Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1909 — Idaville’s Skunk Farm Raises Injunction Talk. [ARTICLE]

Idaville’s Skunk Farm Raises Injunction Talk.

Not long ago Editor Foster of the Idaville Observer announced, with a parenthetical exhortation to his readers not to giggle, that Robert Baker was going to start a skunk farm in that neighborhood. It seems that the announcement was straight goods, but some of the neighbors were in no giggling mood about it. As they got their olfactories in tune they scented trouble and began to talk about enjoining Baker and his skunk farm. Notwithstanding Mr. Baker’s assurance to the contrary they fear that ' skunks cannot be harbored year in and year out without creating an odor that will make life anything but pleasant in the neighborhood. Nevertheless there are skunk farms in actual operation, and they are said to be profitable. Mr. Baker counts on raising 1,000 skunks per. year on his five-acre farm and has contracted for machinery to extract the oil. From hides and oil he expects to realize about $2,000 a year from his crop of 1,000 skunks.