Evening star., 1945-05-01
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Dear Sir:
"One of your recent contributors asked
II it would be possible for him to tame
a chipmunk which visits around his
home. ! have seen some tame chip
munks and would say that his question
should be answered afirmatively.
1.-TWO elderly brothers, bachelors, have
a large lake-shore estate on Bay Lake
in Northern Minnesota. They have quite
colony Of chipmunks which they have
tanned, and which play around inside
and outside their home. The chipmunks,
which the brothers know one from an
other, not only will eat from their hands,
but will climb into their pockets for
food which they know has been placed
there.
''The estate of these brothers is Wis
tied by hundreds every summer and Is
known throughout the State as the
tame fish lake.. The state Game and
Fish Department has placed out of
bounds to anglers large area of the
lake around the dock of this estate.
The brothers have tanned hundreds of
fish, mostly bass and sunfish, to come
to the dock for their feeding. They
will answer huge bell hung by the
shore, signal that food will be served.
The sunfish actually will take crumbs
or other food from a persons hand
Large bass, some of them appearing to
weigh as much as pounds, will leap
from the water as much as two feet
to snatch live frogs dangled by hand
before them. They may be studied for
a long time as they eye the frog, de-
Gliding if they will make the leap for it.
II would like to say that I find your
column one of the most interesting I
have read.
Very truly yours, G. r. E."
X
"QUACKENBOS STREET NE.
Dear Sir:
your column is the first article I
look for after quick glance at the
headlines.
"As have always been va lover of
Gods little creatures, except cats, it is
very interesting to me.
Yesterday was pleased to find some
one other than I who enjoys our friend
the chipmunk.
II haven't been fortunate enough to
see any since I've been in Washington
Vermont was my home throughout my
childhood, and 'chippies,' as we called
them, were abundant around the old
stone walls which are to be seen
throughout Vermont.
They were especially plentiful where
the walls happened to be near a beech
or butternut tree. We also had them
around our shed and barn. Those were
the days when we could get that won-
derful mixture of wheat, oats corn
and sunfower seeds for our chickens.
Chickens lived like kings in those days.
"Our chippies were particularly fond
OF the sunflower seeds and would pick
them out of the other grains first.
I'VE had one fresh little fellow or
girl who resided near our shed for over
three years. In the spring he would
come forth with bright chatter and a
flick of his tail to greet us.
1T became very tame and friendly,
though spent many patient hours Sit
ting on the floor with seeds in my hand.
He finally got so tame that he'd sit on
my hand and eat or run up to my
shoulder to shell his seed.
Then he would fill his cheeks to
bursting and run home Many times
closed my fingers and tried to hold him
to pet, but each time was very smartly
nipped with its needle-like teeth.
Each summer it would seem to dis
appear for time while I'd worry for
fear he'd fallen to one of his enemies.
Finally he would show up, followed by
small fry, which he would try to chase
back home with great deal of chatter.
Il never could figure out whether they
were out for walk with dad or mother
but I loved them.
Along with birds, I don't believe
there is cutter or prettier little crea-
ture than chipmunk
Most sincerely, M. E. c."
With which conclusion most readers
will be in agreement. Many of these
festive small animals may be seen on
the rocky stairs leading down into the
National Geological Park from the
Adams Mill road entrance.