Hi all--
I'm a couple of days behind on this one, but somebody commented that in ye
olden days ferrets were kept on ships to keep down the rodent populations.
I'd just like to observe that apparently this practice continued into this
century.  There's a single solitary book on ferret care in McGill's library,
published in I think 1910, which gives instructions for setting up a colony
of ferrets.  The purpose, according to the book, was to sell ferrets to
shipping companies, who let them loose on their cargo ships.  The book also
observes that they can make good companions and tells a touching story of a
ferret who would follow its ten year old boy a mile and a half to school
every morning.  According to this book, ferrets produce lousy pelts (now
there's a survival trait for ya), so the shipping industry was really the
only reason to raise ferrets.  There was a town in Ohio back then nicknamed
Ferretville because of all the ferret farms located there-- I suppose they'd
sell to shipping companies located on the Great Lakes.  If anyone wants the
title, author, etc of the book, I can get it for you, but I have a feeling
that it was published originally more as a pamphlet and might not be widely
available.
 
I empathize with all of you other university folks out there-- I can't
believe the delays in getting on line, and our system has crashed twice
already!  Well, I suppose that's the cost you pay for more or less free
access.
 
Regina, Amelia and Cully-- we'd all get seasick, I think!
 
*********************************************
Regina Harrison
PhD Student, Anthropology
Joint Co-ordinator, AGSEM-- McGill's TA union
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec
 
[Moderator's note: Ummm... I'm one of those university folks who are no
doubt hired to make your life difficult, but I guess it boils down to who
you talk to.  BIG
[Posted in FML issue 1689]