Show strange squirrel story related by ohio author A tale of how a horde of squirrels once stole a pile of 0 shingles to use as boats to in crossing the ohio river is preserved in N D jones book the squirrel hunters of ohio the tale appears at first as a likely entry tor for a whopper contest but there may have been some truth in it at that for it is known that these rodents did crass cross streams on pieces of bark and other floating objects the man whose shingles were stolen from the river bank said 1 I got to the river just in time to know all about it you see the squirrels are marching and crossing the river at that point and the commanding general Is not much on a wim swim a and he carried one of my own shingles down to the water and rode over on it and every colonel captain lieutenant and commissioned and noncommissioned officer did what they saw their general do and finally the rank and file made a raid explaining how the animals made the crossing he sail said an old squirrel came down to the water drag ging a shingle which he shoved into the river jumped upon it it raised his brush for a sail and went over high and dry and when near enough the other shore he leaped 0 on ff and let his boat float down the stream As soon as these observations were taken in I 1 went up on the high bank where the shingles had been stored and found there was not a shingle left to show that there may have been some truth inthe in theaese the tale Aele i theauthor the author quoted george button buffon the renowned naturalist who observed they the squirrels goin go in large bodies and when they want to cross a lake or river they seize a piece of bark of a birch or ume lime and drawing it to the edge of the water get upon it if and trust themselves to the hazard of the wind and waves erecting their tails to serve the purpose of sells sails they sometimes form a fleet of three or tour four thousand and if the wind proves too strong a general genera shipwreck ensues but if the tha winds are favorable they are certain to make their desired port |