Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-09-04
A Cat Extraordinary.

A Cat extraordinary.
A gentleman living at Elk Run, in the
lower end Of Fauquier county, Virgins, has
the good fortune to possess the most re-
markable grimalkin yet known of the cat
kim. Its body is Of unusual length, its
legs like those Of bench leg'd fse. The
fur is of a reddish color, the whole beauti-
full with black spots and streaks Of differ
'ent figures; they are long in the back and
round on the belly and jaws. Black stripes
run across the ears, which are very long
and tipped at the ends with blue tuft Of
hair. Its physiognomy is fierce and It's ma
ture savage. Ordinarily it is perfectly do
ellie, and like Worm ey's very sensible cat,
never says word, though he answers read
lily (by the wag of his taiD to the name of
"Billy."
His masters house being infested with
snakes, which had been bred in neigh
boring stone fence, he took it into his head
to eschew such game as rats and mice and
make war upon the snakes, all Of which he
soon destroyed. Having acquired a taste
for this kind of sport, he extended the
field Of his operations, frequently making
excursions more that a mile distant from
the house, and returning each and every
day with a, snake, ranging from two to sew
en- feetin length. He has continued this
practice for eight weeks. On one occasion
he returned to the house much fatigued,
perfectly wet and covered with saliva
1t was supposed he had encountered one
lot those larg and rare serpents known as
the goobat. This turned out to be true,
for the day thereafter Mr.. Harvey B. Rails
found the snake dead, and signs Of a dread
ful conflict on the sand. Most or nearly
all the wounds had been inflicted on the
back of the neck. The weight of the hor-
rid serpent was fourteen pounds eleven oun-
cest
This class Of serpents is native of Eas-
tern Virginia, with very large head and
great jaws. The mouth is armed with cut
ting crooked teeth, among which are two
longer than the rest, placed in the fore part
|of the upper jaw: All around the mouth
There is a broad scaly border, and the eyes
|so large that they give it a terrible aspect.
The forehead is covered with large scales.
Each side of the belly is marbled with
large square spots of chestnut color, in the
middle Of which is spot perfectly round,
and like FURNISHED gold. They have been
known to swallow small pigs, musk-rats,
opossums, &c. They avoid the sight Of
man, and consequently are rarely SEEM
Indeed the existence Of the goobat has
been doubted by many.
The cat still continues his war upon
snakes. These facts may not gain credence
at a distance, but they are so well known
and attested that no one in the neighbor-
hood doubts them for moment. i War
renton Flag.
REMARKABLE Discovery IN IrALy.--It
is stated III letter quoted by the Parla-
mento Of Turin, Of June I'd, that the tomb
of Odoacer, King of Heruli, has been dis
covered at Ravehna by some vorknen, who
lit appears found the body encased in suit
Of armor of gold, which they broke into
pieces and secretly sold. The matter was,
however, soon divulged, and further inves-
tigation has led to the discovery Of some
precious articles which had escaped the ra-
pacity Of the eulprits, and of monu-
mental inscription confirming the fact Of
its being the tomb of Odoacer Odoace1
was king Of the Barbarians who overthrow
the Western Roman Empire in the year
476. He was murdered by his conqueror
Theodore the Great, A. D. 493, and was
buried at Ravenna, where, after the lapse o.
| 800 years" It appears his remains have
been found.
LEG SrRErcHING.-Mrs Nicholas, late
of the marlborough (Vermont) Demo
crat, says that "the drinks" are now called
"leg stretchers" in that state. She says il
is an everyday occurrence for some passen-
gers in the stage coaches, while the latter
are waiting at the hotels for the mail, te
say II guess | will get out and stretch my
legs" which always ends in their having q
drink somewhere in the hotel. She adds
that it is perfectly astonis hing with what
unchecked ease and frequency legs are now
stretched ia Vermont.
w-The following is published as al
evidence that Kansas is to be made Slave
State:
aThere is story abroad that at all the fer
ries over the Missouri river they have COW
tied, and comnitte to watch all lmml
grants. The committee asks each imml
grant what animal that is. If he says q
cow all well, be goes over; but if he an
swers "a keow' they turn him back
4 Ryan editor in Iowa has been finet
two hundred and fifty dollars for huggins
a young girl in church. Exchange.
Cheap enough We once Rugged gir
in church some ten years ago, and tn
lserape has cost us a thousand dollars yea
ever since.-[Chicago Young America.