The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-05
A PANTHER'S RAID.
Scared Two Loggers in the Maine
Woods.
CBoston HeraId1

NbOSIOn Herald-)
IN the town of Strong, Me, on the route
10 Rangeley Lake region lives prosper-
Gus young farmer. known throughout the
county as Lew Johnson In his hoy
nood and carry manhood. before marry
tIls ana settling down to tilling the soil
ne lived much in the woods iI,r1 ~ al
,CLi'IIS' surveying timber and CATHERINE
spruce gum On his recent visit 70 tbSS
% o9 lon tSDOrtman's show he was Iookinr
a tIle DIG stuffed panther in one Of fbe
canadian exhibits when he was go Sii ;f
F ITch eeasts are now to be found in Maine
Inc animal in question was a bis- via
-. %HoSe weight. when alive. must have
peen I?V pounds, 1.-the and slender in body
out with enormously developed olIaTteys,
ana Wlde paws armed with ugiv!Iookino5
cIaWs' the whole making a ''crifteT', rof
" Ne ueSplsed; even by a well-armed man
w neJher there are such cats &C tn
IelloW IN the Maine woods now ar not
SdI say, replied johnson: .'but 7 do
know mighty well that there was ono of
.mgnn IN Perham, way up beyond Madrid
IlIIS; IN the spring of 1888. for Georga
Hood and killed him there. after a terTj7
PIE if4cas that took most all night and
spoiled days work anu
1t was the same sort of a beast as this
one; ana not to be mistaken for those lit
tie BOBCATS, with their stub tails and inf
eII ears. nor Tor the blackcats or fishers
dISo sometimes regarded as wildcats
rms Is regular American panthar
known in our region as an Indian deT-ii
% iduSe they were the only beasts of
"nlch the Indians used to be afraid.
mat spring George and 1 were clear
ing up 'cutdOWn' in Perham v,orlxi,e,
for Georges brother who was pattins
ready TO settle out there, four miles from
me hedrest road and as far again from
any sort OF house We had a good. bio
clearing and slept nights in a little lean
10 SheIter made OF poles and brush
Hungry Panther.
One night, after we had muncbed orr
eIed3 ana bacon, warmed over the open
iire before the little camp, and were get
ing ready TO crawl under the blankets for
a nights sleep, there came from away
over the side hill toward the northeast. a.
pe eculidT cry. or yell: that Immediately
seized the attention Of both of us
49, , pose II was bear?' said George
gu Know they can make mighty mean
noise noise sometimes. and il is about the time
they come out of their dens pOod 80
hungry, and plotting cussednesS' anu
Then, as the yellS gradually CHANGING
the position from which they came
seemed to be drawing nearer. we hustled
ABOUT TO replenish the fire and c0iiec+ -
good quantity of wood to last thronob tba.
night For. though we were both of ms
perfectly accustomed to sleeping in the
woods, and had never in all our lives. up
10 that time eitf&r seen or heard anV1
thing alarming insthe wild animals tbs4
lived in the Franklin county woods. Vet
there was something in that yell that
frightened US Dpth. though. Of course
neither would acknowledge it.
1t Is seventeen years ago. but I can
remember Just how / felt as the darkness
fell, the little clearing lost its outlines az
the light faded. and those miserable in
describable shrieks kept coming nearer
and nearer, every new one full Of a keen.
er horror than the one before There v-as
suggestion of something suffering main
and hunger, an expression of HOPELESS
longing that went to the very bottom of
ones feelings. and mixed oddly with tha
growing certainty that the noises came
from a great panther which was an
preaching us.
our armament was not extensive con-
SiSting OF our axes and nv old doubIa
barreled shotgun There were no bullets
of course notnii ; but the fine birdshof
in the cartridges, and this was obviousIv
large animal.
Rasping Screech.
''The noise stopped and I suggested that
George turn in while 1 kept watch
George went o sleep and l SAT on a loo
near the ire and watched the moon slow
ly sinking, the sparks from the fire drift
ing away into light breeze. and heard rho
purr and trickle of a little brook a few
RODS IN front or the camp, and the rustic
of the leaves on the trees that came cIGse
up behind our shack for we We're on the
very edge of the clearing 1t had been
more than two hours since the beast had
stopped his noise, and | was getting drcW
sy and about ready TO turn in myself
when close behind US. so near and Sharn
that rasping screech again. This time il
Saer11ed n If 7 pO11Id hen o-,,re,I;r.r-