A regular feature looking back at what was being printed more than 100 years ago in the Bristol Daily Courier. This week’s entry comes from the August 15, 1921 edition of the newspaper.
Groundhog Dug Out of Earth, Shot As It Comes To Surface
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A groundhog was routed from its place of hibernation on Saturday morning and shot as he emerged from his “hole in the ground” in the chicken yard of Councilman W. Furman Young on Bath Street.
The groundhog was chased out of the earth by Mr. Young and Mr. Warren Vasey.
As he came out, Mr. Young pulled the trigger of his rifle and shot the tip of the animal’s nose off, clear and clean. The animal tips the scales at eight pounds.
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About two weeks ago, the animal was first seen about the Young yard. It was thought at that time that it was a rat and the women folks of the household urged Mr. Young to watch for it. The councilman did and when he discovered that it was a groundhog decided to go gunning for it.
The two men – Mr. Young and Mr. Vasey – traced the animal to its place of hibernation and started to dig at the end of the tunnel. As they dug, Mr. Groundhog moved forward and nearer the earth. When he had reached the entrance, there was nothing for him to do but come out and out he came. Then Mr. Young shot.
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No sooner had the rifle cracked, the Councilman regretted it as he thought that the animal had not destroyed a thing about his property and probably would not.
A study of the place of hibernation of the groundhog is very interesting! It is described by Mr. Young as being “wonderful.”
The “hole in the ground” is divided into three sections, probably a parlor, a bedroom, and a bath. It is lined with newspaper cut into fine strips and evidently prepared for the winter. Neatness and cleanliness marked it throughout and it resembles the work of human hands, rather than the tasks of a dumb animal.
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The fur is gray mixed and very soft and in good condition,
The weather prophets today began weave a network of prognostications around the condition of the animal’s quarters as revealed in Mr. Young’s yard. They say that the lining the “home of the hog” so thoroughly and at such an early date, argues that we are to have an early and severe winter. “Extreme cold and a long severe winter Is in store for us,” said one of the weather wise.
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Many regret that Mr. Young did not leave the animal live until February 2nd when Bristolians would have had an opportunity to learn at first hand just, how much truth there is in the Groundhog story.
Others say that he has lost an opportunity to clean up a neat sum of money.
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“I’d kept the boy and had a press agent scatter the news over Bucks County, then I’d charged admission on February 2nd and reaped a nice profit,” said another.
An advertisement from the August 15, 1921 edition of the Bristol Daily Courier:
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