Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1905 — SWIFT TERRAPIN. [ARTICLE]

SWIFT TERRAPIN.

"t--*Required Twaety Vaaaa*Ao Trave' Two and a H iff Miles, itb Mr •Thoiqkß Mini jo inty, and 'a' fa mer , *el&3ster,\'as, fa ft>lw,ci brought with' Jj m a v-errapin which has rather a ren arkable and certainly a most unusual history. ien came acrosr the terrapin on his farm, and on t! e bottom of its shell he inscribed tl e date. Every time 3ince then that he has seen thfe terrapin he has cut the date on the shell, and these entria3 are as follows; 1874, 1875, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1884. On the latter date Mr. Stadden carried the terrain to a spot pear Stephensons, fully two and a half ’miles from home, and then turned it loose. Mr. Stadden has always held to the theory that te?Ta,Db> and turtles will always endeavor’to wander back to the spot of their birth, and to test the theory the terrapin was taken to Stephensons. , That was 20 years ago, and during all the intervening two decades Mr. Stadden never saw his pet. In fact, he had forgotten all about it until one day recently lie came across a terrapin under the very mulberry tree on his farm where he had found a terrapin 30 years ago. Turning the terI rapin over he was amazed to find that lit was his long-lost pet. There were lall the dates, the initials that had ■ been placed there from time to time. I grown larger, of course, with the terI rapin, but just as distinct almost as [the day they were cut there. I In order to get back to his usual [feeding place under the mulberry tree [from Stephensons, the terrapin had ■to cross several streams, traverse Iwooded bluffs, treacherous ravines land cross fields. Twenty years had ■been required to make the journey of ■two and a half miles, but guided by lan unerring instinct the little terrapin ■ had at last reached home —a living [object lesson of what perservance can [accomplish.—Winchester (Va.) News|ltem.