460 
•Uhe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 23, 1918 
Among the Children 
As usual wc have a new group of new 
children tliis week. This page has become 
almost as i)opular as any In The R. X.-Y., 
for children like to know how “other folks 
look” and the grown-ups are interested, 
tuo. That little farmer at Fig. 2.30 will 
dreii we should find one pulling a sled 
and several aristocrats playing llm i)art 
of “the man on horseback.” 
And there is a patriotic group at Fig. 
241. That comes from Western Massa¬ 
chusetts, where good folks and bright 
(Hiihl JAfc it) (I Hot Country. Fiy. 23J 
pony and his companion? Some of you 
gray-haired men, just come back to child¬ 
hood and tell me that I 
These two young poultry raisers at Fig. 
240 are not worrying at the moment about 
the high price of feed. Their geese are 
hustlers, and will pick up most of their 
food. The boy has a potato fork and 
he will dig worms until the geese get wise 
to the fact that they have had enough. 
“On the Trap Line” 
I have owned a trap line for two years, 
and think it the most interesting out¬ 
door sport for any person who likes to 
be out of doors. ^ly second year I was 
joined by Edward R. Sisley, who is but 
10 years old. and is an awful nice boy 
to be in partnership, believe me! We 
have caught 19 muskrats, one skunk. 
Hctyiny 11 over Overcome Horklcss Days. Fiy. 233 
make a livestock expert .some day. That 
is probably his pig busily engaged in mak¬ 
ing i)ork for the people. Our little friend 
is .safer just now on tlie outside of a wire 
fence, but lal<‘r when he gets a little 
larger he can get right into the hog yard. 
l*erhai)S this boy has a brother in Europe 
serving his country behind a b.irbed wire 
• •utanglenieut. On this (piiet farm the 
.4?i Elevated ]‘osition in Life. Fiy. 236 
pig behind the wo^'e^l wii’e is doing his 
duty. 
And then we make a jump to Yuma, 
Arizona, where the idiotograph at Fig. 2.3,1 
was taken. 1 have heard that Yuma is 
the hottest j)lace in the countj\v. There 
is no. evidence of that in this picture, 
either .about the girl serving as “horse” 
or the children and dog playing passengei-. 
Fhildren are alike the world over. If we 
could liaA’e a pictuic of (rreenlaud chil- 
llags are very much i)i evidence just now. 
Who is having the best time on that ride 
—the motive power or the power that 
gives him the motive? 
Long before the days of aiitomobiles it 
meant something to own a good horse. 
T knew a boy who travelled far and 
(uaiwled under -.a fence to see Dexter and 
Smuggler trot by. It was a great thing 
to sit behind one of these fast ones and 
feel the air rushing jiast as the horse 
pounded the road with his feet. Those 
were great days, but did the best of them 
ever feel ju'ouder as he drew in his lines— 
than the boy shown at Fig. 237—over his 
Xearly every boy at this season begins 
to play marbles and walks on stilts. We 
have all had a hand at that, and most of 
us have had a tumble—but the bones of 
youth are pliable and easily mended. The 
upi)er boy in the picture. Fig. 2.30, is well 
elevated at least. 
And then comes that group of kittens. 
Did you ever see a more natural picture 
of young cat life? The camera caught 
them jmst right. Older peoph' usually 
regard a litter of kittens as a nuisance, 
but that is because they have forgotten 
how much they thought of the little cat 
when they were young. 
one opossum and one mole, which w(> 
think is pretty good for two young, in¬ 
experienced trappers, don’t you? My 
partner caught the skunk about March 
,3rd, and Mr. J. B. Smith, an old trapinu* 
and Ted’s grandfathei', who has graded 
a good deal of furs, thinks it i.s worth 
about .$.j, and that will raise our fur.s. 
We have great success with baiting our 
traps with apples, potatoes, and carrots 
but we cannot disobey Mr. Hoover’s rule 
of food conservation I AVe have been 
The Yoiiny Poultry Keepers. Fly. 2-'t0 
bothered with a pair of minks of late, 
and they seem to be too smart for us, 
evide'ntly; Ave have had no signs of 
catching them as yet. 
3 'he muskrat is the beaver’s little 
cou.sin. and lots a good many of its big 
cousin's traits. It evidently builds 
houses which rise from two to three feet 
above the surface, and they also dig holes 
in banks, and sometimes build their 
houses in under the banks at the end of 
their little co.sy hole, which is lined Avith 
(rontinued on page 47.3.') 
Tnkiny the Air tiehind 'Tlexter.” 
Fiy. 2.37 
1 Procession of Pure Patriots. Fiy. 2.'il 
