The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
WILD BEASTS VERY hold.
Hard weather N1akea Fine Hunting In Thts
Psunsylvnnin Valley.

Pennsylvania Valley.
HUNTINGDON, Pa, Feb. 12.-The severity Of
the weather recently and the depth Of snow on
the mountains have driven game OF all kinds
into the valleys. and likewise their natural
enemies. the wildcats and foxes. In various
parts of this county deer have boon seen feeding
in the fields; wild turkeys have associated with
the farmers domestic fowls, and wildcats and
foxes have boldly invaded hen roosts under the
very eyes of tho owners. The scarcity of food
on the mountains has SO emboldened the wild.
cats that their raids on the farmers poultry ore
of almost nightly occurrence. On Thursday
night Peter Posten. an aged army veteran
Of HUI Valley. after a severe encounter,
killed q wildcat that had been attracted
recent re mt ba Stsh%hsies y Pfostse ne is fe a noted hunter on a
ana has q pack q line foxhounds. soon otter 70.
connection among his dogs near the harm: He
hastily dressed himself and went to the barn,
with buckshot. On the way he found his favor.
tte hound lying lead In the road. A few steps
hurt. He found his three remaining dogs In a
ferco combat with a large wildcat, which, on the
farmers approach. sprsng upon an oyerhnngi.pg
made q second spring, and landed on Mr.. Pos
verely. Mr.. Posten stopped down and his dogs
again attacked the wildcat and drove IL of:
4 feet and 3 inches from tip to tip.
On the same night, In Juniata township, three
miles from this city. three children of Francis
Corbin, n farmer, had an exciting encounter
with q wildcat while returning to their home
from n neighbor's. In q thickly wooded part of
the road, at the base of Terrace Mountain,
young Corbin, who Is but IA years old, and his
two younger sisters observed an animal in ad.
vance OF them which they supposed was O dog.
Tho boy ran ahead and threw q stone at the
animal, which quickly ran. up on overhanging
pine tree. This convinced young Corbin that
he had n wildcat to deal with. and. catching mp
his little sisters hands, he hurried toward
home. The children had run scarcely fifty
yards when the wildcat sprang from the tree
and pursued them. 1t made no attempt to at
tack them. but cohtented itself with playfully
running after them! The children's cries were
heard by their father. whose approach caused
the wildcat to disappear up the mountain. Lust
night Mr.. Corbin set a trap for the animal. with.
a fat hen for bait. and this morning he found
the wildcat securely caught by both fore feet.
One evening last week q big buck. with
spreading antlcrs. put up q stiff fight with O
stallion belonging to John c. Crownover. q
farmer Of Miller township. Tho buck, on turn
ing from the grain field whore 1t was feeding.
saw the stallion in an Enclosure noar the barn,
and, jumping the fence. attacked 1t viciously.
Mrs. Crownover. who was the only member OF
the family Mt homo. endeavored with. the aid OF
a hayfork to separate the warning animals. The
buck paid no attention to the woman and kept
on striking the stallion vigorously with his fore
hoofs. Tho stallion at last jumped the fence
and found shelter in the barnyard of neighbor-
ing farmer. Then the buck leapcd over the
fence and trotted Off to the nearby mountain.