The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-05
vANQuIsHep BY OWLS.
The Remarkable Experience of a Con-
necticut Farmer.
From The Neto York Press.

ueCClcut Farmer.
From the Nep York Press.
NORTH LYNN, CONN, Nov. 22.-Uncle
Elisha Huff. well known citizen of Clover
Plain, went to the door last Monday night
to take look at the sky before going to
bed. While he stood on the doorstep an owl
booted in an apple tree across the garden.
Mr.. HUFF is an old hunter and trapper.
and the minute that he heard the owl boot
be decided to get him il he could.
DE went back into the house to slip on his
boots and get his gun. The moon was
shining, but Uncle ElishA's eyesight is not
as keen as it was once, and when he got
under the apple tree be couldn't see the owl.
with the idea OF stirring the bird up and
making It ny out Of the tree. IL it was still
there, ne picked up stone and threw 10
among the branches.
There was sort Of futtering noise among
the limbs and Mr.. HUFF tried to get sight OF
the bird, but the shadows we're too much for
him; he couldn't see is, and he let drive an
other stone. This time there was more noise
among the limbs, and Mr.. Huff thought he
saw the owl sitting high up in the tree. He
pulled up his gun in line with the dark
object and pulled the trigger. That same
instant Uncle Elisha heard a sort of a
squeal, and he got rap In the face that
knocked him fat.
When the old man fell HE elbow struck a
stone and his gun few oct Of his hand He
was little bit dazed at first but he soon
collected his senses. and saw sitting on the
branch of a ounce tree a few feet away two
immense white owls
Mr.. Huff Immediately began 60 get onto
his feet, but he didn't reach them. When he
was on one knee ready to stand up the two
owls, with a savage squeal, shot out from
the ounce tree and struck the old man a
fearful blow on the side Of the head with
their claws.
Uncle Elisha topped over half stunned.
The blood was running down his face.
When he came to his mad was up, and he
jumped to his feet as quickly as his age
would permit him to. He had hardly
Strengthened up when the owls struck him
again. This time one of the birds hit him
in the head, the other struck him on the
cheat. The old man went down once more.
and the two owls still sat on the ounce tree
limb squealing and grinding their beaks to-
gether ominously. When Uncle Elisha
moved the birds shook their feathers saw
agely and made ready 10 pounce on him.
Mr.. HUFF hated to give up a couple of
owls, but he knew enough TO lie still while
thinking out plan for outwItting them.
He thought OF his dog and whistled to him.
The dog was asleep in his kennel out back Of
the house He was big, lazy animal CT the
spcClSs. I16 uodFu HIS LlhSr
ter's whistle and shsmbled out into the
garden.
When the dog got within ten feet of the
ounce bush the owls landed on his back,
and he moved faster than he had moved for
years in the direction of his kennel, yelping
painfully. Mr.. Huff seized upon this op-
portunity to get up, but he quickly lay
down again when the owls left the dog and
started for the ounce tree.
Once Mr.. Huff started to crawl toward
the house on his hands and knees, but he
was brought to a halt by the owls. They
lit on his back and pounded his head and
sides Numerically with their wings.
The old fellow hated to acknowledge him
self beaten and he lay till after midnight
trying to think out some way OF escape from
his t0rmentors, but he couldn't do 1t and he
finally yelled at the top Of his voice for his
son to come out.
His son was about half awake when he
came into the garden in answer to his
fathers calls. He woke up, however, when
one Of the owls came at him with squeak
The young man retreated to tie houss and
got his gun. When he returned to the gar
den bis father was still laying on the ground
and the owls occupied the limb Of the
ounce bush. Young Huff was a crack
shot. and taking both birds In at long range.
ne let bobh barrels OF his gun go az them
They tumbled to the ground dead.
The owls were very large. One measured
81 feet across the wings from tip TO tip.
The other measured few inches less.