The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-03-25

glad to see that the Senator has proper
appreciation of the thing that he most
needs. We trust that the Chaplain OF
the Senate ,osU have more relis zion in mis-
prayers. and that Nh. Yates viii be ben
cited by the change.
A Terrible Fight with Wildcats.
From the Middleton IN. ~ Mail.
Over in Sullivan county along the
Neversink is little settlement known as
Eden-so named, probably, as kind of
compensation for being as unlike the
primitive Eden as one could really imag.
inc. One of the celebrities Of the neigh
borhood is Jonas Brooks-a thoroughgoing
back woodsman terror to all sorts o.
wild "varmint" that prowl about that
part of the country, and particularly to
wildcats which are his particular aver
sion. The number of wildcats which he
has killed is immense-so many that he
is known every where about that region
BY the sobr1quet of "Jonas Brooks, the
Wildcat Killer of Eden" 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 Slayer
Some few weeks ago Jonas espied one
of these hated felines when going through
a piece of woods, and, true to his in
stinct. he made after the animal, with
out stopping to consider that he was un-
armed-not even jack-knife about him
He followed it to a cavern in the rocks
where Jonas made up his mind to ''go
i'm and capture the "varmint." So,
picking up tough 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 furtherest extremi-
ty glowed not only one, but half dozen
pairs of ferocious eyes, which betokened
warm work for any intruder. Jonas was
undoubtedly "somethin took back as
he expressed it, at the sight of SO
many glistening eyes fixed upon him, but
as it was not In his nature to retreat
under any circumstances, he cautiously
advanced into the cave.
He soon discovered tina. he had walked
into real litter Of wildcats-two old one
and four young ones-and about the
time he had got through counting
them the biggest one Of the six went
for him. Throwing himself back in an
angle of the cavern, the Herculeant
backwoodsman met the ferocious
monster with a we'll swung blow of
his cudgcl, which rather "wilted'' the
animal for a moment: but before Jonas
had time fairly to recover himself from
the first onslaught the other cat made a
dive at him, catching on his right arm
nd ch uIr
powerless, so terrible was the grip of the
monsters claws. With his left hand
however, Jonas grasped the throat of the
animal and after a desperate struggle
succeeded in shaking him off Jonas
now thought that discretion in such a
case might be the better part of valor, F"
and accordingly began to consider the
chances ofretreat. He revolved all the
chances in his mind ''in about the nil
honth part of a 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 we'll posted.
Both of the old wildcats, meanwhile
were lashed into state of most intense
ferocity, their eyes glazing like Goals oil
fire, and their hair standing on end
And to add to jonas discomforture, the
four young ones - which although only
'klttens' were not exactly of the kind
which lady would like to hold in her lap
began to exhibit symptoms of joining the
fight, JUST to ''get their hands in" as
Jonas naively expressed it to or infor-
tormant. This was situation. Jonas
began to think this would be his last
fight with wildcats, and that the wild
cats would have the extreme felicity OF
eating Jonas Brooks for their supper
All these thoughts passed through iona.
mind while the animals were for a mo-
ment kept at bay by the lively motions
of his hickory cudgel. Only for a mo-
ment, however, as his first antagonist
again took the lead in attack, and al
though she met with a sharp blow with
a cudgel, the whole litter followed in
such quick succession that Jonas was
unable to keep them of. And now
ensued a struggle which it is useless to
attempt to portray.
The ferocious animals clawed into JON
as in every quarter, while he made almost
knocking about right and left with his
them by the threats with his left hand
WuCu lC SOI q ChduCC. LuCklly OOudd
was arrayed in a good suit of homespun
instead of "shoddy' or he would have
been Stripped to the skin in less than
no time. The fight was fierce and live.
ly one, as can be readily imagined. Jon
as was fighting for his life, and soon Sue
ceeded in putting the young cats hors dl
combat By cracking them judiciously over
the heads. His blows on the old ones
also began to tell and after a last desper.
ate 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 inventory of our
hero wardrobe taken afterthe fight exhib-
tied one suspender about halt vest, one
leg Of pantheon, no shirt, to speak of
and pair of boots that wouldn't ''shed
heavy dew" as Jonas expressed it.
His whole body and limbs were fright
fully lacerated, and the blood fairly ran
from his wounds, notwithstanding which,
Jonas tied the tails of the six wildcats
together and singing them around his
neck he walked home with his trophies.
A TOUGH CAsE.-Elder Knapp has
been holding a protracted meeting in
Arkansas. and on q certain Sunday was
to have the baptizing of converts in the
river in the secluded locality IN which