Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-05-27
A1istellauea,1s Attitles.
A FICHT WITH WILDCATS.

A FIGHT WITH WILDCATS.
Over in Sullivan County, along the New
ersink, is little settlement known as
Eden named, probably, as a kind of
compensation for being as unlike the prim-
tive Eden as one could readily imagine.
One of the celebrities Of the neighborhood
| is Jonas Brooks-a thorough-going back
woodsman, a terror to all sorts Of wild
"varmint" that prowl about that part Of
the country, and particularly to wildcats,
which are his especial aversion. The num-
her of wildcats which he has killed is i'm
mense-so many that he is known every.
where about that region by the sobriquet of
"Jonas Brooks, the Wildcat Killer of E.
den." His various exploits and adventures
in that line, if properly written up, would
make book of thrilling Interest," worthy
companion to ''Tom Quick, the Indian Slay-
er." ....
Some few weeks ago Jonas espied one Of
these hated felines while going through q
piece of woods, and true to his instinct, he
made after the animal, without stopping to
consider that he was unarmed--not even
having jack-knife about him. He follow
ed it until it retreated to sort of cavern
in the rocks, where Jonas made up his mind
to "go in and capture the "varmint." So,
picking up rough hickory club, he pro-
ceeded to enter the cave. After passing
the entrance, to his surprise he found quite
lofty cavern, extending back some thirty
feet, and in the furthest extremity glowed
not only one, but half dozen pairs of fe-
rocious eyes, which betokened warm work
for any intruder. Jonas was undoubtedly
''something took aback," as he expressed it,
at the sight of so many glistening eyes fix
ed upon him . but as it was not in his ma
ture to retreat under any circumstances,
he cautiously advanced into the cave.
He soon discovered that he had walked
into real litter of wildcats-two old ones
and four young ones-and about the time
be had got through counting them the big
gest one of the six 'swent for him." Throw
| Ing, himself back in an angle Of the cavern,
the herculean backwoodsman met the fero-
cious monster with well,slung blow of his
cudge' which rather 'swilted" the animal
for q moment; but before Jonas had time
fairly to recover himself from the first on
slaug ght, the other old cat made dive at
him, catching on his right arm and shoul-
der and almost rendering him powerless, so
terrible was the grip Of the monsters claws.
With his left hand, however, Jonas grasped
the throat of the animal, and, after des-
perate struggle, succeeded in shaking him
off. Jonas now thought discretion in such
case might be the "better part of valor,"
and accordingly began to consider the
chances of escape. He revolved all the
chances in his mind Gin about the millionth
part of second" he said, and came to the
conclusion that it wouldn't do for him to
leave the little angle in which he was so
well posted.
Both of the old wildcats, meanwhile,
were lashed into state of the most intense
ferocity, their eyes glaring like Goals of fire,
and their hair literally standing on end.
And to add to Jonas's discontinue, the
four young ones-which, although only
"kittens," were not exactly of the kind
which lady would like to hold in her lap,
began to exhibit symptoms Of joining in
the fight, just to ''get their hands in,!, as
Jonas naively told our informant. This
was a situation. Jonas began TO think this
would be his last fight with wildcats, and
that the wildcats would probably have the
extreme felicity of eating Jonas Brooks for
their supper. All these thoughts Of course
passed through Jonas's mind, while the an
imals were for moment kept at bay by
the lively motions of his hickory cudgel.
Only for moment, however, as his first
antagonist again took the lead in an attack,
and although she met with sharp blow of
the cudgel, the whole litter followed in such
quick succession that Jonas was unable to
keep them off. And now ensued strug-
gle which it is useless to attempt to por-
tray.
The ferocious animals clawed into Jonas
in every quarter, while he made almost su-
perhuman efforts to tear them off-knock-
ing about right and left with his club, as
we'll as he was able, and clutching them by
the throats with his left hand when he got
chance. Luckily Jonas was arrayed in
good suit of homespun, instead of "shod-
dy," or he would have been stripped to the
skin in no time. The fight was fierce and
lively one for time, as can be readily i'm
agined. Jonas was fighting for his life,
however, and soon succeeded in putting the
young cats hors du combat, by cracking
them judiciously over the heads. His
blows upon the old ones also began to tell,
and after a last desperate struggle, in which
one of them got a finishing blow, the other
retreated to the back of the cave, where
Jonas proceeded to do for him also, leaving
Jonas 'master of the situation" An in
ventory of our hero wardrobe, taken after
the fight, exhibited one suspender, about
half vest, one leg of a pantaloon, no shirt
to speak of, and pair of boots that would
not "shed heavy dew" as Jonas express
ed it. His whole body and limbs were
|frightfully lacerated, and the blood fairly
ran from his wounds. Notwithstanding
which, Jonas tied the tails of the six wild.
cats together and swinging them around
his neck, he walked home with his trophies.
|-Midaletown (M ~ Mail.
CATHARINE II. OF RUSSIA.
In the year 1852 Catherine became EN-
press. Around her were gathered the chief
conspirators. men, coarse, ill-educated, and