Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-02
MANY WILD BEASTS.
THEY MAY BE FOUND IN THE NEIGH
eoRhooD OF CHARLESTON.

Tho truth IL that II circle be described,
with the city hall as center and radius
of Is or go milcf, there may DO found
within Its limits ut least 90 different spo-
cios Of wild animals, several Of them In
sufficient numbers to make thor capture
for tho sake Of their skins profitable ON.
ploymcnt. The list consists of tho black
bear, the bny lynx or wildcat, tho grny
fox, tho Virginia door, tho raocoon, the
postum, tho gray rabbit, the swamp rab.
bit, tho polpcnt or skunk, the mink, the
Canada otter. the fox squirrel tthrco VA.
rotics), tho Carolina gray squirrel, the
flying squirrel, four species OF rats, four
species OF mice and three species Of ground
niolo or shrcws. All these are found in
considerable numbers, while some, even of
the larger and moro important, aro very
abundant.
In addition to these the common seal is
nm occasional though raro visitor In the
hurbor, while the panther the beaver and
tho wolf have become extinct in this cir
cult within ono or two generations, the
latter having been killed within 80 miles
OF the city In tho momory Of men now Nv
Ing II we extend our circle to include
the limits OF the state, We must onlnt 20
our list by eight or ten more species, such
ns tho rod fox, the woodchucs or ground.
hog. the muskrat, tho ground squirrel md
several others, while tho panther, wolf and
beaver may possibly DO still found very
rarely In the wild regions Of the Blue Ridge.
OF all these unfamiliar ncighbors tho
black bear is by far the most interesting.
Strange Us 1t may sccm, he is not rnrc
survival or an occasional visitor but
constant inhRbitant and quite ms abundant
as aily OF his family in any part Of the
world except the huge white seal hunting
savage Of the ice foes. Indeed he Is far
more abundant in some Of our near river
swamps than tho terrible "silvor tip" or
grizzly In any part Of the Rockies.
Docp In tho recosses OF the dcnscst emo
brakes, beneath tho shadows of tho nnccs-
trail Expresses or under the roots OF some
fallen patriarch Of tho oak knobs, no
makes his lAir as comfortably rs In tho
rock shelters OF the Blue Ridge. His trucks,
like huge, misshapen, human footmurks,
may be seen In the mud OF tho creek banks
In the moro secluded portions Of tho
swnmps, together with those Of the "pos.
sum and tho coon, d" the otter, squirrel,
deer and other dwcllcrs under the cypress.
You may visit these gloomy haunts OF his
daily for yonrs without seeing any moro OF
him, though ho may often SEQ you, for he
moves but shyly In daylight, littlo OF
which at best pcnotrntes the dnnk and
moss hung gloom OF his favorito resort.
To ride through tho tangled mnzes Of
the swhnips on an August day IL weird
end difficult experience, and you would
mover dream Of tho varied md exuberant
life which teoms around you. If the river
Is "down"-and only then can you rido at
hll-you may leave tho oak ridges and ven-
ture. though not safely without guide,
through tho narrow and tortuous trails
which lead through the cane, your horse
ietlock deep In sticky mud, the rough md
laDcolike leaves of the bamboo brushing
your face, and myrlnds Of mosquitoes,
huge, black and sayagoly blood thirsty, as
sailing you Mt every step. On every side
tho spectral trunks OF tho cypress tower
above you, clothed IN great twisted vines
and crowned 100 feet in the air with the
long, dropping festoons Of the Spanish
moss, while impenetrnble thickets OF tan
gled briers forbid tho least departure from
tho path In winter you would be almost
deafencd by the quncklng Of countless
multltndes Of mallard ducks, but now nos
u sound Is to ho heard save tho droning OF
insects and the occasional offer OF some in.
NlNlbAN NaIbINT W SUI 1Du LlChtN 10 tuf
railroad cheap" And yet hundreds Of keen
eyes are watching you.
Flat on the highest limb Of some tall cy.
press the gray squirrel Is peering at you
through tho moss. SO close that you have
almost ridden over him, crouchod close to
tho cool damp leaves OF his bod, an old
buck has been watching your every move
mont his velvet covered horns laid
back on his graceful neck. Tho great
liquid eyes OF the woodcock are all about
you. a flock OF turkeys Is noisolcssly scu..
Ting away with dropping wings and nocks
stretched out, while dozen or two OF
wood ibises, motionloss as II carved in
white md black marble, IRE noting your
progress and guessing your purpose from
tho limb OF some dead giant far beyond
tho range Of your rifle. And yet you think
yourself alone.
But tho bonr knows better, for he has
been watching you, too, and not liking
this human Intrusion on his wild domain
he has dropped from his erect posture md
Is heavily ambling of through the thick.
rst underground 10 some more private
hnunts, 1t mny be ton miles away. Sud.
denly no stops and shifts tho mir, for hc
Inns heard the gruntlng OF pack OF half
wild pigs, and he has Teutonic weakness
FOR raw ham, unrestricted by any fear OF
trichinosis. If tho hogs nro down thu
wind, he knows that they will soon catch
his scent, and continues on his way with
out further regarding them. But il they
nrc to windward, ho recognizes u chance,
md promptly takes 1t. Stretching his huge
black body on tho ground, ho lnys his head
on lis fOrc paws and awaits Developments.
Nearer and nearer come the grunters, root
lug as they go among the rustling dead
leaves and stopping from time to timo to
munich an acorn or crack n half giiawed
hickory nut. Nearer and nearer they come,
their llttlo slanting eyes too busliy search.
,ng for toothsome morsels to noticc the
shaggy mass which is almost hidden by
the dense urdergrovth, until one is with.
In q few feet of the watohful gorinand.
There is n sudden rush, a long suucal OF
pain and terror, chorus OF frightened
grunts and pnfterlng hoofs, and poor pig
gy lies crushed and bleeding under the
stroke OF that remorseloss paw.
No doubt bruin catches oven tho wary
turkey by device that have known him
to prnctice on domestic poultry when Won.
turing too near his captive chaln-namely,
scattering his food as bait and protond.
ing sleep until thcy fed up within reach Of
his deadly stroke. charleston News urd
Courier.
More Than Specified.