Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-04-11
Nose, Fighting Skunk
A COURAGEOUS Animal That Aroused
WisconSin'S Pride.
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''T1 AXE it altogether, think the
most remarkable animal the
state of Wisconsin ever produced,
said the man from Appleton, was
jim Patterson's pet skunk, Nose.
Jim and Nose lived in little shanty
on the outskirts of Appleton and al
though for long time the people
were content to have them live some
distance away from everyone else,
popular pride in Noses achievements
became so strong that Nose and his
owner were always welcome guests
where men of sporting tastes gath
cred. Nose was more welcome than
his owner. Nose didn't drink rum
and always had excellent ideas as to
propriety. Jim did pretty well in
that line until his faith in Nose was
shattered and then he went to pieces
through grief and keen disappoint-
ment.
81 think I never saw so quick
and so complete a breakdown as that
of Jim Patterson. His pride in Nose
had reached such enormous proper
tions that it swelled up and burst.
In the wreck Jim was carried down
and drink soon ended him. You see,
Nose had licked pretty nearly every
kind of domesticated animal to be
found and Jim and the rest of us
who had also begun to share in the
i
back him against pretty nearly any
! kind of wild creature. We were all
the more ready to do this when we
heard that he had killed a rattle
snake one morning with one shake
and had lugged it home in his mouth
for Jim to see. Jim just coddled
that skunk IKE kitten and the rest
of us were almost ready to take him
to our bosoms.
"Mose wasn't his name at first.
Jim called him Corbett until after
that little affair in Carson City and
then he became Fitz. In two years
it became necessary to call him jeff
and then Jim quit. He said he would
probably have to change the skunk S
name in year or two again and
from all he had heard of history he
guessed the name of Nose would do
as we'll as any other. He was sure
that Moses had been dead a long
time and had done things such as
no one else had done, and henceforth
it had to be Nose with no change
cd ArTf n q
= good name, too, for although Nose
was permitted to see the promised
land of fame he never entered into 1T
"Mose sneaked into Jim's cabin one
: night when Nose was young and
: stole a lot of meat. He was caught
in trap and in the morning he
= showed fight to such an extent thai
: Jim took liking to him and KEEP
e him just to tease him. Gradually
they came to know each other. jim
began to trust him and Nose nevel
!, abused his confidence. He knew
: where he got his meals regularly
n He protected Jim's cabin to such al
extent that intruders gave 1t wild
= berth. jim didn't mind that Hi
/ record had been such that wheneve
n there was a robbery near town ther
was always a suggestion that j
= would be good idea to search jim
l. Patterson's cabin or yard for tn
/ stolen goods. They tried that ono
Is after Nose became thoroughly estat
lished there and after that Their
never was another attempt.
& "Jim began to lead more CON
Portable life at once and finally use
= to bring Nose with him when h
Y came to town. He made all sorts O
d wagers as to Noses fighting quail
n ties and won them right and lief
Whenever any of us got word froI