What follows appeared in the February 2, 1906, edition of the MAINE WOODS newspaper printed weekly in Phillips, ME. A regular front page column was a staple of the paper that featured a compilation of short articles, from various contributors, entitled “Fish and Game Oddities.” Below please find three samples.

(Contemporary commentary will appear in italics)

A Cat that Swims

The Tale of a Cat That Differs Strangely from His Kind

The Brooklyn Eagle says:

Although cats, for the most part without exception, are averse to being wet, Nervin A. Wells, of this place, has a young cat which takes occasional swims in Peconic Bay. This cat, like many others, was taken as a kitten last summer by a cottager who summered at the bay and was shown great kindness during the family’s stay in the country, but when the autumn came and the cottage was closed, poor kitty was made homeless. Captain Wells, who is engaged in the scallop business and spends most of the time on his sloop, took pity on the homeless kitten and one day carried it on board his boat, where it soon became acquainted with its new surroundings and at once mewed as thanks to its benefactor. This cat, which now answers to the name of “Mate,” has been scalloping with Captain Wells and his assistant, Oliver Goldsmith, all the fall and winter. One day, when the boat was moored a short way from shore, Captain Wells was not a little surprised to see “Mate” carefully let himself over the side of the boat into the water. He struck out for the shore, and in a couple of hours re- | turned, apparently much refreshed by his swim.

Yellow Hammer Carrying Off Her Young

In the spring of 1860, the yellow hammers were quite plenty and in the month of May. I noticed a pair busy, picking away on an old pine stub. One would pound away till he got weary then his mate would take up the work. It took several days to carry off the rotten wood and make their nest. In about three weeks, I took a look at the old stub. While looking up at the hole, out came the old yellow hammer with something large in his bill and flew off. I stood still and soon she came back and went into the hole where her nest was and came out with another large thing in her bill and flew off and I was near enough so I made out that it was one of her young hammers. While she was gone I went up to the stub and found out why she was removing her young. Red ants were going up over the stub and going into the hole where the hammer had her young and the mother found they killed one of her young and to save the rest was taking them to a place of safety. Did any of your readers see the like? If so, please report it in the MAINE WOODS.

(“Yellowhammers are about 12 inches long, with dark barred back plumage, spotted breast, black necklace, red spot on the neck and – of course, bright yellow under the wings and tail. Unlike most woodpeckers, the Yellowhammer doesn’t typically have the strong ability to hammer into trees, so they seek hollow or softer wood and forage on the ground for insects and seeds. The Yellowhammer is even reported by some to eat more ants than any other American bird! They still nest in trees but have become used to visiting fields and neighborhood lawns.” -Source; Wildsouth. This member of the woodpecker family is more commonly known as the Northern Flicker. Given the ant invasion of the nest, and Flickers’ voracious appetite for ants, I am surprised the mother did not see this as a wild version of Door Dash?)

Wagner Got Caught

Because rats were becoming too numerous in a Rockland home, the lady of the house conceived the notion of lessening their number by setting a number of mink traps in the attic. The scheme worked beyond all expectations, but there was an unlooked-for change in the program when somebody carelessly allowed the cat to stray into the attic. The sally hours of the night were suddenly broken by a terrific racket, and investigation revealed that pussy had located one of the traps. In endeavoring to extricate herself she stepped into two other traps, and when her plight was discovered, she was rehearsing Wagner (Opera) with a trap sprung on each of three of her paws. The strangest part of the catastrophe is that pussy was not even lamed, and so far as her owners know her full nine lives are still intact.

(Karma for a lazy non-rat-catching cat, perhaps? Glad it was unhurt. Our old guy, “Governor Baxter,” dutifully practices “catch & release” on field mice. Unfortunately, by first bringing them into the house before the ‘release’ portion of his chore!)

Have a wonderful week everyone and I hope you experience entertaining “Oddities” of your own.