The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-04-12
THE PANTHER SLAYER.

s2gHE PANTHER SLAYER.
4 sfaEgss7 7--- tflsf''
i ne Greatest One of All His Great
q Exploits.
I There is still an occasional panther
cen, but more frequently heard with
|. ID. being seen, prowling about the
! amber camps of the Susquehanna
asin, and making its presence appar-
,at by raids on sheep and even cattle
*,mong the sparsely settled farm local
Lilies Of Sullivan and adjacent counties,
! line advance of civilization has not
zen so rapid among these dense pine
/. Ind hemlock wildernesses to have
/ lone caused the panther to abandon
| i haunts in those forests, for there are
/ III inaccessible jungles and wild,
/ scky retreats. so well loved by this
j hldes. and fiercest of the great cat
i amily. where it might hide itself with
lmost. il not quite. as much security as
ibid in earlier years; but civilization
ns aided by band of inveterate and
mining woodsnen who passed their
Ives almost solely in carrying on an
] asnsiye warfare against the panther,
blowing it even to its remotcst and
. most dangerous haunts. and engaging
h there fearlessly. and with tactics
Hhich they had reduced to an exact
sience. 1t was the perpetual and un-
Hlenting crusade of this band of woods
men that gradually reduced the once
aunerous race Of panthers in these
soods to condition of almost abso-
hle extinction, so that to-day, with
enditions favorable not only to its ex-
aenee, but to its increase. it is only at
nre intervals that the blood -curdling
ay ofthis once monarch of the woods
! heard among its. old haunts, and,
rsrer still, that the dreaded possessor
athe voice is seen. 80
Captain Brown was probably the
most famous of the old-time panther
aayers. He was an early settler at the
Forks Of the -Loyalsock Greek. near
shatis now the mountain village of
sarksville, Sullivan County. where he
mtup q cabin and spent his time in
limiting. He was the panther scourge
fawide region, and his cabin was the
lff place that was visited by the set
aes thereabouts when a panther had
eereft some one of them of much
Treasured sheep or COW. the visit being
. beg Captain Brown to come and rid
'aelr particular locality of the ma.
fsudng beast. Among the hundreds
q tales Of daring and persistence mani-
Rs'ed BY the great pioneer hunter one
rceounted with especial pride by de-
sendants oi his.
Among the first to seek the then un-
.aown and unbroken region about the
'afks Of the Loyalsock was a settler
aaned Samuel Rogers. One morning
aosers appeared in great trepidation
Y captain Browns cabin, just as that
san!er was rigging himself up for a
aysirannp among Che panther haunts.
a0gers said that big panther had
aoken into his sheepfold the night be-
ere and had carried off his most highly
fnaed ram. Rogers was a good panther
sa0ser himself, but he implored Brown
" accompany him in the chase. 1t was
sae OF Browns eccentricities that he
ssser hunted in company with any
Bot he said:
nov. You 60 home, Rogers, and
~ cool won't go with you after
~ olg panther. but I'll 90 out myself
~ XIII 1t for you. and hope I'll have
aaace to get it's mate. too"
.aa. was satisfactory to Rogers. and
'ala Brown took his gun and went
saee torthe woods on the fats at the
WIS oi hecreek. q y r. sAss@ :
was late in the fall. and there was
asat snow on the ground. At the
w ol the creek he struck the fresh
- o. panther in the snow. From
= saasaal size Of the footprints and
s oi hlood here and there along the
,s ~ ,ae blood having come from some
aaal the panther had secured and
ealrylng away, Brown knew that
,s,a aaa located the big sheep-stealer
I.sa aad been in Settler Rogers fold.
4. : 'ne habit Of panthers, like all OF
family. to bury what is left from
-. 70 be exhumed and eaten on
A. ,utare occasion. Brown knew
feilowing the trail, If he
,s.,s sss cvertske the panther itself. he
s come to the spot where. it had
i. me remains of the sheep, anu
waiting near that spot he would