The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-11-08

~ 't0aRs w ass etta W W.
/ domesticsted that IL Ia not knova fro
vbat member or members, Of the gre
cat family il IL descended. II ia eerts
that II has changed little. IL any, Il
thousands OF yesrs, because 1t 10 knov
that II existed in sncieut Egypt in q
present familiar form and domestic oh,
setter.
That 1t was orisioslly = small beast {
prey. Is fierce I. any Of them, cannot b
DOUBTED, bat by ceLturies OF sssocistio
with. and dependence upon. man Tor foo
and protection. the Wild instinct wbic
it originally possessed has been largely
but no, wholly, changed and 1t has 8
quired the domestic insiiect which /
so familiar TO Us ell
II lie probable thai IL the cat we're el
iirely separated from association will
man it would return to it's original wilt
condition. but the domestic instinct bal
become so firmly established that such ,
separation would doubtless have to b,
complete aud long continued, to ersdi
cate il, sm confident that . complete
change Of that kind could not be effect
ed in the lie time OF sny single csi
bowever long ii might ye bsnisbed from
man and placed 10 wild surroundings. or
however young " might be when banisb
ed.
In the sum mer OF 1883 had an op
portunity TO observe Q case the circum
stance, OF which, 90 fer % they extended
favored this opinion. Wishing to exam
lne The wild couutry bordering the Upper
Missouri River, / went 10 Fort Benton,
10 Montsns. and hired . man to builo
me q lsrge skif or row boat. 10 this
bost descended the river with two com
psnioDs. gong a. fer ss Bismarck, in
North Dskots, distance by the river OF
more than q thousand miles. The region
which we thus trsversed WAS tbea 80
wild that we we're not within reach OF q
pos,-ofiise during six-hundred-mile
,tre,cb Of our journey,
The only white people we saw in oil
that distance we're u few bufiilo-hunters
and few woodsmen who we're cutting
wood for the steam boats which were
expected with the next rise OF the river,
Fort Peck. in eastern Montana. which was
It the bomewsrd end Of the siI.hu ndred |
niles just mentioned, was then only 90
indian trading-post, and the only white
,ersons living there we're those who
'ere connected with the business OF the
'ost,
One night when We we're encsmped on
be river.bsnk. hundred miles above
'ort Peck, large black and white male
at came TO the boat and gave signs OF
eing hungry. l offered him some veni
Oh, and although be WAS shy st fret. he
BON acquired confidence. and gave
i'm his fill OF food. Instead OF going Q
sy after eating, be stayed 10 camp,
eeping especially near TO me.
Thinking thst be belonged to some
,ttlers near by. l made an examination
the neishborhood in hope that l might
1t from them some information about the
1rrounding country. ! could find no
'id, noe Of mans occupancy except the
mains Of long.sbandoned camp near
II own. and we had seen no white man q
Z several days.
We then started upon our journey, and q
we pushed the bost of l put the cat /
bore. much to bis dislike, As we
Dated down the stream be ran along the b
ore. mewing piteously TO be tskea on
'srd, headed the boat towards him, 1
ID IS soon rs it touched the shore be 4
mped on board, showing delight ct 4
ing again 10 oni company. g
| became so much attached TO him for
8 sgreesble ways that l should gladly Il
We taken him with me to my Eastern 81
me. bnt ss that wss imprscticsble, / q
cided 10 leave him Of the frat place e,
,ere could put him 10 good hands.
BON resching Fort Peck. | told the Il
.ry OF finding the cat 10 the man IN p
srge OF the store and begged him 10 n
,e the animal q go)d home, He htsi sl
ed because be already had two cats.
t upon going down to the boat and st
ing him, be exclaimed, That is my o,
DC then told me that just yesr be v
Q be, snd some other men, had gone
a.lo-huating. tsking this cst with them 81
! that they had csmped st the place h
ere We had found him. II Was the 70 pt
ins OF their camp which we had seen
re. He ssid thst the cat WAS absent. m
,bsbly on 9 bird huni, when they II
Ike camp, and be bad given him up ss "
!. 50 Jerry for that was the name II
e him. was left alone upon bi, own
ourcsa 10
ie hsd evidently spspt q whole yesr be
be, mskipg his headquarters st the N.
csmp-sropnd OF bis master. He had v.
believe, tubsisted entirely by hunt bq
during that time, aud was entirely 10,
rounded by oil the conditions OF IL,
4 beast Of prey. except compsniop be
D with bis kind.
4 couue | cannot ssy certainly thst thl
~ had been entirely without sssocis 90
with msnkiad duuns bis sbsencs loc
q bis mssisr. bat ! believe tbs, thu, sic
ave been the c,se. II be had taken va
With any settler or hurter he would
probably have left them OF biz own fel
,r6, spd II be hsd done 90 be- would hsl
probably have been 40 eager 10 join bel
marty lsn