THE MAHONING DISPATCH — MAY 20, 1910
Both of our hired men have often insisted that a live skunk could be safely carried by the tail, insisting that they had often seen it done. Since the veracity of both men happens to be absolutely unquestionable my father did not hesitate to mention this fact in his writing. He was once “called down by several naturalists, one of them being Prof. Bailey. So it happened the other morning, when I caught a skunk in a trap set for rats in front of my hen house, I at once informed father that I had a skunk for him and it was about time for him to put his theory in practice by taking his own medicine, etc. We all had our misgivings, but were also secretly delighted when he proved, in spite of his 70 years, to be game.
By means of a long pole the poor skunk was dragged about and roughly treated to make him good and mad. Then my father liberated him, bare handed from the trap, seized him by his waving plume-like tail, and jerked him quickly into the air. There was nothing doing, Prof. Bailey to the contrary notwithstanding. Whether or not the skunk could have discharged his phosphorus-sulphurous essence cannot be said; certainly he did not. After exhibiting and being cheered by the spectators (who all stood out of range) my father dropped the skunk in a barrel.
Having often watched skunks discharge their perfumery I am firmly convinced that no skunk held in mid air by the
