The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-12-25
FINS, FURS AND FEATHERS

Someone the other day, in COM
ment on the recent furry Of near-bliz-
zard proportions, declared that the
drop in temperature had been educa-
tional. A. W. Peters says the snow
and cold have at least taught China
pheasants something.
1.-THE pheasants. with their ordinary
food supplies under blanket of
snow" says Mr.. Peters, "have been
forced to CLEAN orchards of unpicked
apples. In some of the East Side dist
riets few tracts had great number
of apples left on the trees, and here
one can see from 80 to 100 pheasants
any day, pecking at the frozen fruit.
But it is rather slow process for
hungry bird to get its craw full from
Newtown that is hard as granite. Re-
Gently we saw hen pheasant lowering
an apple, just as prospective mother
hen cuddes over her eggs. We figured
out that she was trying to thaw the
apple so it could be eaten with more
ease.
The pheasants have come down from
copses to scores of orchard farmyards,
where they eat with the chickens. The
birds have even invaded city chicken
yards. Numbers of them. however,
have been frozen. both in the city and
country. Many blue Jays, sparrows and
other species of birds have been frozen.
F. r. Austen, whose place is near
Mitchells Point utnnel, was here last
Thursday after bobcat traps. The var.
mints, driven to famine point by the
cold weather, are raiding ranches. Mr..
Austen stated at the night before the
cats, apparently half dozen of them,
came down from the forests and en-
tered the poultry house of Robert Taz-
we'll They slew and carried off five
big turkeys and four chickens.
Mr.. Austen came to town Monday to
sell the hide of bobcat, caught in a
trap near his place. The cat, huge
fellow, weighing rs pounds, raided the
chicken house of Robert Tazwell Be.
cause Of the extent of the raid it was
thought that number of cats had
made the depreciation, but now it is
thought that the single big old tom,
making repeated trips, killed and car
ried away the fowls to forest cache.
The numerous patrons calling for
holiday packages at the postoffice Tues
day noted peculiar tenseness on the
part of the clerks. The postoffice force
had kind of stuck.up look. All their
noses were elevated at an ususual an.
gle. They seemed to have difficulty ir
voslsrn Aftor nod ltpnnrar
too long at window he, or she, shifted
slightly, giving tilt to the nose.
Some amateur trapper was sending
out batch Of skunk skins by parce
post.
The postoffice employees, since mai
matter must be considered confidential
will not reveal the name of the shipper
of the odoriferous furs, but they voice
the unanimous sentiment that he is thu
meanest man in the county.
Hunters have been trying vainly t
locate a bear seen early Saturda,
morning at the edge of the city b,
William Barton, ditchwalker on tn,
Association power ditch. Bruin disap
peared in the Jungle of Indian creel
gorge. The heavy crust of ice made
the use of dogs impossible.
1t is unusual for bear to interrup
his Information at this season of th'
year. Hunters believe he had a del
close into the city, and that the thav
probably flooded him out.
t A big horned owl, probably driven ou
of the forests by the cold weather AM
snow, has visited the residence section
of the city. The big bird sat all da.
Monday in cherry tree in residenc,
neighborhood. alternately sleeping ant
blinking at spectators.
: Do not forget the annual meeting o
! the Hood River Game Protective Asso
3. citation the evening Of January 7.