The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-06-17
From The N. Y. Spirit oftho Times
PAINTERS AND WILD CATS IN MISSISSIPPI,

PAINTERS AND WILD CATS IN MISSISSIPPI
JACKSON, April 6. ls44.
Dear sir As OR country around here is stocked
with larger game than you find in the vicinity ofthe
Queen City Of the East, your renders might be inter-
ested with the anecdotes of our hunting in this re-
gon. Ifsot will afford me pleasure occasionally to
commit 10 paper such as seem to be interesting In
doing this may seem to be tiresome; If SO, burn tho
scrawl and say nothing about IT, D.. arrL
The Pelthnichee Swamp, souc twenty miles from,
this city, has until the last year two been the resort
OF hunters from all the towns in its vicinity, for bears,
panthers, wild cats, deer and turkeys About two
years since old friend Of nne--a real old codger,
with real hickory face visited the swamp in search
of game. lie had taken his station behind log, w.
ing at full length, with his head to the log, and his
gun ing partly ii, TO be in readiness for doirg
execution. think see old Daniel, navy, wit h his
persimmon face earnest with hope and expectation,
applying the wing hone of turkey his mouth,
nilnng the cal! of the Bird and times bobLiug up
his head TO the effect OF his deception. In the
meantime, wild cnt, proving about in search Of
rcpas; Of The same delicate game attracted by
the Gull, which seemed to proceed from turkey as
tray from the 1ock lie commenced steahhy np-
proach to the place from whence the call issued and
seeing dark object moving and rising ever and anon
behind log, the cat would crouch The object rose
and its approach us il sunk down; aud SO on,
until he had obtained position immediately behind
the log which concealed r. who raising his head 10
look cnpPed On each side OF the face by the eat
with teeth showing beautifully within an inch OF his
peaked nose The look the two gave eaeh other
any thing but nfiectionate. The horror and dis
may OF Uncle Daniel may be imagined and some idea
4 bn Inv Oft hp orh IL.
Ienance, by taking good look The engraving rep
resenng Terror and Horror ia "Lavater on Physi
ognomy." The cat was much aarmed and surpri.f
sed as Uncle Daniel, and had he waited woad have
relaxed his hold and fed; bat he sprans with such
force jerk the several feet from the ground
aud tear its claws loose, leaving furrow for every
one Of them the wole length Of his face aud thus
parted uncongenial spr,s-tTncle Daniel, with
GU, hat gun, making such Roadway in one direc-'
ton that it would have puzzled Ros,on in his great
brush with Martinez, TO have held his own; while the
cat boltcd in the opposite direction, leapng nearly
the tops Of The high canes winch grew along the
creek . ....N .FrQis
This was the last turkey hunt my old friend F.
ever took in that swamp, and he often declared to moo
that he would rather be buted death by his osyns
goatstor which he had numbers, than call tarkeysin
my heariiest Iaughs and could you have heard sly,o
old friend tell il, and not broken the lnces iof your
vest, you not the nun picture you in my irnag!
i1ation. ...... ....... .r..n...n1 t.r.ra 'ia
4 friend Of mine in Vcksburg, who has Panlas
ton up the Sunhower, spent weeks there lmntu
ing last winter. He as fine team Of bear dogs,
On occasion they STATED nd seemed to be bnrkAao
ing in places. p. started to and the overseer
to the other. r. making his way as he could,
when he heard the overseers gun. lie pr eliateiy
urrod towards the place from which the report came,
when he heard growl tree about twenty yards
from HIM Upon looking up he u full grown
panther Cougar sitting on limb, with the blood
rckling down his face, from wound under the eye,
received from the overseer p Immediately prepar-
I'D his rifle for shooting and called to his companion to
Dad, and inform him when he was ready,so p. might
AXE his shot After short interval, without any
animation, bang wen, the overseGr's gun agan,--.
This shot the animal frantic, and he conmenced
caring about the tree from limb TO limb, showing
tremendous set of iuories T.. waited moment until
lie made slight halt, when he sent ball directly
trough the cougars heart. The animal ut The crack
# the rife, stopped, trembled moment, then his
Under parts fell from the limb, still clnging with his
ore claws, you have seen squirrel (,vhen YOU
not too tall to hunt the little thngs) until all
lie had fed, hen one claw oosened, then the other
nd down he came crashing through The tops Of the y
all cane dead. .- .....f bod. IS. ctwEH sIrgt5
The first shot hsd entered the pnnthers head imne-
lately below the eye. ranging down through the Ie
nouth; the second slightly touched the heart, aSdyo
he third tore the heart in pieces MIR p. did not
1ensure it, but sayst of the largest size aed the
erces looking thing in the tree he ever saw,o saq s
... Yours, very respectfully, vnirP.a ybh
good hook and good woman are excellent things
0 those who know how to justly appreciate their,
alue. But there arc men who judge Of both only