Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-06-03

amongst the Cat hunters, lila1 'he u." NV
thickct, the more entanged the underbrush and
fallen timber, the more impossible the morass, the
more certain are you of finding your game But
saws he, "its disposition is untamcabe, it seems II
insensibe to kindness, n mere mass of i'll nature,
having no sympa,hirs with any, not even Of its own
kind"
And again
"Of all the pcculiaritics of the Cat, its untamea,
bic and quarrclsome disposition ID It's most marked
characteristic"
In these remarks think him evidently mistaken,
rs lave frequently known from two TO il"ii
dozen aroused in the same drive by the same dogs
This fact would of itself imply that it mad some
desire for company otherwise how can 1t be ac-
counted for Upon recent occasion reeoIeet
two aroused within apparently ten feet oil one an
other: each of these was subsequently seen ana
fired upon, and proved to be of enormous sIze l'u'
the most imporant fact of which am cogn'sant Is
the following. y few years sin C, Mr.. " capt1red
Young Wild Cat before its eyes were q en- Gu
riosity led him to carry il homo and try the effects
of domestic elucalion> About the time that it
was grown, it passed into the hands Of Mr. Daniel
Davis than whom Marion possesses no more re-
spectacle and honorable citizen, and from whom
gain the following partculars-lle and his brother
Ben. had always been very fond Of hunting, and
had killed over forty Wild Cats in one season. |
None Of these however, were as large as the one
in question: fact accounted for BY Mr.. d. ON ac-
count Of the regularity with which the latter was
| l. r 4. in biq
yard including large pack of hounds--ncy9r
lost its desire to plumber the poultry yard and
| indeed lost its life, from this hereditary falling
vet would allow them to feed unmnlrstcd within its
reach as long us noticed by himself or any of the
family. But woe unto the lcathcrcd intruder if his
back was turned but for an instant 1t was very
fond Of rubbing against his legs, jumping into his
lap, being thrown down and fnnd.d wtl and, 80
fur from nmncstng the slightest displrasur', would
evincc its JOY by a rolling purr," similar though
louder than that of the common Cat. In answer 10
query from myself he replied that =" he had nerer
seen it mad" Mr.. D. frequently experimental
with it rs a hunting animal, and upon turning loose
a Rabb before it, was gratiled 10 find that the Cat
displayed no fear at the presence Of its former enc
mics, himself and dogs but would spring forward
and before the dog. could open well upon the tr'i.
would have the little fugitive IN its power Unlike
the dog, it seemed TO hunt BY sight alone. After a
$ hearty meal it was invariably indolcnt and would
! allow the Rabbit to escape. a favoritc dog of MIR
D's also observed these pcculiarilics and being at
II the same time thoroughly convinced that the Cat
T was the acctcst dog in the pack, would invariably
remain 1T his owners side, until the Cat refused &c
y move. When convinced that the Cat declined
II participating in the sport, the dog would spring
i forward with the greatest cagerncss, but would lIl'
D mcda,cy turn back in disgust if tile Cat joined II
the pursuit My informant is too well known to ,h'
= citizens Of Marion District for any one to doubt hi
n statement in the slightest particular. | Therefore
Is feel warranted in the opinion that the Cat nlay, b.
IS proper training become not only as domestic but
.. .. useful as the Dog. If any Of my hunting friend
~ succeed in capturing Wild Kitten during the cn
&c suing spring or SUMNER hope to hear oi Air
d Davis experiment being tried for the second tnlc
n ;s5p slIucir l---.. .l,at nothjn
III could pleaielnc moreafin atsnlasS thYa u
IS present of pair of Kittens, will certainly rails
~ them us well as my information and experience wi
- permit; and wager frolc, al a antique, that
pr years time show the best pack Of Dogs lCat
no wou d perhaps be moro proper that ever hcclcd
IS: in pursuit Of Fox or Stag The Wild Cat as far a
~ " am able to decide approaches nearer to the Tigr
20 and Lion in its habits and nature than to the dones
Y, tic or house Cat In size it certainly has no simi
10 tudc to Grnmlkn, being frequently higher than til
'I largest Hound In appearance, especially about til
re head it certainly approxinatcs in tirrccness tn
H. ROYAL Bengal himself. And its habits arc as noe
r turnal us the Lion and Tiger in their native rctr, al
~ Like the latter. to which it appro1matcs far nor
nj nearly than anything else, its retreat is always,
above stated, the thckcst jungle within its rcacl
VS. and lastly unlike the tame Cat, il breeds but onc
year, generally with but two, and never Us al
in aware of, more than three Kittens at litter.
he sportsman phrase, it is decidedly Of gam
nc animal" than the Fox. requiring less cxcrti"n an
~, o practice from the horse but ten times more frol
IS. the rider and pack than the nUbrst Rcynard tn;
rs ever died.
or Not being accustomed TO writing upon such sut
:" ccts, Alcssrs Editors, have allowed my article
no occupy double the space which intended an
lis will therefore skip various serious rcnconntres b,
tween the Cat and the genus hunter, and close uro
d" ga comic" more suited to the taste of the gcncr
h. reader. Thorpc's allusion to the Turkey hunte
ct reminds ne of the fact that Mr.. L.. of Marion
Int whilst calling Turkeys discovered and killed Viii
Cat stcalthy approaching the place of his concca
yc lncnt.
"a 1t also fnrcibly calls TO mimi the following lu;l
il. crous incident, which happened some two yeal
rl since on the Watcrce, near Camden. We vouc
nd for tic truth of the incident we have it from
n inmate Of the family, former cassnatc in College
~ "e An Irslman, fresh from the bogs Of ould lrclan'
be was employed by Mr.. B. as ovcrsccr. Never hi,
as Ing indulgcd in the gorts Of the chase, John W;
is very much delighted to learn that the SWAMP
i, a. abounled in Turkeys and that lie could hunt
=, hbiium, without license. Hc Immediately put hin
Ic self intrainng, and after long practice succeeded
re attaining considerable perfection in what is ycclp
ns sporlsmcn calling Turkey" Having progress
N ed thus far, with gun in hand lie sailed into til
IL swamp, pregnant with visions of whole nocks
r- Turkeys to be called up and killed BY his uncrr,
=. skill Obtaining as he surpassed, suitable place, i
,v hid himself entirely with leaves and undcrbrnsl
re and commenced series of ycps well calculated
ch break the heart of the stubborn old Goblcr
HS thr wOrl1 \ slirht noise s soon heard BY on