The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-21
CURIOUS TRAIT OF ANIMALS.
The Peculiar Fear Of Dogs Mani
tested by Panthers.
a Comical, Though Costly, Illustration Of
the Dread Hogs Have of Bears
How the Porkers Were Kept
Out of a Corn-Field.'

Ihave often wondered why writers
on natural history, traits of animals,
etc, have not noticed or commented on
the antipathy, or rather terror, that
some of our wild animals have toward
some one other particular species.
From observation. l know that a
panther has deadly horror of dog
that person accompanied by a dog.
no matter how small, is safe from a
panther's attack-that any dog can
tree panther and keep. him there as
long as the dog viii stay and watch
him.
Hunters who have freed panther
with dogs do not hesitate to move close
TO and under the tree, seeking good
shot; knowing that the beast will pay
no attention to them-he will have his
eyes continually on the dogs.
Some years ago while STAYING on a
plantation on the Colorado River. in
Fayette County, Texas, a fine illustration
of a panther's fear of a dog occurred.
The old mother of the planter went
daily to the garden to gather vegetables
for the family and was always accom-
panied by small dog of the flee variety.
One day party of hunters passed, and
as they rode by the garden their hounds
. struck trail in the road, sprang over
the garden fence and ran full grown
panther from among the pea vines. At
that time the old lady was not ten steps
from where the brute was concealed.
He had visited the garden so often that,
in the two weeks that had elapsed since
the garden had been worked, he had
beat down e plain path from where he
regularly scaled the fence to the pea
patch. The universal belief of all was
that he came daily to seize the lady, but
that he was afraid to do so on account
of her being always accompanied by her
dog.
One night was Go of party of
coon sHnters on White River, Arkansaw.
After long, weary chase the dogs freed
their game and when we arrived we
found them under a tree too large to
climb or to think of cutting. So we Law
down on the ground and slept until the
Light of day awakened one of the party,
who naturally looked up in the tree as
he opened his eyes. He at once gave a
tremendous yell, sprang to his feet,
screamed Jump. boys, the tree is full
of panthers!" and dashed off at full
speed. We followed in no time to a
safe distance, then returned back close
enough to see three panthers in the tree.
And we had slept under that tree for
several hours. Fear of our dogs had
undoubtedly kept them from molesting
US
Having no firearms, we decided that
the occupants of the tree were not the
Kind of ''coon" we were after. and after
considerable trouble in getting the dogs
away, left the camp with the seats" in
full possession.
The hog has the same dread of n bear
hat the painter has, of dog, and the
Dear has :he same fear of a man.
speak by the card as to the bear
Ound in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas,
(and Venture the assertion that to-day
there are more bear, panther, wild cat
and deer in those three States than in
he SAINT sized territory in any other
fart OF the Western continent
Let lunch of hogs ION the range
<ome ont3 a bears track, or signs, or
anything that has the scent of a bear
about it, and stampede will begin
light then, the duration of which will
..epend on the wind of the hogs, for
hey VIII run themselves down before
topping, and that particular locality
<siH be svoided until they forget all
bout il, and bear is good for ten
nile run if, in his wanderings, he runs
afoul of man or his track
Acquaintance with these facts is
urned 20 advantage by the farmers
who raise hogs in the swampy, vermin
Astounding regions of Louisiana. The
Iansher and bear are both as fond of
rcsh pork rs negro is of watermelon,
and are serious drawback to successful
aog- raising in that section.
The farmers persistently hunt the var
mint with dogs and try to keep them at
she minimum. As an additional precau-
ion, the half wild lunches of hogs are
Iaught that they can get swill every
Lay by coming home for it and while
Eating 1t are, by the use of a mop on
.he end of long pole, sprinkled with
auman ofial which makes them safe
from bruins attacks as long as the scent
sasts, for one Whit from a properly per-
Imed porker is enough to run . bear
through two counties.
l. witnessed a most comical, though
costly, illustration of the hogs dread of
q bear in the Teche country during the
war.
Convalescent in hospital eagerly &C
cepted the invitation of gentleman to
spend few days on his plantation or
Bayou Teche. The evening we arrived
L heard the planter blowing up" his
oyerseer for NOT having the hogs. that
ranged in the timber bordering the
swamp. out of the corn-field. The next
day the hogs got in again. and again
the crerseer caught it." johnson,
knott the fence is poor and should have