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The Philander Chase letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
Anecdote concerning rabbits.
Date
7-21-1800
Keywords
James Chever; A Voice from the Rabbit Women
Recommended Citation
Chase, Philander, ""A Voice" from the Rabbit Warren" (1800). Philander Chase Letters. 9.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/9
Rights Statement
Transcript
“A Voice” from the Rabbit Warren
James Chever, as my mother told me, had many Rabbits to feed. This man was heard regularly to complain that the [?] were very expensive, and caused him to expend too much money to purchase this daily food of Clover and Cabbage.
After one meditation he resolved to lessen their rations; which though small and [?] pint he thought might still be curtailed a little further. After having done so for some time by [?] their allowance half, he congratulated himself on the success of his [?] ingenuity and concluded that one third would do as well.
Hearing no voice of complaint from the Warren, for these creatures are pleasant and quiet beings, James Chever put the present [?] worked admirably and wished his sentiments to the world--big then and that all things were going on well. Moreover that his principle of saving in the matter of feeding Rabbits, ought to be known and highly commended for his discovery--But, alas! Before his fame in this way has reached the skies, tidings came from the Warren, that the poor Rabbit were some of them Dead; if the balance having been quite reduced size had escaped through the fence and gone out into some other field, where there can more clover and cabbage.
Signed, a Old Warren Keeper