Plainfield High School - Hermiad Yearbook (Central Village, CT)

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THE HERMIAD 9 change. I-Icw interesting it is to watch each animal's efforts to build up a home for himself and for his family! Sometimes I wonder at the almost human intelligence displayed! People ask, What enjoyment do you get cut of walking five miles through heavily wooded sections or over open, rocky hillsides? All that I can say is that I find nothing more enjoyable than learning the ways of the wild fclk and being nearer to nature. Perhaps I'm eb ROYAL ami a romanticist at heart. Who knows? Llsidore Messier, 19313 F COURSE ycu do not know who Royal Rita isp nor do you know where she is from or how she came to be. If you will be patient, 1 will tell you all. It seems that a certain teacher discovered that she was carrying on a tremendous amount cf correspondence. There were business letters, class work, choice clippings, and, all put together, there really was too much work fer one person to do well. It became clear to Miss 0verworked that some- thing had to be done to avert the avalanche of work that was sure to come over her. Possibly she did not like to assunte all the responsibility of the work and decided tc look for relief from some source or other. She might have employed a private secretary, but same people do not care to have them. They may leave chewing gum and lipstick around the place, and you never can tell who your secretary is anyway. This idea was eliminated. Be it as it may, Rita came as a surprise to the whole schocl. The first time I saw her was in English class. When she made her first appearance, she had on a beautiful black dress of a glossy, satinlike finish. She wore an cdd necklace about her slim neck. This necklace seemed to be a printed affair. I could not see it very well from my seat, but it was something resembling gcld letters. As I observed her there, held spellbound by her unusual grace and majestic poise, I caught the meaning of thcse letters. Yes, it was indeed odd, but it enhanced her beauty like the sunshine on a dew-covered rose. At last there was no more doubt about the meaning of that necklace. It was her name. An endearing name it was, tco. As I muttered that name to myself, I felt a sudden glow ot satisfaction within me. I felt as though Rita and I had known each other for years. We did not exactly kncw each other, of course, because, as I said before, it was her first appearance at school and I considered myself bold in encourag- ing the thought of any relationship between Rita and meg still, I should have been very proud indeed to kncw her and even prcuder if I could have called her my own, to do with as I chose. I was sure I would have some 4

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8 THE HERMIAD be level with the ground. After setting the trap I place it so that its jaws will be parallel with the sides of the burrow, that the skunk may be secure-ly caught. I then fasten the chain to a nearby log, or stake it into the groun. in such a way as will not permit the animal to get back into its den, for the skunk can be killed easily if it cannot get back into the hole. In setting a dead-fall I pick out a gapway which looks as though a skunk might run that way. I usually use white birch or walnut wood for my sticks and choose a suitable rock, one which is wide, smooth, heavy, and well shaped. I then place the bait on the bait-stick under the stone and connect it with the binder which is fastened around the up-holders. As soon as the animal touches the bait, the bait-stick falls from the binder, causing the rock to fall on the animal's head, instantly killing him. Another an i ma li that I trap is the muskrat, as muskrats are quite numerous about two and one half miles fromi my home. He is easiest to trap and his fur is mast valuable in the spring of the year. Spring, in tne trapping sense, means frcm February to May. The disadvantages in spring muskrat trapping are that it is impossible for me to watch my sets Without a boat, and spring floods often spoil many good sets. Stream muskrats live in burrows in the banks of streams, lakes or ponds and are easily caught by setting traps in the entrances to the burrows. Others live in houses built in the water and they are harder to reach for the houses nnust be carefully studied and the main entrance must be found out. The easiest way to trap those living in the streams is to set the trap on the inside of their houses. As this is unlawful in Connecticut I place the trap at the side of their houses in about three or four inches of water. The trap is staked down with ancther stick about six inches beyond the first, so that the trapped animal will wind around the outer stake and drown. I also set traps on bogs in the water, over a trail where the muskrats are accustomed .to ga. Such traps are as effective as the house-traps provided the animals do visit the bogs. Frequently unbaited traps will catch mink ami raccoon. I sometimes trap weasel, mink, and fox, but I have not been so success- ful with them as with muskrats and skunks. The trapping of a mink cr a fox is difficult and complicated, because both animals are very crafty and very shy. The fox, belonging as it does to the dog family, has mire intelligence than any other animal with the exception, perhaps, of the wolf and the coyote, and the trapper who wishes to be successful with this clever creature must leave no human signs behind him. Minks live in dens, hollow logs, sometimes in old muskrat burrows, their homes are usually near water. Moreover, they are ramblers. They delight in following banks and streams and often do not return to their old homes. To locate their favorite haunts is a diificult task far the trapper. Such is trapping! If every person who thinks trapping is ridiculous could go with me on my trap line for a few times, perhaps his ideas would

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10 THE HERMIAD envicus friends before long. As I sat there in that wonderful dream, the English quiz went on. Let the quiz go , I said to myself. After all we had quizzes aimost every day, but it was not every diy I was treated to a sight cf such, a gorgeous creature as that which stood before me eden. At last Miss Overworkcd left Rita alzne and came to us. She asked me the first question in the quiz. I had net done it, of courseg however nothing else mattered just then but what stood before me. Then I thought how terribly embarrased I would feel if Rita knew that I had not dine the quiz. She would probably think that I was an awfully stupid fellow wha just care to school because both back and mind were toa weak to work. I must have blushed when the room became suddenly quiet and the teacher asked me why I had not done the questions. As I lcoked from teacher to pupil and dropped my head low, I saw Rita sympathetically looking at me. At last between gulps I found breath enzugh to make an alibi. I could not sly that I was gazing at Miss Overworked's guest all this time. This would have been admitting ton much, when I could say I did not know how to answer the question. I wished then that I had never seen Rita , or rather, that she had never seen me. I was thinking ef the saying tlnt the first impression is lasting. From now on, I thcught, I would never see Rita again. She would carry off with her the humorous situation of the dunce who d.d not answer his questions because he was immediately transported into a trance at the sight of her. It was not entirely my fault either. Beautiful things like Rita were nzt to be seen every day nor everywhere. It was just because I had.not seen many like her befare. I was not ts bla re for that. I sighed wearlly and picked up my books when the bell rang. It was the only thili I had hoped for since I had been asked that question-the bell. It was with a heavy heart that I left that English class, slowly plodding my way to my home roon. I could not leave like this. No, I would not let Rita go out of my life just because of this one foolish incident. After dismissal for the day, I chanced to go by the English room. Rita was still there. Miss Overworked was there too. I hesitated a mement then walked into the room, resslved ta make a better showing and prove that I was not quite as bad as I seemed to be. Then I had an invitation. I never expected it. I was not worthy of such an honor, for that is wnat it was to me. I was asked to sit down, and directly in front of Rita tzo. I stalled and clumsily fell into the chair. This was n'y last and only hope, I thought, and I would not fail this time. I was very nervous by now. My fingers were all shaking up to my neck. I must have looked very cold sitting there, shaking' like a leaf and without saying a single word.