Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-06
Bryan and the Panther.

Bryan and the Panther.
The story of Mr.. Bryan's recent visit
to Texas. with its ostrich hunt and it
panther hunt, has been widely told
but there has been much mystery sur
rounding his sudden departure from
that state. The departure followed
closely upon the famous panther hunt
and now it appears that there was a
close connection between the two
events. The panther hunt was a joke
a humilating joke upon the NebraSkan
silverite by the merry Texans. 1t is
no occasion for partisan eXultation,
and Bryan, who was fooled by pet
panther as badly as he was fooled by
free silver, has our sincere condolcrce.
A Texas correspondent of the AL
bany Journal gives an interesting ex-
posure of the whole affair. According
to his narrative. the panther which
was hunted" by Mr. Bryan bestriding
a bucking brOncho and blowing his big
tin horn, and 200 other mounted men.
was tame one owned by a man named
Johnson, a resident of Austin. Mr..
Johnson caught the animal when It
was a kitten and has so dOmesticated
it that there is no more harm in it than
there is in a house cat. 1t has roamel
the streets of Austin at will. and has
never molested anyone.
When it was learned that Mr.. Bryan
was coming to town a practical joker
there is no certainty that Ex-Governor
Hogg was not the guilty party-sug
gested that il would be great fun To get
up a hunt with the tame panther and
Mr.. Bryan as the central figures. The
proposition quickly found f"vor. and it
was decided to carry it into effect IT.
Johnson's panther was kept off the
streets in order that Mr.. Bryan mi Int
not accidentally see it and afterW I'd
suspect that there was something wrong
about the hunt" On the appoin ed
day the poor beast was half COAX 81.
half dragged several miles away into
the mountains. where it was placed in
a cave. 10 be afterward produced at The
psychological moment of the hunt.
When the approach of the hunter. to
the cave was heralded by the SOUND Of
the big tin horn of Mr.. Bryan, the men
in charge of Mr. Johnson's pet had
some difficulty in getting it to eme-gn
Finally they succeeded, just as the first
of the riders hove in sight. They NJ lde
- ...,'h roisn rs IT." c'"l1. hoping
thus to brighten the animal sufficiently
to cause it to give Mr.. Bryan run for
by this time gained a vague idea Of
what was expected of it. for it scurried
away al a fair rate of speed and after
"a time climbed tree. There it was
captured" by means of a lasso. and
after that il was presented to Mr..
Bryan And the most joyous being in
that assemblage was the panther when
it discovered that it was being led back
in the direction of its home in Austin.
In order that no harm might acct
dentally befall the pet of Mr.. Johnson.
ali participants in the hunt We're direct
ed to leave their firearms at home.
Mr.. Bryan was Informed that it was
the proper caper in Texas for panther
hunters to go on horseback and arm
themselves only with lassocs and bring
their quarry home alive. However, d.
spite the precautions taken. the panther
was at latest accounts suffering from
nervous proStration caused by the un-
wonted excitement, the eXcrtiOn and
the somewhat rough treatment to
which it was subjected in order to
cause it to give a more or less correct
imitation of a wild beast, and the Aus
tin s. p. c. A. has notified Mr. Johnson
that he must not against permit his
panther to be abused.
Now if all this is true. it is not to be
wondered at that Mr.. Bryan conceived
a sudden dislike for Texas and its peo-
PIE when he learned the truth about
the hunt. Probably said truth was
gently broken to him when he made
arrangements to take possession Of the
animal.