Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-14
ATTACKED! BY A COUGAR.
Tho Beast Leaped Full at the Locomotive
OF An Express Train. ArsS7.---

OF an Express Train.
To do battle with huge ~
tain lion Z feet in length anu
253 pounds in weight, on trestle
at night, is the thrilling experience
that befen Edward c. Depew, an en-
gineer on the Great Northern rail.
road. The fierce beast leaped at the
engine aid narrowly escaped crash
ing through the window of the cab.
Altogether the episode was one OF
the most exciting that a railroad
man has ever experienced. Mr.. De- \
pew's statement is as follows:
II was the engineer in charge OF
engine No. 219 of the Great North
ern, which was attacked by mon
ster cougar, or mountain lion. was
pulling the overland passenger train
going east, and as we were few
minutes late we were trying to
make up little time. After we had
left Lowell, and almost two milea
east of there, about half way across
a long trestle, my fireman, George
Lawrence, jumped down off his
seat box and came quickly to my
side of the engine. ! noticed a star
tied look on his face, and, turning
quickly, asked what was the matter.
but he did not speak. All he could
do was to glare through the window
of the cab and point ahead. I looked
ahead and saw, through the dark
ness, some black looking object on
the track. My first thought was Of
some obstruction on the track. For
a second the thought of jumping
flashed through my mind, but I ban.
ished it. This takes quite while to
tell, but it could only have been
few seconds at. the most in which it
all happened.
"As soon as I saw the obstruction
on the track I felt that a possible
accident was at hand. Nothing could
be DONE We were too close to the
danger, and the fright had the same
effect on me that it had on Law
renee. 1t took away my power Of
speech Instinctively crawled out
ef the cab on to the side Of the en-
| CINE. The train dashed on, and an
instant after I had discerned 'tne
form.I saw the monsters eyes nash'
ing through the darkness, green
and yellow by turns. Lawrerc.ee was
still in the cab, speechless, win 1iA'
ed eyes, and finger outstretcleu W
ward the animal. His exple.ssloh
was friobtfn1 RI lool, nnon As the
train approached the lion coulo
see it prepare to spring, and tinaliy,
when the leap was made, the force
was astonishing. To jump then was
certain death, for we were right. III
the center of the trestle, and yeS az
the lion made it's leap I could q
most feel its hot breath on my
throat.
when the engine crashed into
the beast, or it crashed into the en-
gine, whichever way you wish to
put it, the lion fell back on to the
trestle, writhing rs if in frightful
agony, and then, for the first time,
I realized that the danger was over,
I learned afterward that the cougar,
after we had struck it, lodged in the
cross ties of the trestle. Itwasfound
there by the train crew of engine
49S, who picked it up and brought
tito Skykomish. There twas skin.
ned. The claws were taken by some
of the other firemen and engineers,
who had watch charms made of
them, which are very attractive
and look somewhat like the emblem
worn by the knights Templars.
The beast was still alive when the
men of No. 49S discovered it, but its
hind legs We're. cut off, and when
the men got down to investigate
they kept at a safe distance until il
was known to be dead. In fact,
Foreman John q. Wright would not
&c near it until he had emptied a
couple of chambers Of his revolver
into it. Then they fastened it to the
cowcatcher.-Lowell (Wash. Lette,
In Philadelphia Times.
The JOURNAL and Toledo Blade for
only S1.25 cash.
Burning, itching skin diseases in
stantly relieved by DeWitt's Witch Hazel
salye, uneq naled for cuts, bruises, burns II
heals without leaving scar, G. W. Houston.
-------------------
STRAYED.-from my place in Sec.
81, Melville township, bull calf about
6 months old and weighs about 400
pounds, red and white, white face, on
Sept. 18th. Inform
JOHN BUTTERTON,
Audubon, Iowa.
A few weeks ago the editor was taken
with very severe cold that caused him
to be in most miserable conditions. 1t
was undoubtedly bad case of la grippe
and recognizing itas dangerous he took
immediate steps to bring about speedy
cure. From the advertisement of Cham.
berlain's Cough Remedy and the many
good accommodations included therein
we concluded to make first trial OF
the medicine. To say that it was sat.
iSfHctOrV in its raSultS 10 nI,tt;,., 8, II S,.,r,,