The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-06
THE WILDCAT FRIeHrENER.

gu remember tnat Trip l made out |
through Michigan over a year ago |
doubtless" said Jackson Peters. 81
never told you Of the odd genius | met
at Pontiac, who was going to do away
with carpets on floors by sticking little |
pieces Of carp ting on the feet with
mucilage"
jackson, | was just on the point of
telling a story about little idea of my
own when | lived in Iowa several years
ago Enrich us with the tale of youi
bright young friend some other tin e.
eyes, returned Peters, "lt does very
well for you to say that, but my story
was going to be a true one"
young man." answered Jones, "you
seem to forget that am your former
teacher. The memories of the district
school at Hemlock Hollow appear to
be deserving you"
Give us your story, JUnes-give us
your story" said Smith, encouragingly.
81 was going to" replied Jones at
was number of years ago. | was
living out in Iowa, near Des Mones.
My place was on the Des Moines River
bottom, and the bluffs were literally
alive with wild cats The wild cats
from all over the country seemed to be
in the neighborhood that year holding
wild Cat Worlds Fair-a fact, gentle
men, had fancy stock farm, and
between the resident and visiting wild
cats they played the very deuce with
my blooded chickens | don't need to
tell you, gentlemen, that | am MORALLY
afraid of a gun"
Seems to me that's pretty serious
admission for man to make who, only
last night, was telling how, down in
Arkansas he used to spring up bears
with a fourinch hickory plank, and
shoot them on the wing like clay pig
cons, said Jackson Peters
Gan idle tale, Jackson, an idle tale.
A man must relax a little sometimes.
As was"
But you offered to bet fifty dollars
couldn't shoot those wildcats, you
see, so what could l do? Night after
night they walked off with my choicest
fowls One day bright idea occurred
to me. 1t was nothing more nor less
than every time heard any disturbance
among the chickens to put my head
out Of the window and call out Scat
in loud voice
Here the narrator paused and looked
at Jackson Peters deiantly. But
Peters only blew a cloud of smoke
ceilingward and arched his brows
"That was a clever notion" OBJ
served Robinson, Every clever notion.
Worthy to rank with your plan for ex.
tracing the latent energy from tramps.
"No, Robinson, no" answered Junes,
smiling, and evidently much gratidtd
mo, you are too kind My tramp ded
showed genius such things come to a
man but once in his lifetime this was
simply an indication of special talent
for dealing with wildcats. STILL If you
would believe it, my plan proved utterly
valueless as far as frightening the cats
away was concerned. | seated my.
self hoarse every night for a week, still
those wildcats went right on carrying
away my poultry. But | felt that the
principle was a sound one, and looked
about for the weak point in the appica
ton of it. | soon found it, | was en-
ploying the same volume of scat for
wildcats which is used in the case OF
tame cats, and wildcats are three times
bigger than tame cats. Ny first thought
was Of speaking trumpet, but | soon
decided against it. | determined t.
make clean sweep Of the whole mat
ter / sent to Chicago and got an i'm
proved Edison phonograph with intenSi
flying attachment. | set the intensiher
at the ratio of three to one. | then
shouted battery of seats into the re
celver in my natural tane-Cat driving
voice. l wound up the clock-wurk,
and set the photograph near my hen.
house. A small wire connected the
CloCk-work with the hen. house, so that
a cat entering the door would set the
phonograph off, causing it to speak
once. | went to bed, gentlemen, and
slept soundlY till morning. After break
ldSl my lOlCllIdH lOlU me lNdl al ABOUT
midnight, when the first wildcat started
to enter my chicken coop to feloniously
abstract my poultry, that monograph
sort of cleared its throat and remarked
Scat ? in voice which ratified the
windows. Gentlemen, my foreman was
man in whom ! had the utmost con
fidence, and he told me that after that
phonograph spoke he observed a long,
gray streak of wildcat reaching from
my hen house door to the underbrush
about two hundred yards distant. The
same phenomenon was noted by my
foreman in the case of subsequent cats.
lost no more chickens through the
depredations offhis obnoxious form of
yermin."
Jones paused and lit his cigar, which
had gone out. He blew an aggressive
cloud at the lamp, elevated his chin,
and looked at Jackson Peters.
Peters rested his cheek in his hand
and seemed thoughtful After some
seconds he drew long breath,
and said; Zones, may l trouble you to
tell US when this interesting and valu.
able incident took placer.
"Certalnly Jackson certainly In