The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-23
BLOOD WILL TELL
How Susie Killed the Wild Cat.
Written for The RenubIicap nv "Wr


ninety years ago, when Meshach
Browning was. acquiring uncon-
sclous fame IN the enactment of
those thrilling experiences so fasci-
mating and so graphically delin-
Gated in "Fortv-four Years of a
Hunters Life" another hunter, no
less ardent in the chase, no less in
defatigable in the pursuit of game,
no less skillful with the unerring
rife, was living and moving in
another section of what is now the
territory of Garrett county.
Thomas Wilson, for that is the
name of the hunter referred to,
lived on the North branch of the
Potomac, on the place now occu-
pied by Ebenezer Kitzmiller. Along
with Meshach Browning, Joe Davis
and others, he did his full part to.
wards Kidding the county of its su-
perabundance of wolves, bears,
panthers, wild cats and other AMI
mails which infested these glades,
hills and mountains. and which
took unstlnted toll from the hogs,
sheep, poultry and even cattle of
the poor farmers.
Mr.. Wilson was especially a great
wolf hunter and used to 60 long
distances at the summons of the
people to track up and destroy the
dens of wolves preying on their
sheep.
lie hunted up along the North
branch, along the Backbone and
the Allegany mountains, and in the
glades. About the first of Novem
Der deer, and especially the bucks
used to 60 from the Nobley and the
Allegany mountains to the glades.
Fer two or three weeks all the deer
tracks would be going in that d.
rection, and then the last of Deem
Der, at the end of the "r1nning"
season as the hunters termed 1t, the
tracks would all be directed back
towards the Allegany mountains.
Mr.. Wilson had camp in the
glades at which he usually spent
six weeks to two months Of the
hunting season, during which time
he would kill on an average 60 to
80 deer. But this does not include
the deer and bears and other ami
mails killed all the year round at
other places. He used to tell of
killing eight fine bucks one summer
at lick on the place which after
wards became the farm of his son
James. Like Mr.. Browning, Mr..
Wilson also reared a numerous fam
lily of thrifty and intelligent sons
and daughters, thirteen of whom
grew to manhood and womanhood,
and when he died in 1864 at the
age of SO he had nearly 300 de-
eendants scattered from the old
homestead on the Potomac to the
Golden Gate at San Francisco.
But | am ligresslng-it was not of
Thomas Wilson that | intended to
write but of little incident which
occurred out on the Backbone one
day last week in which Susan Moon,
grand daughter, was principal
actress and which shows that the
hunters instinct has not abated in
the family.
Susie, as she is Familiarity known,
is the wife of Mr.. Geo. W. Moon;
is general favorite, full of life
and animation and is a very useful
and helpful member of society and
is often called on in times of sick
ness or trouble. She has always
been something of tomboy. for IT
she had her choice she would pre-
fer to 90 a-fshlng or to a sheep
shearing rather than to quilting
or to ii W. G. L. |. meeting.
George had gone away somewhere
and Susie went out to look for the
sheep, taking old Grover (for that is
the dogs name) along with her.
After finding the sheep and seeing
that they were all right, she was
about retracing her steps homeward,
when suddenly her attention was
attracted by the fierce barking of
Grover out in the edge of the woods.
On going to see what it was all
about she found him at the root of
a tree and looking up what should
she see perched il. the top of the
tree but very large wild cat, if in
deed 1t was not catamount. SUSIE
gazed up into the tree and looked
the "varmlnt" square in the face.
She did not scream for help, she
never thought so much as once
about falnting, she did not get be-
hind tree and say "shoo' at him.
No indeed, not she. The blood of
great hunter was coursing in her
VEINS and she meant to kill that
wild cat.
lie looked awfully big up IN the
tree and she began to calculate how
many spring lambs it would take to
carry n catamOunt the SIZE Of that