The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-07-28
A WISE COON THIS
Deceived Two Dogs by Jumping Un-
der a Fence n Coon and Conn
ing Out n Rabbit.

been champion coon hunter of the Pee
Dee country. Scores of willy ringtails
have fallen victim to his cunning, and
stories of his exploits have been spread
far and wide by sportsmen who accom-
panied him on his hunts. Duckers from
the north and west regard coon hunt
with Martin as one of the features of
their outing. He guarded corn patches
and hen roosts against midnight depre-
dations, and farmers are distressed now |
that he has forsworn coon hunting. |
A few nights ago he took several deep |
pulls at dispensary bottle and strad-
died a sack of coffee in Ben Edges |
grocery to give his reasons for swear
ing off, as something due the commun-
ity.
at happened this way" he began.
"The fellows as 1 took hunting told
coon stories in newspapers and sent me
the papers all ink marked. came al
most to believe their yarns and thought
1 was smarter than any coon that ever
shucked an ear of corn. To ketch coons
you got to remember they are wise
and you are a fool; else you can't start
| low down to get around their tricks.
freeing, shaking down and a fight will
do for she coons. He coons is different.
Besides their strength and endurance,
every one has his own way to dodge
dogs.
"Not long ago Jim Dickson sent me
word that q he coon was eating all his
corn down in bottom next the swamp,
He knew it was he coon cause he
couldn't ketch him. took General Lee
| and Stonewall Jackson over to help
Jim out. General Lee is cur with
little hound and little p'inter in him,
and Stonewall Jackson is a half hound
and half bull. They've got sharp
noses, pluck, endurance, strength and
character enough not to run rabbits,
foxes or possums under no carcum-
stances. Best of all, they don't get
jealous like real officers in the milin-
tary.
"Me and the dogs ran that coon
through water, bogs, rattan, grape
vines, brambles, canebrakes and
cypress knees, and would We run him
through the Atlantic ocean if it had
been in the swamp instead of somewhere
else. Every time General Lee and
Stonewall Jackson trailed out to high
land and lost the scent at a rail fence.
I tried all manner of circling and hold
ing General Lees nose along the top
rail, but had to give it up for bad
job. One night made a niger stand
at the fence to see what the coon did
with himself. Sambo, that's his name,
swore to gracious that a coon went
under the fence, turned around and
came out rabbit. All the niggers got
} scared. They took it into their heads
was chasing my graudfather's ghost.
The thing did look kinder curious, but
made up my mind to ketch him any
how, though Jim's corn was safe in the
crib and mine wasn't.
81 wore out both dogs, and had to fall
back on ours. Curlike, when the coon
went under the fence and the rabbit
came out, they lit off after him, yelping
like they were trailing box car full
of coons. went home powerful mad at
cur dogs. Next night / went again with
, ours, cause was bound to keep things
lively. 1t took holt of me to ketch that
coon like n leech takes holt of a rot
) ten log. And we caught him. That is
the ours got in fight with him under
the fence, and busted his brains out
with a club before he had time to lick
, them and get away.
"The thing seemed simple enough
after 1 found out, but it showed how
much sense a he coon can have. A rab-
3 bit had his bed under the fence, into
, which the coon ran when he got tired
> poking fun at me and my dogs. Nat
! urally, the rabbit got out, and in doing
so brushed his sides against the mouth
of the bed. Rabbit scent among wild
animals is like goat scent among tame
ones. It's rank. At the first sniff both
, dogs were completely fooled. After
the ours made a moonlight meal on the
rabbit trailing was easy. What want
to know is how in thunder Mr.. Coon
found out he was safe in rabbit bed
. and that General Lee and Stonewall
9 Jackson wouldn't cross rabbit trail.
II took the coon home and let General
, Lee and Stonewall Jackson smell him
! They stuck their tails between their
legs and sneaked off with their bellies
close to the ground. Both are ashamed
. to look anybody in the face. While ]
!. was hunting all night and sleeping all
Y day November rains gave my corn the
sprouts. One look at the meal made my
wife so mad that had to swear off coon
hunting to pacify her."-N. Y. Sun.
Artificial Daylight.