Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-03-18

From the Middetown New York; Mail.
A Terrible Fight with Wildcats
The Last Exploit of Jonas
Brooks, the Wildcat Killer of
Eden.
Over in Sullivan County, along
the Neversink, is a little settlement
known as Eden-so named, prob
ably, as kind Of compensation for
being as unlike the primitive Eden
as one could readily imagine. One
of the celebrities of the neighbor-
hood is Jonas Brooks-a thorough
going backwoodsman, terror to
all sorts of wild "varment'' that
prowl about that part of the coun-
try, and particularly to wildcats,
which are his especial aversion. The
number of wild cats, which he has
killed is immense-so many that he
is known everywhere about that
region by the sobriquet of "Jonas
Brooks, the Wildcat Killer of Eden"
His various exploits and adven-
lures in that line, if properly written
up, would make 4 book Of thrilling
Interest," worthy companion to
Tom Quick, the Indian Slayer"
Some few weeks ago Jonas espied
one of these hated felines, while
going through piece of woods,
and, true to his instinct, he made
after the animal, without stopping
to consider that he was unarmed-
not even having a jack-knife about
him. He followed it until itretreat-
ed to a sort Of cavern in the rocks,
where Jonas made up his mind to
"go i'm and capture the ''varmint.' -
So, picking up tough hicory club,
he proceeded to enter the cave.
After passing the a,ern, extending
back some thirty feet, and in the
furthest extremity glowed not only
one, but halfa dozen pairs of fero-
cioue 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
LiLh, oot do IL w hOU LII LIS lclCuIO
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 he had got
through counting them the biggest
one of the six event for him."
Throwing himself back in an angle
Of the cavern, the herculean back
woodsman met the ferocious mon
ster with a we'll swung blow Of his
cudgel, which rather "wilted'' the
animal for moment; but before
Jonas had time fairly to recover
himself from the first onslaught, the
other old cat made dive at him,
catching on his right arm and shoul-
der and almost rendering him power
less, so terrible was the grip Of the
monsters claws. With his left hand
however, Jonas grasped the throat
of the animal, and after desperate
struggle succeeded in shaking him
off. Jonas now thought that discre-
ton in such a case might be the
'better part of valor," and accord
ingly began to consider the chan
ces Of retreat. He revolved all the
chances in his mind Gin about the
millionth 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 well
posted.
Both of the old wildcats, mean
while, were lashed into a 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 discontinue, the
four young ones, which, although
only Kittens were not exactly of
the kind which a 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 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 mind,
while the animals were for q mo
ment kept at bay by the lively mo-
tions 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 success
sion that Jonas was unable to keep
them off. And now ensued strug-
gle which it is useless to attempt to
portray.
| The ferocious animals clawed in
II 70 IoIaas in