Speaking of Hobbies 



You Hlinuld Hee the 

 lUember lUatliers' 



Ziio on Fiinn iUireuu 

 lUasiin Cnuntv Farm 



♦k 



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/7 r you should stop at Dr. M. B. 



1)1 Nlathers' Mason county farm 

 \^J someday and sec a hear — don't 

 try to pretend you haven't seen anything 

 out of t!ie ordinary. You will have seen 

 a bear all rit;ht! In fact you will have 

 seen two hears. And if it's a year or two 

 from now hefore you pay your visit you 

 uili have seen a couple of bears and a 

 tub or two thus making you feel like a 

 modern Coldi-locks. 



And if you should try to rationalize thf~ 

 hears by muttering, "I just knew j\ 

 shouldn'ta taken that extra cup of coffee 

 last night." .... forget it, because what 

 you might say when you spied the 

 doctor's newest pet, Josephine, simply 

 \\ouldn't do to print. 



Josephine was given Dr. Mathers early 

 this spring. Her waist line was tit to 

 draw the envy of many a matronly 

 maiden because Josie had been fasting all 

 wmter. The folks who owned her were 

 worried by her non-desire (or food. 

 That's why they brought her to the ani- 

 mal loving veterinarian. 



After she !iad laid around the Mathers' 

 basement for a week or two looking like 

 a pieie of weathered stove wood, the 

 doctor pried her mouth open and stufTed 

 a handful of hamburger in it. As the 

 weather settled and grew warm. |osc- 

 phine unlimbered her many joints and 

 harked like a dog for her minced steak. 



^'ou see. Josie is an alligator and as 

 such she hibernates in cold weather. 



lamest of Dr. Mathers' menagerie is 

 hrs pair of wapiti (elk to those of us 

 who aren't Indians). Papa Flk is a deer, 

 scientitically speaking, and so is Mama. 



Trouble arose, however, when Papa 

 ,t;hmpsed a camera pointed in his direc- 

 tion. Curious as a two-year-old child 

 he approached, straight, flat muzzle ex- 

 tended, tongue ready to taste the lens. 



The pair were born in a semi-wild 

 state on a >X'yoming game preser\e. 

 Under the kindly doctor's care they have 

 become tame enough to be turned .igainst 

 the usual corn belt pasture fence although 

 they stride about on stilt like legs as long 

 as the fence is tall. 



More awe-inspiring arc the American 

 buffaloes or bison, once the shaggy- 

 haired monarchs of the prairies. Though 

 not as tame as the elk, they are quiet 

 enough to be photographed at close (quar- 



ters. (Startlingly close quarters if you 

 happen to be the photographer ) . 



As the camera came in view two buf- 

 falo cows executed a neat end-run around 

 a brush pile. \X'ith a deep-thfoated '(.'m 

 boss or two from doctor triev lowered 

 their heads (as the camera person edged 

 toward the fence) and nervously pre- 

 tended to resume their grazing while the 

 even more nervous photog tremblingly 

 clicked his shutter. 

 ~"~\rhey get used to a voice, (lothmg 



little wind hlowint; th.it they are .iliowed 

 to plav tn their outdoor cage. 



Monkeys stem smart enough to talk. 

 But thev ha\e no palate, zoologists say, 

 and therclore can't form words. 'I'hcy 

 do their share ot chattering, though. 

 And that young male there at the cellar 

 window is w ise enough to undo the latch 

 once in a while and let himself out." 

 the doctor said. 



Prettiest of the lot are the Tnglish fal- 

 low deer. About as tall as a .Shetland 

 pony they move silently about their pad- 

 dock on slender i ream colored legs Al- 

 though tame, they arc timid. Their fiody 

 color is a creamy brown mottled with 

 white spots. 



A peacock is the gaudiest creature on 



DR. M. B. MATHERS AND FRIENDS 

 Mr. Wapiti, the elk (above, le(t) looks over the situation. Two buffalo cows nervous- 

 ly guard their calves. A young bull remains aloof in the background. Prettiest of all 

 is the English fallow deer. He will have antlers and a smooth mottled coat before iaIL 

 Tommy, a young black bear, nibbles a piece ot bread in Dr. Mathers' hand. 



fools them but they will always c|uiet 

 down at the sound of a familiar voice. 

 All animals are the same. " Dr. Mathers 

 pointed out. 



Most intelligent and mischievous of 

 the pets are Jerry and his mate, a pair of 

 monkeys. Most of the year they are kept 

 indoors. It is only in fair weather when 

 the temperature is .ibove 80 and there is 



the .MatherN l.irm. He and his mate came 

 from ( olorado .Springs 



Other low Is are wild ( anadian geese 

 and a variety of wild ikicks. Thev liave 

 a jxjni) of their own south of the barn. 



Fur-hearers on the farm include sev- 

 eral specimens of rare, bl.uk r.ucc)ons, 

 red foxes, and skunks. Dr .Mathers has 

 enjoyed singular success in breedini; and 



JUNE, 1938 



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