Iron County register., 1899-02-16
UId Times.

Ed. Register-Just think! This ii
the 10th day of February, in the year
| of our Lord 1899, the sun shining and
| the mercury down to % below zero
my! And the snow near foot deep
| and all one can do is TO keep a good
| fire and eat, sleep. and look after the
| stock. So, as | can't do anything but
read and sit and think, l just thought
| would like to tell Mr.. Tom Whitney
that read his story about his first old
gobbler. Yes. sir, was much inter
and through, and all up and down
those steep hills and hollows, and have
eaten wild grapes and winter buckber-
ries all up and down the St. Francis
river and up and down Stout's Creek,
up and down Rock Creek; up and
down Brewers Creek, up and down Old
Washataw; and knew every hill and
hollow, every crook and turn in all
that country, way years and years ago.
and could just see in my minds eye
just how he looked hanging on to that
big old turkey, and him doing the high
and lofty kicking. l tell you / have
seen some high old times with those
old mountain gobblers. You just get
hold of an old 40-pounder by the neck
and try to wiring his neck, and il you
don't see sights don't know myself
that's all. Those old gobblers can out
kick the kickingest mule ever laid
eyes on. He can throw those old hind
legs higher and farther sidewise, and
pull himself back at the same time,
and hit harder with those old spikes
rags out of your clothes In five minutes,
than picking machine could in a half
day. Yes, sir, in all of my many years
in the wooos / never found anything of
it's size that could begin to kick like
an old gobbler.
And fight! My, they can fight the
strongest and the hardest! One of the
best and most Interesting fights I ever
saw was between bald eagle and an
old gobbler. / tell you it was interest
ing. / was way out in the mountains
noise just over the other side OF the
top of the mountain. So I slipped
along carefully with my eyes and ears
wide open. / could hear qur-r-r-r!
Qur-r-ri And every little while a
scream of an eagle. When I came
where l could see | saw one of the big
gest old gobblers standing just as
straight as an arrow, with his head
turned so as to look up. just then |
heard the eagle scream; at the same
time the eagle shot down to the turkey
~ \ :
in the air about as high as my head
from the ground, and the way feathers
flew was a sight! The eagle struck at
the turkey with his talons and his bill.
At the same time the turkey struck
out with those big drumsticks of his
and beat with his wings, and sent that
eagle about ten feet. As the eagle re-
covered himself and rose up in the air
to get another chance, the turkey had
got himself ready, and was qur-r-r-ring.
With another scream the eagle shot
down again, and then they had anoth-
er cliDch, but only for short time.
for those old drumsticks played thun-
der with Mr.. Eagle. And there
stood with my hand on my gun ready
to shoot in a second, for | knew the
eagle was calling his mates. AS long
as they fought alone, was not given
to interfere, but if they undertook to
double on him / would knock one of
them out. In minute or two / saw
the mate coming. When he came they
both dove down at the turkey. AS
they got almost to the turkey [, as
quick as flash. brought old Betsey to
my face and pulled the trigger. |
tumbled one of them and the other left
in hurry.
/ said, Fair play is jewel" No.
sir, never in all of my hunting would
interfere as long as there were no short
cuts taken and nobody interfered. i
have many times sat down quietly and
watched fight between old bucks or
some other animals, or fowls, or birds,
or snakes-not because | delighted in
fights; but /, in all of my hunting life.
hunted to learn the habits of animals,
all about their lives, manners and Gus
toms. loved to study natural science
nature in its natural state-and my
love for that study brought me quite
number of times a little too close to be
real pleasant.
There is deep canyon in one por-
ton of the mountain, way north OF the
Shutin. where the great, ridges of
rocks have fallen and slid down the al
most perpendicular sides, way below,
and piled up in immense piles, making
nice places for wild animals to hide
and make their dens. / had quite a
number of times, while hunting out
that way in the night, heard panthers
scream, and several times have had
them follow me. but never got to see
them. So. one night it showed just
such a snow as fell last night-a dry,
light snow. / said to myself, Nov.
/ am going out to that canyon and see
If can see any sight of them or of any
other beasts" When got in a half
of a mile, or so, OF the place, went
very slow and watched very close, for
an animal that is at rest can see any
moving thing much better than the
thing that is moving. When Ireached
the head of the canyon where | could
look way down through it, | thought