St. Mary's beacon., 1862-04-17
fCoMMUNIcATED.
A STRANGE ANIMAL.

CoMMUNICATHD.
A STRANGE ANIMAL
Mssrs. Editors. You will not be as
tonished, ain sure, when you are in
formed. that great excitement and alarm.
have pervadcd this district since tho an
nouncement by advertisement of Capt.
James ii. CYnkliu. of the Barque Babel
Mandeb. from Cape Guardafui. Of the es-
cape from said l;arque while lying the
harbor of l'incy Point. Of an animal Of the
most ferocious disposition. callel the Toy
al Gangcs Pollygrab. which had been
captured in the junglcs Of Sunderb nd,
somewhere in the region Of the Bu,am-
pooter AMI lilo. g'cy rivers, near the Coast
vf 3cugal; and being the first animal t
that name ever captured, he Captain de-
signed presenting it to Presi cent Lincoln,
who, it was expected, would commission
tho Captain as ambassador to the Lind Of
Tigers to ascertain, if possible. the pcdi-
gree Of this first and only Pollysrab. and
therefore the liberal reward Of one hun
drcd dollars was offered for its recapturc
and delivery to Capt. Conklin at Alex
an'lria OH board his vessel.
Of course, it was readily surmised. that
there was danger To be apprci,cl.ded from
the iacursions of the animal OH the shores
contiguous to Piney Point harder, and il,
was not long before the Varmint was seen
in the ncighborhool where it was said.
it slcvourcd mules. dogs, sheep and chick
en- cocks, which had. luckily for our far
mers, appeared in large numbers in that
locality simultaneous with the savage ami
NAL, to the sst.'nirhmcnt of the citizens.
who at once supposed they had SWAIN the
river, which is only about nine miles
wide, from the Virginia shore. as, when
an attempt was made t.. catch the sheep.
they were IL hard 10 catch as the rebels
over the way. Several negro quarter.
were said t. have been attacked, tho in
mates of which barely ha. time to escape
to the great house. while the Earmint was
f.asting itself upon the dogs which had
given notice of its approach. The growl
Of the animal was said ~ be hilcous in the
extreme. and the poor larkies were forced
to bar their doors and forcgo their nightly
walks from fear Of bcing appropriated t"
appcase the wild Varnints appetite. The
news spread in. all directions with rapidity.
and the terrible animal seemed to travel u
fast as the news. Upon the same nigh,
his growl was heard near Hill View, sew
eral soldiers were said to have been bittcn
near Hammctt's Store, at tho Cross House
several cows legs were missing. then near
Ebcnrzcr monster tracks were seen, not
less than duzcn dogs were eaten nightly,
and to cap the climax, it was said, that
in the ncis hborhood Of Mount Pi.gah. it
destroyed several carriages and buggics.
eating the leather tops and crushing the
hubs of wheels with its jaws. Whether
dogs we're scarce or 50 poor in that neigh
borhool as not to furnish the Narmint
with as much grease rs the wheel hubs. l
AM not iufo, ned Que conclusion have
arrived at in regard to this strange attack
on vehicles. 1t relieves the owncrs FROM
paying the war tax and shows the animal
to have super or instinct in the way Of
economy.
Thus the Varmint went on in the work
Of destruction nightly until the panic be-
came general, Darkies, who had wives a
few miles from home, failed to visit them,
except during the day. The woods were
deserted by Runaway negroes, who came
home and begged massa's pardon. saying,
the Varmint was about aud they could
stay no longer. Old women kept their
doors barred up all day, and had ladders
made to the upstairs windows, having
heard that the animal could not climb
Distressing as this picture is you may re-
IL upon il, that the whole truth is far
from being told. On Monday, the 3lst
ult the news of the capture Of the Royal
Gauges Pollygrab. BY u wcll-kpown eiti-
zen. was received at the Great Mills Will,
one universal shout Of joy, and general
rush was made for the residence Of Capt.
Joshua Watts, few miles distant. to see
the animal, but visitors could not be graft
fed. the Captain having only succeeded in
getting the varmint in dark cellar, after
laboring hard without intermission since
Saturday night He was completely ex-
hausted, and was therefore excused from
reciting the particulars Of the capture
upon promising to exhibit the animal
hereafter
Although the fact was known. that the
animal was housed, much uneasiness was
expressed. and many Continued to call at
the Captains to hear from his own lips
that he felt :ou6Lent he could be able to
secure it, through the agency Of an in
tricatc piece Of machinery be had prepar-
placed within the outer frame of the
cellar door, SO that when the door was
opened, in the attempt to pass out. it
would be completely entrameled.
On the following morning. Tuesday.
April lst, all fears were di.pelled. The
assurances Of the Captain had been rea-
lized, and advertisements were sent out in
all directions, informing the public that
the animal would be exhibited at the
(l.ftnp ~, tory k..tvoe,, tho HAMS nf 2