The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-10-22
SEVEN COONS IN A TREE.
Extraordinary Luck at Farmer Lowery's
Great Coon Hunt.

On Saturday night, writes a Scran-
ton, Pa, correspondent to the New
York sun, great coon hunt took place
on the farm of Uncle Caleb Lowery, in
Scott township. The air was just cool
enough to be invigorating, not cloud
was to be seen, and the moon shone SO
bright that objects standing on knoll
back of Farmer Lowery's big white
house could be distinctly outlined
against the clear sky. Several of the
neighbors, who had brought their dogs
with them. met at Farmer Lowery's
house at 9 o'clock, where they had
been invited by the iovial farmer to as
semble. They had all finished their
weeks work and taken two or three
hours rest after supper, and the brac-
ing air and the anticipation of having
some rare and exciting sport made
them unusually jolly. Lunch was
served in the farmhouse, new cider
was abundant, and new clay pipes and
tobacco were there for those who wish
ed to smoke. Farmer Lowery, who
was master of ceremonies, finally step
ped out on the porch, surveyed the sky
for minute, and said:
Come, boys. call up the dogs an
we'll steer for that piece of woods over
beyond the corn-patch, an see if we
can't scare up coon or two. Here,
Watch, We lazy cur, what We dom lay
in down there? Don't We know we've
got business? Sit in line there, every
one of ye, an foller me-
Four of the hunters carried guns.
and a city chap, who had been invited
to see the sport and stay over Sunday
at the farmhouse, carried a brace of
revolvers. Besides a double barreled
gun, Farmer Lowery had a sharp AK
The route to the woods was through
long lane and along the south side of
the corn-tield. As soon as the process
sion, with Farmer Lowery at its head,
reached the corn-feld, the dogs, seven
in number, began to run hither and
thither. When the hunters were about
midway between the lane and the
woods, and were directly opposite a
tall elm tree which stood near the CEN
ter of the field, two of the dogs began
to bark as though they had run across
some game.
"By thunder, eff them dogs amt freed
coon my name amt Caleb exclaim-
ed Farmer Lowery, animatedly, and he
rushed through the corn toward the
elm tree. One of the coon-hunters got
there before him, and had raised his
gun just as Caleb arrived.
Say! hold on! Give tho old man
shot at the fust coon, won't ye? Lem
me see # KANT nail him." shouted
the jovial old farmer. The man lower
ed his gun, and the farmer raised his
and fired. Out of the tree dropped a
dead coon, which led the farmer to say
somewhat boastfully: Don't tell OF
Gale he KANT knock tn life out of a
| coon when he gets fair chance at
him, will yep
The other hunters congratulated
Farmer Lowery on the shot he had
made, as they were assembled around
| the tree TO rest. Meantime the dogs
were ransacking every part of the corn
field. They were working toward the
woods and driving the coons from the
field. Farmer Lowery handed his AK
to one of the hunters. slung the dead
| coon over his shoulder, and told the
men to follow him. When they were
within few rods of the woods the
dogs set up a musical bark and hasten
| ed from the clearing into the forest.
L dl ulCI lOH GACllCu dl
once and exclaimed:
'B' gosh, they've got arter 'nuther
coon, ez sure's the devils an Indian.
Git over that fence quick an see where
the dogs be-"
They had come together, and were
all barking around large maple tree
on the edge of the woods. When
Farmer Lowery came up he squinted
toward the top of the tree, and, with
out saying a word, took the AK and
struck the back OF it against the tree
as high up as he could reach. Then
he stepped around to the opposite side
of the tree and repeated the move
ment As the light of the match shone
on the face of the farmer it revealed a
look of satisfaction. Turning to the
hunters he said:
Say, boys, that trees boiler, ez
sure's you're born, an theys coons in
it, an its got to be cut down. The
top'll strike over III tae corn-feld, but
let the corn 60 to grass, fur all l care
We come out fur fun t'night, an we're
goin' to hev it. Who'll tackle the tree,
though? Don't all chin at once, fur We
all KANT do it. Git out, atch! Don't
be gittin under my feet. Con lay
down, durn We.
Howard Bush, the muscular man of
the party, seized the AK and began to
make the chips fly. He cut the tree so
that 1t would fall toward the clearing
As he welded the sharp implement the
men sat in circle a few feet away.
The dogs were uneasy and could not
be kept still. They had run at least
one coon up the tree, and they seemed
to know that they would have a chance
to catch him when the tree fell. Bush
cut to the heart of the tree in less than
five minutes. Then he stepped to the
other slda and swung the AK vigorously,
and IN three minutes the big maple
made the forest echo as it creaked and
sWayed toward the corn-tield and
struck the ground with Il roar. Before
1t had fairly reached tue ground eager
coon-hunters We're stationed on each
side OF 1t, and the seven dogs ran up to
see II there wasn't something for them
to do. About thirty feet from the butt
of the tree there was hole that led
into the hollow trunk. The clear moon
light enabled the hunters to see the
hole plainly. Farmer Lowery station
ed himself at the hole and told one of
the men to chop into the trunk ten feet
below it. While the man was choppiug
a fat coon ran out Of the hole, went be-
tween Farmer Lowery's legs, and
scampered into the woods.
''Gosh darn my bullhead luck! There
goes coon ickety brudle inter the
woods, an me slanain' here like
stool-pigeon watchin' the hole Where
in thunder did he go TO? I'll set down
on this hole an see f any more coons
| gifts out o that holler tree
Before he had finished his speech the
dogs had caught the coou. When the
chopper had cut into the hollow Uncle
Caleb jumped up and yelled: There's
'nuther coon in there, by jimminy,"