The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-08-28
CURIOUS PETS.
From FerociOus Leopards Down
to the Cunning Coon
a WOLF That Guarded the Poultry Yard
-Domesticated Coyotes. Foxes. Bears,
Isaccoons, Chsetahs. and Every
species OF Monkey.

The Russian humorist Pushkin tells
a pretty story about a widow who had
survived four husbands, and was going
to ratify the prclIminaries of fifth al
lance with Grim Tartar.
DO you know that your admirer
carries six pistols and bandit - knife"
inquired an anxious friend.
YES, 1 have seen them" said the
woman, calmly. but, Judging from ex-
perience, l do not believe that there is
any such thing as an untama BILE
creature"
Geological experts incline to a similar
opinion. The most perfect EN- bodiment
of reckless fury is Il trap-caught leopard
during his first weeks experience of
prison life. He will rush TO and fro
with a persistency worthy of better
success; his eyes glare defiance At every
visitor; every now and then he will at
tack the iron bars of his cage with abb
solute disregard of consequences, or roll
about the floor, biting his own paws in
his frenzy OF despair. Yet in Hindu
stan, Il near relative of that four-footed
demon, the chectah, or hunting leopard,
has been so perfectly domesticated that
he can be trusted TO run at large and
return from night expedition To share
the proceeds of his enterprise with his
trainer.
Wolves terrorized our pastoral fore
fathers in a way that has made the
name OF the cdRis lupus synonym of
fierce hostility. yet that adversary of
Stock-raising mankind is more than
probably the ancestor of the faithful
shepherd dog. On stock farm near
ZacatecaS, in northern Mexico, l saw a
tame wolf that seemed to get along on
the best terms with his canine relatives,
and in the morning was always on
hand to greet his master with romps
and caresses, and if kicked away would
cringe in a manner suggesting the dep
recatory maneuvers of fawning SPAN
iel. He could not be trained to find his
way home from an extensive hunting
trip, but was often left to guard the
farn-yard poultry, and, to the best of
his owners knowledge, had never be-
trayed his trust.
The Aztec peasants of Herman Cortez'
time used TO domesticate the coyote, or
jackal-likc prairie wolf; and in the up
land districts of southern Poland tame
specimens of the common gray wolf
could bc seen in almost every larger
village, till the frequency of hydroph6-
bia panics induced the authorities to
discourage the popularity of the per-
ilous pets, whose conduct. from a moral
point of view, seems to have been un-
eXceptionable.
Foxes, too, can be trained to restrain
their predatory instincts; and Ten
ncssee neighbor of mine raised litter
of fox-whelps with his puppies, and in
1ucaI thnr,, 70 Stou n fh.. hprsa l,-
treating them to an occasional dish
of their favorite delicacy-fresh milk
sweetened with sorghum treacle. Young
bears can dispense with such premiums.
After few weeks petting they will
stick TO a farmhouse with the tenacity
of loyalist officeholders, and never leave
the premises after dark. a half-grown
specimen on a Georgia highland farm
would now and then take n stroll in
hucl1lcberry time and stray few hun
dred yards beyond the clearing of his
protector, but any unusual noise,
shout or the distant report of firearms
was sufficient to send him back racing
to the shelter of the old homestead
Like a cat, he seemed indeed to con-
centrate his affection upon the dwell
ing-house, rather than on its propri-
low the family more than half mile
from headquarters, unless they con-
trive to counteract his inconsistencies
by liberal slices of pumpkin pie.
Bruins little cousin, the plantigrade
raccoon, is far more capable of person
al attachments. His propensity for
gadding is hard to control, but even out
in the woods he will emerge from his
hiding-place at the call of his master,
and trot home with him like a dutiful
dog. AT the approach of stranger,
"coony" oftsn bristles up with every
symptom of hostile intent, as if trying
to do his best in the way of seconding
the functions of the mastiff
The pet monkeys of the East Indian
country towns manifest similar dis
position in an even more demonstra-
tive fashion. Ten or twelve of them
will congregate on the roof of Hindu
farmhouse, waiting for lunch or util-
izing the palm-leaf thatch for a rain
shelter, but. on the whole, pay for
their board and lodging by making a
watchdog wholly superfuous- AT the
first glimpse of n suspicious biped they
will give the alarm by a chorus of
coughing barlxs, and often actually at
tack an intruder with all the pluck of
"A resolute bull-terrier. Their personal
safety remains secondary considera-
ton in emergencies of undoubted risk.
The proprietor of the Agra, planters
hotel" boasts the friendship of n tame
leopard that shares the comforts.of his
hammock and trots after its master
for hours together; but one day exceed