The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18

A story the Late Founder OF the Thirteen Club
Was Moved TO Tell.

Capt. William Fowler. the founder OF our
club, who died a few days ago" said a member
OF the Thirteen Club. was a fellow of infinite
jest and a master in the making and telling OF
good and fitting stories. ! joined the Thirteen
Club in 1883, q few days before the recurrence
OF the clubs annual dinner. A number of us
were at the knickerbocker Cottage, Their kept
by Capt. Fowler. The number l3. as THE SUNS
obituary notice on the Captain stated, had al.
ways beer sinGularly connected with events in
his life, and we had been talking about it that
evening. when suddenly the Captain. with a
twinkle in his eye. and in his droll manner, said
$50 Sept. 10. 1870, | was hunting on the
Namakatlne oarrcus. up in sullivan county. /
wasn't looking for panthers. Deer was what
had enticcd me out there. and | was in shape not
TO raise any objections to a bear Il one should
come my way. One OF the barrels OF my gun was
loaded with Is buckshot.
81 had been trimp.nS over the barrens on
this particular day-the bar7cns. by the way.
interjected the Captain. arc by exact measure
mcnt exactly 1913 feet above tide. had been
tramping over the bar-ens on this particular
day. and hadn't seen anything that might indi-
cate that there ever had been even as IN uch as a
chipEunk proving around there. when sudden
ly | heard a great noise OF to my right. Turning
quickly. | sGy. a tremendous and fcTce-,ooklnS
animal tearing straight toward me through the
DTlsn. l TtGJ1nlLcl IL Al once as n panther. and
up with any gun and whaiacd the contents OF
my buck,Lut barrel at it. The panther gave a
yell that made me turn pale. but he stopped. and
stopped for good.
always step inst three feet when | walk
alwaySand Invariably. continued Ia" Captain.
Il never knew one OF my steps to lacS o.: exceed
that measurement by the fraction OF an inon. |
walked toward ,As dead p6nthc | Icm"m
bescd .ltcrwarn that took Just four ,,eps.
was not. quite the length OF my foot lacked an
inch. My loot. clad. Is thirteen inches long. The
4 = "A zoo from l. hRr.g I shot - fla -. nF 100 u,A
the spot where II fel! was consequently Just l3
feet:
unexpected adventure, bnt oy, and by began
dragging my big game out TO the road. IL Was a
At the place where I struck the road was a
small house. IsHc,cc'ct in .c;t!ng \ horse and
wagon there. As tho rls that was TO come, along
along hntii tOwar night. After 40 hal loaded
the panther Into the wagon | asked the hoy who
was to drive me m now gar II was 10 Wurtsboru.
Just thirteen miles, he replied, and
we've got a hill for every mile.
I'VE got. 10 Wurtsooro. and when I looked
AZ my watch | saw that W had been thirteen
minutes over three hours making the thirteen
miles. hrgan to IND fault with the boy for
Well. said nc. that's a tough road. and
think IEc cone iiTst rate. belns th.s horse was
thirteen years on the canal before we got him,
anu Ihit WIS thiFteeA years ago to-day, Just tho
day | wls born.
great excitement in ta't locality. but l.. wasn't
until ] counted the pdnthGr,s teeth md found
that there were oR.y - left. aud then found
that from the tin .! na -aogt to the tip OF
his long, -icnGer tail lie me IsUrci Ju-t II ieet.
that ! hcgan Ia think thOat the peculiar com
hlnation o: the 10 business II '.r a~Iair-Scpl.
IL, l,3l3 feet ar0ve TIC, - h]E,hsIuI Ia my
gun, panther ~ lcet long, with 10 teeth. drop
ping dead with those - h]u"E,not n il. ~ feet
from where | trcl, - mlic- rom Wurtsbnro.
and IL hills on the .oad, boy Is Years ola that
very sept. -. driving Il horse That mad hccn -
years on, the canal ana - yc,rs in the boys
family | tel. !uu. / began 70 think = little about
these COInLii Nn,ra, AMI
Then tho Captain ]stopped. assumed an cx,
preston of Sudden as'Onishnrnt, and eN-
claimed:
-, Why. good gracious. sept. 10. 1870, That
will be just ThIr,"cA years 40 nrNt annual din,
ing day OF this Thirteen Cub! Gentlemen.
Comet
we came, and an hour or So later. when we
adjourned, th'r were thirteen bulging-baae /
cOrk5 on the -ilcuO Ird.'