The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-27
HILDCfTS ~ THE NUTMEG sTArE
Irn Main Kills nm Enormous Ono n. II was
About to rOunr. On His Dog-Thesc wild
Bens.s Have Multlplled since the War.

NORWICH. Nov. 2,;-The finest and lost for.
midable wildcat that has been killed in east
crn Connecticut in several years WAS shot at
Lantern Hill. II wild region near the seacoast.
ten miles southeast of Norwich. by Ira Main
II day or two ago. Mr.. Mains brother brought
it to town and snld it to II Norwich merchant
Ira Main had been hunting foxes since day.
break. and late in tho afternoon tho trail had
led his houn into tho biz forest at tho base Of
the lofty hill. He came out OF tho woods at a
we-known picnic ground. near n da.x little
pond under dizzy precipco Of tho mountain
west Of the peaS His hound was work ing In 4
hesitating way nboutthe lctEes on the western
slope OF the hill AMI only n few rods from his
master Suddenly the fiuntor saw n flash NJ a
tawnv colored body. that left u rocky shelf
above him on tho hillside. cleft the air. de-
scepding. and aliChting in u short tree Just
above the dog. which, bewildercd. was nosng
about tho ground ut its foo. Tho hound
heard tbs sound oil the beast striking among
the tree branches and caught sight OF his tor
midnblo enemy the instant after his master
had seen il. He was scared by the big cat
aud recolcd Tho dog was the game tho cat
was hunting. and it evidently did not perceive
the hunter The moment it alighted in the
t:cc top it gathered itself for II second spring,
which, doubtless. would have landed it on tho
bounds back. But Ira was in the game as we'll
as were wildcat and dog. Ho had never seen
IA W ildcat before. had no idea what sort Of an
animal confronted him. but with the instinct
OF Il veteran hunter and the purpose in view
to save his dog. lie brought his double bar
relied gun instantly to his shoulder and fred
at the moment when the cat was poised for it's
second spring. The cat was exactly facing
Mr.. Main and his heavy shot. double barrels
crushed through the beasts brains. It
dropped from its perch in the tree with wild
screech. almost fallin. on the terror stricken
hound, tumblcd among the hedges. clnwing at
the dry leaves. and tearing IN Jumps OF sod.
then rolled over on its back with long. low
wall. H..
Mr. Main; who was almost as much aston
it was heavy loaL-iluns it over his
shoulder and went home lle had had
h1S Whit n ho lad nsf
until the next day. The l.east which was OK
limited in this city, looked NOR. like Il young
STOOD thrSn icsf s6 and WIS a 'se' a6 Sns
the III" Of q, Arse C2nnecti:It fox hound.
and its feet. which were about MS large "a
ind @,uiifuiy moiied like that Of hyeaa.
it would have weighed not much loss than iity
pounds. several 1ld hunters declared that the
It VAS Ter 1h wc ast sd
midable beast that haunts the New England
forests. r..
While not few wildcats have been shot in
this county in the past six or eight years. nota.
BIZ. in til" rocky wilderness of East Lyme. u few
miles west Of New London. Mr. Mains cat IL
the first ne that has been soon in the eastern
Iart Of the county A chaotic valley in East
Lyme and big swamp in the southern Con-
nectcut Valley are the nurseries Of wildcats
in this Stnt". ana in some Seasons Lyme hunt
ers bag from SIX to dozen or more of this
hig game. One or two eats have been
Killed in the outskirts Of New London.
A year agon Salem hunter. ten miles west Of
this city. kiIied II wildcat with II load OF bird
shot. in !. bushv pasture. after the beast had
ripped his dog to pieces. Tho Lantern Hill cat
was evidently u wnndrrcr from the East lymo
wilderness. and. as tho broad Thames River
Jay between him and that region. lie must
have CON" through u country almost entirely
ouen. by way OF this city. and thence south
ward to Oh" hill. \ few months ago n family
of wildcats made THAR lair in tho fastnesses
Of Ayrr's Mountain in Franklin. eight miles
north OF this city. and in two weeks destroyed
thirty or forty pigs and no end NJ fowls bs. .
longing 10 Franklin farmers 4 hunter un.
d"rtook t" tiuc; them. hut they killed his dogs
years ago a wildcat had not been seen in the
eastern palt OF IL. State i.r II hundred years.
tnt since the civil war country psonle have
drfted into tho cities. and the farms they
abandoned ar" overgrown with brush. 1t is q
curious fact that there Ia NOR wild land ia
Connecticut than there was $50 yrnrs ago,
hence formidable wild boasts are becoming
plentiful again.