The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-03-12

=
az the fishermen and hunters Of this sec
ton Of Pennsylvania were gathered y
around the stove In the little tavern O
perched up among these hills, the other y
day. telling yarns and discussing the .
prospects of the country. Even :" Rat Y
tlesnake Pete,r some Of whose stories !
appeared In the Times not long ago, !
was induced 10 leave his hut, near Boy !
leaux Rocks, and Join the merry crowd.
Every one u the well known characters
az the vicinity had told for the hum
dredth time some favorite episode Of his
own or some fictitious persons life, and
the listeners were getting tired and
sleepy. when a stranger, who had hith-
erto been unobserved, in the rear OF the
crowd spoke out. "Friends,' he said.
a. Won have not asked me TO speak, and
I have. so far, been content to listen TO
the incidents YOU have related. But do
not believe in being entertained without
furnishing some entertainment m re.
mrn. so. with your permission, will
rive YOU an anecdote out OF my personal
history which can vouch for, however
,ruch Won NAV be inclined to doubt its |
accuracy. This Is my first visit to this
mart Of the State, most OF my days
having heen spent in Pike County.
Whan 7 was a boy the woods there
shonts were wild and covered with
thick underbrush, and many kinds o.
reptiles and animals abounded. ne
species known as the catamount existed
, in larger num- ers than any otner, lou
know the catamount y more hke tnc
| panther than any thing else, being larger
! | and more ferocious than wilu cav. Our
: little village had been built on the edge
4 Of one Of the longest stretches OF wood
I land in the county, so that u oniy TOOK
( a few minutes 70 bring you ih,o 'he
dense thickets. II was in the winter Oh
a 1888 that am TO tell you o.. was
then about thirteen years OLD, ana ~
rugged and strong As most OF the young
: men Of twenty are in these times. All
through the autumn the catamount ana
Is black-snake had bothered the men cut
1. ting timber for home use. Several Oh
3. the villagers had been badly hurt, ana
| one old man was killed by the tricky
AZ animal. The boys always helped IN
hauling he logs and pieces OF TIMBER
Il driving the buck wagons from the WOODS
to the houses, where 1t was 70 pe dumped
10 After old Uncle Simeon was killed. 'ns
T. women became badly scared, and maut
Y. the men 90 armed, and wouldn' = let Us
re Youngsters 60 on the teams NO more
trouble occurred, however, until tn'
winter set in. Every thing was quie
at then. and the fright caused by tn
accidents Of the fall had passe'
away. One day terrible snow-storn
s.. set in. The flakes came down SO thicl
GU that we couldn't see from our window
across the road to Sam. Briggs mouse
l By dark it had become three feet deep
the and we could hardly get TO the barn 7
feed the stock. About seven O'Clock
err stopped showing, and began to bio,
is very hard. 1t grew very cold also; "
i, in heaped great logs on the fire, and IA IA
vel the blaze roaring up the chimney. ~
} TO old man was resting quietly IN the GO
his ner. smoking his pipe, and seemed n
TO to care about what was going on, wht
suddenly we heard long. deep grow
the coming from the woods. The old ms
and tnew what that meant, and 50 did son
~ my older brothers. The catamoun'
ope maddened by hunger, and prevented
d as the storm from getting any thing 20 81
were coming in body TO the viiiat
the In n minute all we're astir. Two OF I
nit boys started for the barn 70 see 'na'
! IN. door was fast, so that the catamour
OOr.
door ~ ~ were told to fasten the windo
nd and hunt up the guns which were ap'
90, he honse somewhere. I went to cls
ali = window. and then could see the da
1900" pack rushing as fast ~ tney COZ
1 his throuch the snow. The sky had clear
.ino. and the stars were out, so that cot
ions. zee the folks at Briggs and do
yeral the street we're preparing lot
his hungry animals. didn't
Mr. those blinds shut any
Meet ouick either, for the head Of the "a
dim were within few yards q tne nou
were Inst AZ was leaving the room the
man came rushing through the hall >
mo Elm and Jake have been hea,
49, .ha ~ between here and the barn by
y, - mack. and all the wild cats are on e
= .aro Won bet there was lively movin arc,
49, then. The old man and Bill, an oil
ana brother, took the guns and went
!. ~. stairs ~ the bed room windows look
!. 4 80. a. ont on the ward. We could hear
Nar bovs yelling for help amid the growi
con- the delighted animals. l put Tor
a few upper window, and there was Z iea
~ IN sight. Jim had drawn his jack-kr
q and and was keeping the cats AZ bay,
olling poor JAKE was neip'sss. ps =, III
round nau MIN uo"n, "nu c"No go. w y,
d two on the rascais Inroae WIN e. a.
Tread grip. four OF nve NOR !" ny
thing. were Trying % ge' snow a'va "a =,
been he kicked rgnt anu ,c,.! NV ~
k this ike tiger. jim hau NJ na"'
N into even though nc uiu nave ann's ~.
ght II got behind nim' anu woulu Jh;;np
Ok his him. ne gradually workcu ~ !
mo m Sue, brave girl, with nerves like a
clerks der, was walIlng 70 open Wy uoo ...
q eff let him IN. Inc Ola man n,cu llon ~,