The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-24
MYSTERY OF A COON HUNT.
Party of Young Men Have an Ex-
citing Night in the Woods.


hunt-or q raccoon hunt?
If you haven't and are thinking of
young man in Topeka today who can
give you pointers. There may be di-
versity in their ideas as to the best way
of hunting the animals, but that doesn't
matter. They all know because they
have all been there no longer ago than
Saturday night
One of the young men may tell you
that the only successful way to hunt
opossums is to first take a cold bath in
a country stream by dropping from the
limb OF tree elevated about 10 Feet
that you can never be so fortunate as
to capture a coon or 'possum unless you
first see green serpent with blue eyes
tWined about the trunk of a red tree.
But don't make the mistake of being be-
wildered by these slight differences in
opinion, for in giving You the desired in
formation the young men will naturally
be governed by their personal expert
ences.
The twelve young men in question left
this city about o'clock Saturday even
ton of Mission creek. They were ac-
companied by two guides, Ike and John
Paisley, an experienced 'pOSSum hunter,
John b own, and as a competent chaper-
on the well known hack proprietor, John
McBee, to say nothing of an aggregation
of eight blOodthirSty hounds and one
bulldog. Their departure was the oc-
caSIon or a gathering at Charlie Ea-
giles cigar store that would have done
credit to the farewell day of a volunteer
regiment.
Two wagons were used as the con-
veyances by the party, and the two
guides rode ahead in a single buggy.
The provisions and s--Dplies for the
midnight lunch were equally divided be-
tween the two wagons so that neither of
them would have any advantage over
the other.
BY midnight the teams had been sta
bled and the hunt commenced. Some of
the young men who had partaken of an
early supper, insisted that lunch be
provided before any work was done, but
vote was taken and the majority
ruled that at least one catch should be
made before refreshments were served.
With this little matter settled eyerv-
body entered into the hunt in earnest
It was not long until the yelping of the
hounds told that at least one animal
had been freed The members of the
party broke in the direction of the noise.
ana round SIX of the dogs at the foot
of tall tree, the trunk of which at the
base was so large that a man could not
reach around it. The 'possum hunter
came up and after looking at the dogs
eyes by the light of a lantern declared
that there was an animal in the tree
10 snow the boys how it was done he
threw off his coat pulled off his shoes
and started to climb toward the branch
es several feet overhead.
1t was hard work. for he had to find
creVlces IN the bark for his toes and fin
gers, but he managed to make good
Roadway and was almost in reach Of
the lowest limb when he missed his
foot1ng, his hands slipped and down he
Ie1l, striking one of the hounds and
knocking him breathless Luckily tba
ground about the tree was soft ana well
covered with leaves and the hunter was
only stunned for a few moments He
picked himself up, shook himself ap5
again started to climb
rms time he was successful and
reached the limbs without further acct
dent. In the tree he found two 'coons
instead OF one, and in a few minutes
succeeded in knocking them from the
branches. AS they fell to the ground
ths uogs bounced upon them and for
a rev minutes there was pandemoniun
at the foot of the tree. The coons
squealed, the dogs yeIped and barked-
ana the young men made the scene COM
piepe Dy yelling and clubbing at the
coons with sticks, more often lanf7iner
on the hounds than on the victims Of
the hunt
Before the two coons had been finish
ed the remainder of the hounds started
to yelp in another part of the woods
ana several of the young men, not ac-
lively engaged in the performance at
the foot of the big tree, made in that
direction. They found the dogs under
small tree, the branches of which
projected over the creek, and as all the
professionals were engaged in the other
kll1ng' one or the party essayed the
task OF going after the coon. He had
no difficulty in climbing the tree and
locating the coon on projecting limb
but just as he got within striking dis
tance and Stea died himself tn ma lxa the
fatal blow, he lost his balance and tl1rn-
bled headlong into the water There
was a splash and a yen, and his COM
rades rushed terror stricken down the
bank expecting to find him STRUGGLING
in the water and half drowned For |
however, the water at the
bank was very shallow. and they simply
found him pulling his feet out of the
mud and just wet enough to be uncOn1- |
He was hurried back to the |
fire to dry his clothes, while other mem |
bers of the party looked after the coon !
and succeeded in dispatching it.
After the capture of the three coons /
was made, lunch was spread and the /
party lounged about the fire for a /
couple of hours. It was finally decided, |
that three coons was not a
sufficient catch, and preparations were /
made to continue the hunt. One of the |
guides said that he knew of a woods |
bout q mile away where 'possumS |
abounded, and it was at once agreed |
that this woods should be sought. The |
party started out, headed by the guide, |
and took a small COW path which he /
declared would lead them straight to /
the desired location.
The remainder of the story of the !
hunt can be told by stating that the !
party walked the COW path until they /
were so weary that all lay down in a |
deserted stone quarry and slept until !
daylight The path was not the one |
the guide thought it was, but instead .
was a circular bovine boulevard around /
the base of a hill.
The party returned to this city about
noon yesterday. The young men who I
planned and participated in the hunt 1
were Mart Wikidal Frank Davis, Lon I
Davis, VIII Wikfdal, Oscar Woolverton, /
Charles Lagerstrom. Walter Smith, |
florence Ewart, George Esterly, Dave /
Lalxin, Clarence Horner and Pierre AL
aire.
NOSE TO CLAIM HIM.