The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-29
WHITNEY'S WEEKLY
BUDGET OF NEWS
JIM LEE AND DOGS CAPTURE A
WILD CAT.
Another Dream Vanishes-Some Side
Issues Suggested by Thanksgiv-
ing-Heard in Railroad Circles.
Stories of Freak Farms-Brooklyn
Mans Rabbit Enterprise.

Ildu
Special to the Scranton Tribune.
susquehanna, Nov. 2S.-Jlm Lee and
his two dogs treed a big wildcat near
Melrose on Monday night. The cat hid
in the branches of a tree, and, while
Lee was clrcling around In the brush
and fallen timber to catch sight of the
beast, IT sprang with a scream on his
back. The cat struck Lee with such
force that it knocked him down.
Immediately the two dogs flew at
the animal to protect their master, and
a terrific rough-and- tumble fight fol-
lowed. The dogs made 1t so hot for the
cat that it ran up another tree, and
Lee shot it dead. 1t weighed thirty
eight pounds.
ANOTHER DREAM VANISHES.
The current report, that the Erie
Railroad company was about to build
short cut across Wayne county from
Lackawaxen to Honesdale, and another
from somewhere across to Owego, to
shorten the main line of the road, be-
tween New York and Chicago, is pro-
nounced by Secretary Middleton, Of the
Erie. to have no foundation.
Thus, by one fell blow, the pet dc.
lusion of Bre'r Haines of the Homes
dale Independent is knocked higher'n
Giroy's kite. 1t deserved a better
fate. r. I. p.
SEVERAL SIDE ISSUES.
Antelope meat is deer.
Bre'r Turky wears resigned look
l. tt.
Flannel cakes have supplanted fried
snowballs in popularity.
Tennyson wrote his first verses where
the average saloon-keeper puts his re-
verses-on slate.
A Uniondale man waited until he was
eighty-three years old before he got
married. That's like running three
miles to get a start for a fourteen
inch jump.
A man may not care fig for dates,
and yet possess a perfect mania for
collecting calendars and almanacs.
Anent the water agitation in Carbon
dale, it is more than probable that con-
siderable water is used in the old city
for manufacturing purposes!
When a merchant makes an assign
ment "for the benefit of his credit
Ors." you'd wonder where the benefit
comes in if you heard the creditors
swear.
A new holiday book has for it's title,
"A Young Wife's Greatest Trial" 1t
is probably to find out whether it
would be proper to starch her dear
husbands shirt all over, or only the
bosom and cuffs.
1t was in Forest City, at the close of
wedding dinner. One of the guests,
a Carbondale man, arose, glass in hand.
and said: Il drink to the health of
the bridegroom. May he see many days
like this!" The intention was good; but
the bride looked as if something had
| displeased her.
IN RAILROAD CIRCLES.
Thieves have been stealing copper
| pipes from locomotives in Susquehanna
and Binghamton, during the past few
| days. Erie detectives have made sew
eral arrests, and others are to follow.
Just now, LackawaXen is quite an
important railroad point. She is likely
| to become famous, very soon.
The Erie is handling a great guam
tity of apples from Wayne county.
| old Susquehanna boy, now acting presi-
| dent of the Queen and Crescent road
is soon to be offered a very lucrative
| position.
Delaware and Hudson firemen are
| pleased with the recent material in
crease in wages.
The Binghamton board of trade will
make another effort to build the Bing-
hamton and Williamsport railroad.
The Erie and the Delaware and Hud-
son are keeping the jefferson branch
| red-hot. There is not a buster stretch
of road in the state.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
Two Mormon elders a few days ago
visited the old McKune homestead, in
| Oakland township, where Joe Smith
| and his pals translated CD the Book
| of Mormon.
Land has not yet been purchased in
| Susquehanna county for that proposed
| state hospital. Let us indulge the
| hope that the proposed asylum was not
| for public purposes only.
A prominent Lackawanna county
| railroad man, who is something of a
| prophet and seer. predicts that the
| Tunkhannock, Nicholson and Lanes
boro railroad will be built in less than
| five years. 1t would open up a good
stretch of country to navigation"
SOME FREAK FARMS.
Many farmers in Susquehanna coun-
| ty are preparing to go into some "spe-
| cialty' farms next season. The pro-
! posed products include tomcats, ,skunks,
weasels, rabbits and frogs Herman
| Edwards, of Sherman, will devote five
| acres to raising and breeding Angora
| cats. These sell as high as $25 each.
| His nearest neighbor, a mile away,
| Will have a leech farm. 1t will be the
only one in the country. The industry
| Will be carried on in moss-filled watts.
| A Brooklyn man expects to have a
rabbit farm. The first year he expects
! TO raise 100000 rabbits. The meat will
be edible, and the pelts will be in great
| demand, and many of the rabbits will
be sold as pets, A Lynn farmer will
| have skunk farm. He expects to
have a thousand of the night blooming
| scriouses the first year. Quite a num-
Der Of Great Bend township farmers
| will raise peppermint. Abe Swisher. of
Ararat will indulge in an extra freak .
ish notion. He will artifcially fatten
| watermelOns. The farmers will do IL
| by performing a surgical operation on
| the stem, inserting a cotton fuse which
| will be passed through the cork of a
| hottie full Of sWaatanA5 u,otor Lyoo,,