Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-15
Terrific combat with a Wildcat.
The down freight on the Valley
Railroad the scene of a ter
rible encounter.

~ 1hC0S hA-O OhSii IL IS'l0OSs Siio
amid all the refnements of pure civ
iIization. where the coo of doves and
the low and plaintive notes OF the
meade. lark are music to the ear, the
terrors which occasionally come to
denizens upon the frontier seem when
recountsd Or penned by the glowing
like weird tale, soon for
gotten. or lost entirely in the busy
life and excitements which continually
overlap each other, shutting out the
yesterday" to give room to the ever
shifting scenes of the drama of "to-
day." We have tale to recount,
which, with all its terrors, we would
not entirely forget. The Valley rail
road runs through heavily timbered
region as it stretches away toward
WauSau. For miles it runs through
an interminable wood where were wont
to roam the untamed monarchs of the
forest, and they are not altogether ex-
tinct to-day as the reader will believe
when he shall have finished this chap
ter of horrors. The morning freight
left Wausau at 6 a. m. Saturday the
Oath. In company with Mr.. A. &.
Foote. the agent for Babcock's Extin-
gnisher. and two other passengers We
embarked in order to reach home ear
Il in the forenoon. Mr.. Shute, con-
duetor of the train and Mr. Archie
Jenkins, brakeman. were, with those
already mentioned, the sole occupants
of the car. As the train approached
the Ion. stretch Of wood below the
Knowlton bridge jast as it was round
ing curve at the not rapid rate of
about fifteen miles an hour the brake
man, Mr.. Jenkins, who was upon the
top of the caboose, came rushing hur-
riedly in, exclaiming, ga wild cat "a
wild cat 3" All hands immedi ateIy
rushed for the door and the one win
dow upon the side designated, and
sure enough few rods before the on
rushing train, upon a small bending
tree which curved longitudinally to-
ward the train, sat the monster, with
grinning jaws and eyes flashing fire,
Reyolyers were out in an instant and
cooked ready for business, none doubt
ing but his catship would soon be left
mangled corpse in the wake of the
train, but here all were disappointed
As the train rushed by the monster
Instead of keeping his position, with a
savage growl and shrek which made
the woods re-eeho leaped from his re-
cumbent position, and came like an
arrow crashing through the window of
the car. He had been wounded by a
shot from a revolver in the hands Of
Mr.. Foote and his body laccrated by
the crashing glass made him doubly
terocious, and in an instant the ear
was the scene Of most deadly war,
man, or men rather, against wounded
and enraged brute To escape was
impossible. To fight was to encounter
foe whose fork like claws and snap
ping incisive teeth told only too plain
y how terrible WAS the enemy, Mr..
Shute grasped the poker while Mr..
Jenkins laid hold upon a coupling link
while others seized such weapons as
could most conveniently be found. Y
stood orr ground with an arm chair,
the best weapon we could reach. Mr..
toote was the only one having about
his person a revolver, and with this he
did mighty work sending four shots in
quick succession into the Yarmouth
as he ragged like an imprisoned tiger.
Jenkins dealt the beast a fearful blow
with the iron link, and Mr. Shute.
with his clothing torn, and arms badly
scratched, while the enraged fend was
passing from the rear to the foremost
part of the car dealt him a fearful
blow across the back with the poker
nearly doubling it to a right angle.
This settled TIE brute, and last dis
charge from Mr.. Foote's revolver clos
ed his ''brief but brilliant career for
ever. All were fearfully frightened as
we'll they might be, locked up in a mar
row box car with an unframed wildcat,
but fortunatel y none experienced severe
wounds. The whole scene occupied
probably less than half minute, but
it seemed an hour. The yarmouth"
measured four feet and seven inches,
and was of the lynx family. jenkins
claimed him as his meat because he
killed him with the link. and Shute
persisted that It was his trophy because
he did shnte him with the poker, while
Foote said he would add one more foot
to him, he guessed, We laid no claim
to the rascal, but we did wonder if he
j o i Iarnrrn 70 h,,llln-n