Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-18

Especial to the Kennebec JournaD
Perkins. Swan Island. Maine. Oct.
17.-These fall days, brisk breezes.
sunny weather. wonderful foliage
and inviting roads. are great days to
explore and recently a band OF ex-
plorers discovered the modern
Robinson Crusoe Island. no other
place than the town of Perkins, in
the kennehec river, on Swan Island.
almost rubbing noses with the town
OF Richmond. In order to get to
Perkins, a town without a voting
right, you have to be very familiar
with the route or else stumble upon
1t by accident, as did the intrepid
1--WE. And its only on high tide that
il can be approached.
The road to Perkins leads over the
Kennebec river and the ferry man
will see that you and your auto
| mobile get there in record time. If
he Is on the other side OF the river,
by persistent footing OF to,our horn,
he will come across and ferry you
to your destinations
the main attraction on this
modern Robinson Crusoe Island is the
Speck farm. Here may he found
Dlack foxes and red ones. for breed
ing purposes. There are also hun
dreds and hundreds of rabbits,
mostly OF the chinchilla type, grey and
alluring in their beauty. Then there
Is q most friendly dog. half collie
and the other half, police breed.
who will greet YOU vociferously, but
friendly. And there IS a pet deer
VINO Is a privileged character and
wandsrs about, wherever her fancy
takes her.
Now. don't hold up Your hands in
hoiy horror or hold onto your
probosis with one hand. but three
BABY skunks are als6 numbered
among the pets of the family ! I
ana quite the cutest thing In the
iamily OF pets is "Mousie." a clever
niue gGina pig, who came all the
way from New York CITY. making
the trip with Mrs. Speck. .
William Speck Is president and
general manager of the United BLACK
rox association, which is the organi-
Zatlon backing the. raising of silver
PACK loXes on this interesting farm
WI. ana Mrs. Speck and other mem
peTs OF the family live i'm mansion
W - mouse. supported by huge ntIJore
ana commanding splendid view Of
nc river, for miles, The f,r,,,
when is good three miles dr,,o
from the place on the shore who're
.ile Terry man dumped the partv. is
IonipoSed OF about 20 acres of fertile
i ,ano. Mr.. Speck has not been In Tho
i ,in business very long in Per-
,rn ai'noush one is early i'm
n Ecu 'hat lie is not n new hand
iiis business thoroughly and he do.
ciafes that he sees a great fu,nro
business. 's animal
,,,. seems n shame that a state
nne maine should not be more edu~
ceu and preached to. to take nv,
WIS most interesting as well ar n,ost
prontabie line Of farming, Suf,,nient
Ioie iand Is at the disposal Of man,
wishing to enter this new industr, :,
~ me opinion of Mr.. Speck. He 10
strong advocate of the fur ;n9
t; nsS ana he is proving it by nut
; ;.ns a great deal of time and money
r I.," ms 1arm. In Truro, n. s
h ran,i, me Association has 20 more
l., LING ioxes and that branch ia
IN charge of DR.. L. A. Randall r,,s
thlrd member Of the associa t;or re ,e
everything at the Speck farn, 10
u ,.e,a on a most orderly and scien.
h hmo manner nm Each fox and each
ounnE mas Its own special rep;..
'ra,ion card. tackled onto its pen
Mr: speck has special method in
ms FOX raising. In each pen he
mas a red fox and a black fox and
when the baby black foxes come
along they are harder and have
better pelts. Also on the farm is A
Work room, where many of the
SKINS, especially the rabbit , skins
are made ready for market.
Ihere is also hospital for the
sick and the ailing. A common
malady among the rabbits is cold in
the head. When a rabbit developes
a cold. Mr.. Speck takes it from the
Zig pen and puts It in the hospital.
in a bed OF its own. Wintergreen
and olive oil Is squirted into the
shifting bunny's nose This treat
ment has been found to be the most
effective. Mortality IL high among