As most Patriots know, at the head of today's bushytail horde, the Squirrel Enforcement Army, is the infamous Tufty the Traffic Safety Squirrel.

Tufty burst upon the scene in the 1960's with his Tufty Club and it's manifesto of terror (see link below). But who preceded Tufty?

To answer that question we bring you our series...

HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL WAS FIRST PROFILED BY THORNTON W. BURGESS IN 1913.

ACCORDING TO THE ONLY KNOWN CHRONICLE OF HIS TIMES, HAPPY JACK WAS A NUT HARVESTER WITH A STRING OF STOREHOUSES ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH. HE WAS KNOWN FOR A QUICK TEMPER AND DISDAIN FOR THE COMMON ANIMALS OF THE FOREST.

ONE DAY DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, HAPPY JACK FINDS A SQUATTER IN ONE OF HIS WAREHOUSES, UNC' BILLY POSSUM.

THINKING THAT BILLY IS A WOBBLIE AGITATOR, HAPPY JACK ATTACKS THE POSSUM. THE TWO STRUGGLE UNTIL UNC' BILLY TELLS HAPPY JACK THAT HE'S THERE AS A FRIEND. HAPPY JACK CALMS DOWN WHILE BILLY WARNS THAT A LEFT-WING DEATH SQUAD IS ON ITS WAY TO ASSASINATE HIM. HE OFFERS TO COVER HAPPY JACK'S ESCAPE.

HAPPY JACK MAKES GOOD HIS GET-A-WAY IN A HAIL OF GUNFIRE. TRUE TO HIS WORD, UNC' BILLY HOLDS OFF THE ASSASSINS BY LEADING THEM AWAY FROM HAPPY JACK, BUT HE PAYS THE ULTIMATE PRICE.

SCENES FROM HAPPY JACK
click thumbnails for large, hi-res versions

  



  

  

HAPPY JACK NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE SHOCK OF THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND THE DEATH OF UNC' BILLY. HE SOLD OFF HIS HOLDINGS, GAVE THE MONEY TO MRS. POSSUM, AND DISAPPEARED IN 1927. SOME SAY HE MANAGED TEAMS IN THE OLD NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE UNTIL THE LATE 40'S, BUT HIS CURRENT WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN...