The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-29
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resident Of this city. and havo lively roc
objection OF the old hunters referred to by Fin
Teeple. the Pennsylvania Nimrod. In his mar
raive Of old tlmos In the woods Of that region.
a. given In last Sundays Sun. I was much
surprised to hear that Potter Stewart was still
living. He must certainly DO between 90 and
100 years old. Tho last time was In Sullivan
county was In 1872 whom I attended the fu-
neral Of Stephen Curry. one Of the pioneers OF
tho county. who died at the age OF 10l. re-
member Nelse Crockor. the panther hunter.
whom Teeple mentions az having killed him
self because no broke the temperance pledge.
Ho. a. vol a. many others Of the old hunters.
mine when they were In that vicinity. In those
FREQ and oasy woodsmen punished quantities
Of Il: can Eemomber. when was boy sixty
sns On II hS
panthers. wolves. and bears.
had roamsd the woods before, tho Indians fad
given up their claim TO them as hunting
such Occasions With taies Of indian stsocsy
snd S WIN tnn saSaGe
THOSE men lived ia diirereSt parts sol Of the coan
ty. but they seemed to look upon the whole
region as q common stamping ground. and 1t
town q Neyor;;inE whose homes we're thirty
Nelss Crocker was, a general fayorite, be-
canss Of ne great FUND II rugged VII and ng,
told in vein, TINT kept his hearers In pcrpet-
ual roar OF laughter. his illustrations being
snd ssaom mis- s on aHSny
lures the subject OF narration. but always had
some good thing to tell. either IN favor OF or at
S e1'y Under The naonso ,a zach he Cs%s
but little bettor than dwelling impeeile. and
Of Nelse Crockers adventures with panthers. or
rsthHr ne bss9 i T. rosSect ~ @
where his grandfather had been u pioneer s q:
was called big Pond. and one day he and bis
hunter discovered that there were tracks Of no
ss xtS hs SSs snr
and then sat down on log to eat his lunch and
| Ito up and growl. aud the next instant a large
panther sI,rang from tree noar, by, almost
ana bounded i Oh into t the swamp ,'0' 0''on'
in starting 10 parsuit q the panther ' The dog
had followed 1t Immediately. and was ye!ping
along ahead on tho track Of the animal.
Ing dogs for. as / have many times heard the
old hunters say. there were very few dogs that
overlook the panther. or probably the panther
waited for him; At any rate he pitched into
three seconds. Croeker met his dog 'c Coming
back. badly used up. The hunter wont on. and
found tho panther In q tree. As he was aiming
tention and. looking In that direction. he saw
another pantherrushing toward him. bounding
ball. GroeSsrs n interest in The animal IN The
tres vanished at onos. and he, turned his gun
" he
diately by yells Of pa1thers from all parts OF
ala as as aSs
swamp: Two panthers brought up his rear.
taass Of SeIssp HThey followed him. however,
the edge Of the swamp o,,,n h ,o,n, II.
III and ashamed Of himself. The more
thSs sa the tn. way rssn.h as efs
madder he Fot. and when he discovered that 10
hsd left BIS hunting which WAS made out
@ NJ ana
rho dog wasn't hurt 50 badly as he thought.
but he did not sunpose that It would ever go
aeFe oan The again Yet
morning to redeem his reputation as panther
hunter, what was his surprise to sec the dog
tation and was determined to do it.
the panthers the day before. Croker found his
hat and the body Of the slain panther. Nelse
ing down ON a limb. Croker shot. it. and it
tumbled to tho ground, but jumped to its feet
tree. which bent over With the weight Of the
animal until 1t was only few feet from the
phs S panther a oacs ssS The Ss %
one blow OF is paw IT knocked the dog twenty
| m N hn
socket. and delayed him, so that the panther.
after its bout with the dog. rushed upon him
Ills .yalor and he ran away. Crocker. tafon al at
safety IN ss III Tie " panther i followed S sfss
ana was Gaming i at every lump when Grocker
hs had hTSSs the gun PsS:sd
make good his escape from the swamp. beyond
croHsr coo eoosa rs his
Snsn ana g1 bi t9 MS cabin ne t9Gs his
carry on either Of his other visits to the swamp.
aansl viz IL h s as Ssa fHs q t
the thicket when tho infuriated beast spranc
deliver 8 blow with his axo. He drew
Buried fn' in rR he ssFy Il ftrV %a;
then en- Lucky Tor the p aS fGrepaws
his throat In falling back it set its claws in
the hunters mt cl9thinE; and tore them from him
in its death throes. Crocker hastened TO the
spot whore he had thrown his rifle, and found
that 1t was more than likely that the dying
cries OF the panther would summon others to
the spot. and he had barely got his rifle ready
before he heard one springing from tree to
toward him !! sight and
the crotch 9i tree few feet away: Nelse
tree he fired. The ball entered It's heart. and
the animal fell dead at Crocker's feet.
"Eelse's dog probably unable to face his
master after deserting him twice In a strait
had disappeared. and Croker never saw him
again. Finding himself thus left to combat
panthers alone. Nelse concluded 1t would be
best to let the ones still remaining have the
swamp to themselves SO he took the skins OF
the three panthers he had killed and broke
in Monticello In isls. aud did not drink any.
thing until the iaI! Of is4 4. He joined party
In the camp; Ns!se got drunk. and remained
| co ah0n ,oA hat haa hot tuHo In