Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-03-24
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE,
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.


ing Wildcats Alone-A woman's Fierce
Battle With Wolves in the Northwest.
Miss Cornie Chittendon is only
nineteen years Of age, but more game
has fallen before her unerring rifle
during the past six years than can be
placed to the credit of many male
hunters in the neighborhood of her
home at Cummings, Cal. Game has
been especially plentiful around that
section of the country lately, and Miss
Chittendon has taken the full advan-
tage of the fact During the past six
years no less than forty-fv fat deer
have fallen to her gun, fifteen of these
having been killed by her during the
past year.
Miss Chittendon possesses the keen
est instincts of sportswoman. Since
babyhood she has been accustomed to
live an outdoor, self-reliant life. Her
parents, with whom she had been
brought up, own o sheep ranch of
some four hundred acres, part of it
having been pretty rough country, and
over this and the surrounding forests
and hills Miss Chittendon has been
accustomed to roam at will almost
since she was first able to toddle. Her
education would have been incomplete
had she not been thoroughly trained
in the use of firearms. When quite a
little girl she was taught how to handle
a gun, and very soon became so expert
in its use that she could hit bird on
the wing three times out of five.
When she reached the age OF twelve
Miss Chittendon began to look for
bigger game than that lich passed
on the wing over her fathers ranch,
and very soon her rifle was
heard speaking in the surround
ing country, where gathered the deer,
coons, foxes, wildcats, and even fiercer
game. The mere killing of deer and
carrying home its antlers as u trophy
did not long satisfy Miss Chittendon's
ambitious soul, SO one day she de-
cided to astonish the folk at home
by taking back with her an abundant
supply of deer meat for the domestic
larder. The first deer she shot that day
she proceeded to dress after a novel
fashion originated by herself. Tying
a rope to the horns of the deer, n
noble animal with fine eight -pronged
set of antlers, she threw the rope over
the branch of a tree, fastened the end
to the pommel of her saddle, and
whipped up the horse, thus pulling
the deer into position for dressing. In
this way she was able to dress the
deer with ease and take it proudly
home on the horses back. Since then
she has gone out alone on hunting
trips, and has always dressed the
game she killed and brought it back
with her ready for cooking.
Last winter Miss Chittendon devel-
oped fancy for hunting wild animals
and trapping wild animals and coons,
which abound in the forest around her
fathers ranch. She has had many en-
counters with fierce wild hogs, which,
single handed and alone, she has at
tackled and killed with her gun,
weapon she handles with the ease
acquired by most women only after
half lifetime of practice. Her faith
er's ranch is hung around with the an
tiers of deer and the tusks of wild ami
mails, while the floors are covered with
the furs of foxes, bears and wildcats
that have fallen before the deadly aim
of this modern Diana. All the accom-
plishments of past mistress in for
estry are hers. She knows the mean
ing of all the signs that guide
trained hunter that is following the
trail of game, and can track wildcat
Or fox with the unerring instinct of
an Indian.
On one occasion she followed for
five hours the trail of wildcat that
had been prowling around her fathers
ranch and doing great damage to the
live stock. Following the trail up
hill, down dale and through woods for
several miles, she at last came upon
the wildcat crouching in the boughs
of an enormous tree. Being unable,
on account of the intervening branches,
to get fair shot at the animal, Miss
Chittendon's first bullet clipped
twig and went wide of the mark. The
wildcat sprangat Miss Chittendon, but
before it could reach her she had
loaded again and met its rush with
ball fairly between the eyes. She
treasures the skin of this animal as
one of her most highly valued tro-
phies.