Middletown transcript., 1921-04-30
Give II TO MOLE
Little Animal Hereby Qualities as
a Sarpeon.
Venerable Fisherman Tells Story ThSS
Should Remove All Doubt Con.
cerning the Strength of the
Small Earth Oisturber.

"Do you want to know the most
owerful animal for its size IN the
wolfd?"
1ne question was asked just after
"A venerable fisherman had landed {.
fine eastern brook trout, says Howard
M. Wright in the Portland Orego-
nian. We were standing on the shore
Of one of the lakes well back In the
Cascades. J.,
had only few moments before
unsung my pack at his cabin, ans.
taking a trail that led to the lake, Es q
found him right in his glory. l, c.
course. was interested in getting a.:
the data the old fellow had to off-r
and we sat down on log and as ne
produced a Missouri meerschauIi l
handed out a box Of tobacco. de pro-
ceeded to fill up with what he called
his favorite brand next to ii. ..
That gave me clew and | knew
| at once the ancient angler Gould tell
some big ones. He fired up dellber-
steIy and crossed his legs in lels-
| urely manner.
"Well, sir;u he started out Il reck'
| on, according to what one OF them
scientists told me that happened in
| here a while back that the mole has
cot 'em all stopped. I had been tell
ing some stories about being towed
around in a boat by big fish offn
the Newfoundland banks and after
got through he waited little while
and then said:
asWell, captain, have never had
sot of experience with big fish, but
certainly had my eyes opened one
day. I had accidentally caught live
!. mole, ard for no particular reason
brougb. it into the house and put II
IN the floor. 1t began to wander
about the room and finally came "
against the leg Of chair which had
nened to be up close to the wall. INT
mole smelled it over little, backet
nm A little, shifted some and put nj
nose in between that chair and tn
wall and pushed her aside as II sn'
| mad been a puff ball.
"That certainly got my interest
so | said to myself. "Looka pere
: Mr.. Mole, we'll try you out and Sc
what your limits are" hunte
around until l found Webster's die
tionary and big family Bible.
nlaced these on the chair and pile
+ nther books on top of them until tina
chair would hold no more and wall
), ed for him to try it out.
h "Pretty soon he came keepln
close to the wall. This time he neve
stopped to sniff, but walked righ
- through.
l. "That got me, but l scratched m
head a little and when l saw Mr.. MOI
d coming up for the third time l jumpe
~ on top of the pile Of books. Bl
II was no use; he kept right on g
ing and slid the whole business OF
~ right to one side.
Is "'Wen. l was somewhat amazed, D'
suddenly a thought came to me and
at went out and called in my neighbo
.. n big. fat man, weighing few pount
i, under 300. He straddled aboard.
".On came the mole, this time h
muscles fairly standing out to get IN
- the fray. But he was no foolhart
rs young mole. He took time to 81
fe nm the situation. sort Of shrugged h
shoulders and acted as if he was sp
sr, ring on his hands. Finally he poF'
tn his nose in between the legs OF IT,
q chair and the wall and raised tho
mighty shoulders. The chair creal
a little, moved slowly to one side 81
eo the mole passed-but the chair bro
II. and the fat man came down with
nd thud on the moles back. And, do y
know, that mole hesitated only
rs nent and then started for the corn
RI of the room. carrying the fat man
bo his back"