The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-20
"A, PENNSYLVANIA IDYL
A NEW YORK MANS sLelcH.RlDE,
A Catamount, with Rare Discrimination,
Attacks a Sewing Machine Agent in
the Wilds of Pennsylvania-He Is
Looking for Lightning Rod Men.
Port Jervis IN. W Cor. N. Y. sun.1


A man driving horse covered from
head to foot with foam drove into the vii
lage of Milford, Pa, just after dark few
nights since. He was suffering from
nervous shock. His buffalo robe was badly
torn, his whip broken, and the back part
of his sleigh splintered and covered with
scratches and deep indentations. The man
gave his name as G. D. Keeney, of New
York. He was q travelling sewing
machine agent. He had been attacked by
a catamount four miles from Milford, and
had only escaped from it after desperate
contest. He told this story:
He was on his way to Milford, over one
of the lonely, narrow and crooked back
roads Of Dingman Township, bordered by
deep woods. 1t was nearly dark, and just
as he was rounding one Of the short turns
in the road his horse, which is some-
what spirited, suddenly SHE'D and then
gave a jump forward and started on a
furious run. At the same time an animal
sprang from the side of the road. 1t
had evidently leaped for the horse,
but the quick movement Of the lat
ter defeated its purpose, and it alighted
with its fore feet on the buffalo robe that
lay across Keeney's lap. The animal
glared savagely at Keeney, as it clung to
the robe with its claws, and uttered fierce
growls. Keeney had never seen cata-
mount, but he knew that he had one to
deal with, and very large and desperate
one at that. He had no weapon, but fort
unately his whip was heavily loaded at
the butt.
Clinging to the reins with his left hand
he drew the whip from its socket and dealt
the catamount blow with it on the head
which caused it to loosen its hold on the
robe and drop into the snew. 1t instantly
renewed the attack with increased fury,
and sprang upon the back Of the sleigh.
Although the horse was running madly
away along the narrow and crooked road,
| throwing the sleigh from side to side and
threatening it constantly with destruction
| against some rock or stump, Keeney was
obliged to drop the reins and leave the re-
suit to chance, for the catamount was
| fighting desperately and furiously to gain
a foothold in the sleigh and close with its
occupant.
Keeney says he knew that in case the
sleigh collided with any heavy obstacle,
he would be no match for the catamount
fighting on the slippery snow, even if he
were thrown out and unharmed, and so he
strained every nerve to conquer it while
he was still at an advantage in the sleigh.
Once he thought it was all up with him,
for, as the sleigh was carried abruptly
around turn, one runner struck a stone,
and the sleigh tipped over and ran for
several yards on the other runner. Keeney
mechanically threw the weight of his
body against the upper side, while still
raining blows on the catamount, and
forced the runner back on the track.
A few more blows after that and Keeney
was rejoiced to see the tenacious brute
first loosen one claw, hang for an instant
with the other while it tried to seize the
back of the sleigh again with its teeth, and
then fall with loud yell into the snow
and lie there motionless.
Keeney dropped back in his seat too
weak to make any endeavor to regain
control of his horse, which was still rush
ing wildly along the uncertain road, now
made more uncertain by the gathering
darkness. After running for three miles
the horse was compelled to stop from
exhaustion. Keeney had recovered suffi.
GENTLY to drive the rest of the way.
Three large catamounts have been killed
recently near the scene of Keeney's ad
venture. These animals are considered
dangerous antagonists when wounded or
cornered, but it is only when they are rem
dered desperate by hunger that they vent.
ure to attack man.