The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-08
Catamount,s Paw.

A Honesdale, Pa, correspondent
writes: If there is anything quicker
than lightning it's the spat of a cata-
mount" said Morris Treadwell, of Da-
mascus township, wellknown Wild
cat hunter and trapper, as he placed the
carcasses of two enormous catamounts
ON the floor of Squire Eldred's office in
this village, whittier he had brought
them to claim the bounty of S2 apiece
on them. One of them was nearly five,
feet in length, and the other four feet,
and either of them could have carried
off sheep with ease. That was just
what they and two others have been
doing for some time, and only three or.
four miles from this town at that, up
along Penwarden's brook.
That big fellow there" said Morris,
81 discovered made his home in a cave
up near John Reifer's place. and the
other day when he was out foraging i
slipped a steel trap into the cave. I
timed the spring of one of my traps the.
other day, and found that it took just
the one-tenth part of a second for its
jaws to come together after the pan!
was touched. You can imagine that
anything that sets that trap off has got.
to be tolerably lively if it gets out be-
fore the Jaws fasten on it. Well, set
a trap which was almost as sudden a5'
that in the catamount's cave, and the
next day went and crawled into the
hole to see if l had him. l did, but.
seeing that he was only held by the
tips of the toes on one fore foot, l made
up my mind it wouldn't be a very safe;
investment for me to gather him in.
Now, the catamount had stepped on the
pan of that trap without knowing it
was there, but had been so quick that
he drew his foot nearly out before the
jaws closed. /
That's about the suddenest thing
l ever saw said to myself, but found
out few minutes later that it was only
snails work to what the cat could do.
/ went and got my tenth-part-of-a-sec-
ond trap, took it over to the cave, set it,
and pushed it in until it reached the
catamount, knowing that he would
give it dip, and expecting, of course,
to have him foul at the first clip. When
the lightning trap came within reach
of him, 'Spat' went his free fore paw.
1t struck the pan of the trap fair and
square. 'Bingr went the trap, but the
jaws closed on nothing. When ! saw
such greased-lightning work as that,
and pulled the trap out must say
that was staggered. l could hardly
believe my eyes. But there wasn't any
doubt about the matter, and l set my
trap again and showed it in for the cata-
mount to practice on some more. He
spatted the pan again, and the trap
closed on wind, just as it had before!
Time after time tried to get that cats
paw in the trap, but the cat was too
quick. At last. on the eight attempt
the catamount having very likely got
tired by that time-the jaws came to-
gether and caught the leg. Such yells.
/ don't believe any mortal ever before
heard. They made me turn cold--l
pulled the catamount out by the chain
on the last trap. and handicapped as he
was by both traps, had to fight him
over more than quarter of an acre be-
fore could get death-blow in on him.
That catamount ought to yield no less
than eight bounties, for he was equal
to any eight catamounts that ever
yelled.
The small cat there l captured in a
deadfall trap, and it sent all his nine
lives out ut once. l expect to have the
| other two that are left up around Pen
warden's in a few days, and then there
are half dozen up around Kimble's
that I'll take the contract to clean out "