44 A Bridge To The Past

THE SKUNK {ANCH

When the people of Wilmot Valle heard the first rumour about a Skunk ranch being planned for their ccnmunity they had no idea of the problems they were creating by allowin, these cute, but often obnoxious, little animals to be brought into their mitst. Neither could they foresee how their problems would spread across the lland, an Island that until new had been free of skunks.

The purchase of 19 acres of land fom Daniel Dickieson (now owned by Gerald Caseley) in 1912 by Hubert arJ Herbert Ramsay, was for the site of a skunk ranch. The purpose the ownrs had in mind was to raise these animals whose fur pelts would supply tl‘: fashion demands of the day. Un- fortunately, the coarse texture of the H was far from pleasing around a lady’s chin, especially when a bit of damness brought out the disagreeable

odor.

The skunks were imported from lew Brunswick and eastern United States. They lived in wire pens in the sunmer, but in winter they were placed in a special building for their hibernaton period. The ranch had several other buildings which were all necessar' for its operation; such as a cook house where the skunks‘ daily menu ws prepared, a feed house where a stock of feed was stored, and anothr building which provided living quarters for the caretaker, Mr. Fred Mcfiourt.

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