the bank
or their homes in the meadows, one or
more leads or paths are made by them,
running out III different directions. These
leads are mostly covered with water,
except where they lead on TO dry land;
these latter generally wcll-worn paths,
leading for long distances away from
their homes and used by these little ami
mails III their search for food
Muskrats are seldom seen III the day
time They do all their feeding, playing
and visiting during the night.
The trapper. under our present laws,
is not allowed to use any trap or device
other than steel trap. These traps are
made Of steel or iron and powerful enough
to often crush the bones IN the mlfSkrats
leg They have 81 short chain attached 10
them The chain is fastened TO stake or
pole driven into the ground. The trap rs
then set in the lead or path over which
these little animals travel 10 seek food or
pleasure Beng night prowlcT, II knows
nothing Of the danger confronting II
until il steps on the trap. the Jaws 81
which snring together with lightning
like ranidity. often rs have said beforc)
crushing the bones, vet holding the
animal in its cruel Jaws In this case. Il
the tran is not submerged in water, the
poor little animal gets busy and performs
an operation on itscll by gnawing its leg
free Of the trap, returning to Is home u
il can get there, 10 suffer days Of agony.
il not death from its ghaStly wounds. IL
the trap does not crush the bone, the
muskrat is held prisoner from early IN
the evening Of one day until the trapper
finds il convenient to come around with
his club. with which 10 beat out the httlc
life that is left The trap IS then reset,
ready for its next victim Should the
weather be too severe for the trapper to
venture out the next day, on account Of
the cold north wind blowing down over
the meadows. laden with snow and siect
the little rodent is still held prisoner,
without shelter from tie storm, suffering
the most intense agony in its helpless
condition, waiting only for the death
dealing club TO come along tn beat out
what little life remains. Long hours Of
torture, and then death. This Is the fate
al thousands OF them under the existing
law
It would he infinitely better and more
humane 10 discard the s:eel-trap and 60
back to the box trap. The latter trap is
set in the 'cads under water. The muskr-t
entering one Of these Is dead IN few
minutes from drowning, and IS released
from the terrible suffering It endurcs in
the steel trap.
Where is the Society for Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals. that il does not take
this matter up? Its Jurisdiction under the
laws is plain enough, if it has any juris-
diction at all Humanity
New Castle, Dec 3, 1919