Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-18
TIGERS AND TELEGRAPHS.
The Remark able Report ola Clerk in
an Indian Railroad Office.
London Telegraph.


London Telegraph
The Hindoo clerk of a railroad office
IN India, has made a remarkable Off
cial report. He begins the communi-
cation with a formal petition for
st igo guns, required for our protec-
ton from tigers, one of which was
killed in my telegraph office at 3
o'clock, " and then gees CT to explain:
81 have the honor to inform you that
no sooner had No. 2 down mixed
train from Calcutta crossed the point
No. than we saw tiger about three
yards IN length and two yards In
height come running from the north
to outh along the fencing and enter
q thick bush just opposite the point
No. l." This breezy definition of a
tigers dimensions in which the length
and height IS given in yards, is a
delightful touch, but the clerk was
not daunted by its size, for . with
great difficulty and research found
the village gun, and after gang of
men had amassed I tried to turn him
out of the bush and kill him. L sue
ceeded III turning him out, but missed
the aim of gun at half past s." That
the sportsman should have thought
it necessary to consult the office clock
to see the exact time when the gun
went off would make it seem as if it's
going off at all were considered a great
feat However, the tiger did not seem
to regard it with much attention. for
we read that it went into another
bush about twenty-five yards off the
front of my Office" Business now
called nae off the assailants. mo. 1
up train" came along and mad to be
attended to. after which office details
kept the sts IF busy "till the departure
of No. down goods" But the tiger
all this time remained in his bush,
cody waiting, as it were, for the com
menceroent of the second inning The
game was reOpened by our Hindoo
sending some of the villagers to recon
hotter the bush and holding a council
of war. Before this was concluded
up came mo. 3 mixed train, and the
noises that the engine made when
drawing up at the station upset the
tigers equanimity, and it tried to
make off down the line. But unfor-
tunately for it, there were now three
Englishmen on the spOt-the guard
and driver of the train and the post
office uperintendent, who happened
to be that way. On learning what
was the matter, they cut off the ami
mails retreat, which the clerk and
villagers had apparently been at
tempting to do, and made it turn
With men Oa one side and q train on
the other, the tiger was for a moment
puzzled, but-tO continue the natives
letter" he all of sudden jumped
over the fencing wire and entered my
office, and jumping over the ticket
cupboard and took a seat thereupOn.
I got the doors locked up immediate
ly, not allowing him to come outside
again. The country gun was ready
again, and the postOffice superintend-
ent took 1t; and since there were no
bullets here at the time, four copper
coins, broken into sixteen pieces, were
all loaded into the gun, with gun
powder. During the interval the tiger
twice took a walk over the office
counter, but seeing no way out he
again took his seat on the same cup
board. And here he was shot 6 by
the postoffice superintendent with the
gun prepared as aforesaid" The let
ter concludes with repetition of the
original petition: This is a regular
jungle, where we have nothing to pro-
tect ourselves from such wild beasts
generally frequenting any Office. [
therefore hope you will kindly ar
range to send me the two guns and
Oblige"