The weekly intelligencer., 1900-10-13
COURAGEOUS OLD MAIDS.
TIVE west virEinia sPias,ers Hattie
with sad Conquer . Pair
Of Catamouata.

RV1ANNa~A@@S1@
I've West virEinia sPiasters Hattie
with snd Conquer = Pair
Of catamesata
AWAY up near the head OF Eagle
creek. almost in the heart Of the Flat
Top mountain region, In West Nir-
ginia, two ole maids. Misses Lucy and
Samantha Hearst. live in a little one
story log cabin, miles from the nearest
neighbor. They have lived alone since
the death OF their father, Alexander
Hearst, about ten years ago, seeming
" happy and content with their lot In
life. The women are SO and ~ years
old. respectively. As that delightful
old gentleman. Judge CanPbell, OF
Monroe couaty, puts II, they are Gods
gentlewomen. They take great DR.
light in raising large numbers OF tur-
keys, chickens, and other poultry,
which they sell as occasion demands
to the lumber camps scattered about
the dense forests OF Mcdowell and ad- |
joining counties, for which they re-
eeive enough money TO keep them in
groceries and other articles.
Some time ago 'varmints" began to
raid the chicken house and. turkey
pens Of the old maids, destroying and
carrying of dozens of chickens or tur-
keys in a night. The providers they
soon ascertained were two big cata-
mounts and their progeny Of half
grown ones. The women tracked the
wildcats by the aid of their dogs TO
cliff of rocks about three miles fur
ther up the creek, but they did not get
shot at them on either Of the dozen
or more occasions they pursued them.
A few nights ago Lucy Hearst aroused
her sister with the remark that then
pesky cat'mounts are in our henhouse
again, S'manthy" That was enough
for Samantha, and In q few minutes
the two women, Lucy, armed with a
long pitchfork and her sister with Q
light az, ran to the henhouse, in which
terrible racket was taking place.
Lucy had brought with her an old
fashioned perforated tin lantern,
which. as soon as Samantha opened
the chicken house door, she set down
on the floor. In the corner farthest
away from the door the woman saw
two pairs Of yellow, glistening eyes,
and caught glimpse Of the gray coats
Of the intruderS
'Cat'mounts, two Of EN-; now, you
get ready with your az, S'manthy,
while l stir em out with the fork
said Lucy.
"All right, I'm ready" replied Sa-
mantha, but the wild cats didn't wait
to bs stirred out" They both gave a
scream and sprsng at the women.
Luckily one OF the cats struck a hen
roost in her spring and was thrown
backward, or the women would have
Jared badly. As II was the biggest cat
amount landed close enough to seize
Samantha's skirt in her claws, but
downward sweep OF the short ax and
plunge OF the long-pronged pitchfork
made him let go and retreat with
out having done any damage except to
the dress OF Miss Samantha, which was
torn. The catamount which had
struck the roosting pole was now on
her feet, and with hiss and, scream
she tried II again, springing squarely
at the throat OF lucy Hearst. Quick
as the wildcat was the mountain wom-
an was quicker. She jammed one end
Of the long handle against the ground,
and with the right hand turned the
pronged end toward the oncoming
wildcat, and held 1t firmly and steady
as a Mexican tiger, and, like the
tigrero, she caught the brute fairly In
the chest. The long prongs were sharp
and the force OF the spring added to
the weight Of the cat, forced the point
ed steel clear through the wildcats
body. Then followed terrible bat
tie. While. Lucy was trying to hold
the wildcat down by recovering the
pole Of the fork Samantha was slash
ing at the infuriated brute with her
/. Ak. She had dealt ii one blow, which,
! missing its head, laid its shoulder
. wide open, and was preparing TO give
, 1t another when the larger catamount,
i having somewhat recovered from his
!. rough handling, again made an at
o tack. As before, the attack was pre-
4 ceded with yell and hiss. The cat
Jumped, but a wound he had received
prevented him from springing for
q ward, and TO this diversion Samantha
= doubtless owed her safety, for instead
Of lighting, as the catamount intend
!. ed, on the woman's shoulders, he
/, missed ID struck several feet to the
!. left, landing in a nest OR the top of an
old hen, which few out with a fright
ened osekls, confusing the cat lone
enough for the woman to get in blow
with her az, which split the wild
eats head wide open, killing II almos
instantly. Meanwhile the old femal,
cat which had, been perforated with
a the pitchfork and chopped so severe
= ly with the ak, made one more at
a tempt to attack. Before Lucy wa
n aware Of the cats movement, in tn,
n semi-darkness OF the henhouse. the lat
; ter caught her by the sleeve Of he
q dress and tore great strips, tearing he
1 left arm from the elbow to wrist. Tn
!, cat failed 20 get hold with the teeth
!. but would have done SO a second late
a but for Lucy'ssister, who, seeing Lucy
\, plight, whirled the light ak over he
a head and struck the catamount jus
n behind the shoulders, seyering its veI
+, tebrae.
A That ended the fght. Both cata
- mounts were dead and the women el
4 capped with badly torn arm on tn
>. part Of Lucy and two ruined dressel
n A dozen chickens we're lying dead o
N the floor by the side Of the catamounti
!. The next day, with the aid OF coupl
4. Of timber cutters, a raid was made o
"a the cliff OF rocks and the catamounti
81 den was found, -Four half-grown cati
=, mounts and hve kittens were. kille,
N entirely wiping out the catamouni
IN Of that region. Lucy and samanth
~ Hearst are now the heroipes Of Fla
or Top mountain.
OF Personal AND IMPERS0NAI
ie Alvinza Hayward, the Californi
70 millionaire and mining king, Etill veal
no the Stvle of the beayer silk hat that W,