Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-28

Uncle Ben had just come down from
the country to visit his brothers family
in the city, when the children besought
him The very first evening to tell them
Il story Of the North Woods So. with
Fred aud Tom on either knee. Harry
on a stool at his feet, and Kate leaning
upon his shoulder. he made Il virtue OF
necessity and began:
When your father and | were hoyS.
which You know WAS good many Years
ago, our home was OH the borders of the
great mountainous region known as the
Adirondack wilderness. II was Il pretty
rugged comntry then aud has not changed
very much since in that respect, though
there are not as many wild animals
proving about now. 1t was II common
thing then to see deer roaming about
the clcarings. and bears and wolves Oft
en- preyed upon the farmers sheep by
night. The barking of wolves now Is
rarely heard, though two large bears
We're killed near our old home this sea-
son. As for panthers they have learned
to give the settlement a wide berth SinNe
the fate of the last one to visit our re
giom was such as To deter others from
following his example.
Sometimes few Indians from the
North woods would pursue their game
into our neighhorhoad, or hing the fruits
of their hunting and trapping to trade
with the palefaceS.
At the mention of Indians Fred AMI
Tom drew closer to Uncle Ben, and
Harry and Kate, WHO were older, eN-
changed glanccS and listened with
breathlCss interest.
"But my story is not about the In
diGns," continued Uncle Ben, but about
panther's Christmas party, and the
rare sport we boys had riding him about
the streets
20. uncle, you are foolmg us now sure
ly. Who ever heard of a panther having
Christmas partyf cried the children
ali nj once.
And why not, pray telly said Uncle
Ben. DO not girls and boys have birth
day parties, and do not birds give con-
certs. and do not crows hold conyen-
tons and ants wage most bloody war;
Then why should not panther have =
Christmas party il he feels so disposedE
But did you truly ride a panther
continued they.
Eyes. we really rode panther IN aud
down the streets, we boys, Il whole lot
Of us
But was he alive?" queried they.
well, no. he wasn't exactly alive
when we rode him. but he was alive only
a few days before, and we had lot
more fun than we would have had If he
had been alive them The children
agreed that this was probably the case,
and so Uncle Ben proceeded:
1T was some days before Christmas
that this particular panther came into
the quiet region OF Pine Valley, doubt
less for the purpose of looking up some
rare delicacies for his Christmas din
ner. His coming. you may be sure. Gre
ated quite a sensation. We had seldom
been h0nored by so distinguished an ar
rival. CONSERVATION spread ON all sides.
Proofs of his nightly wandcrings were
Il
see in the light snow his fresh footprints,
and one night in particular he seemed to
have been unusually active, for the next
morning we found his tracks all over the
ncighborhood.
1T was frightful to think that this
wild beast had been so near TO our
dwellings while we were asleep! AZ
might be expected. the alarm increased.
From other localities came wild tales OF
nightly rayageS committed there by TINS
bold animal. Sheep had been killed,
calves mangled and small but too in
quistiye dogs which had innocently fol-
lowed the animals trail had mysterious
ly disappeared, leaving only a bloody
place in the snow! Men returning 10
their homes late at night had been fol-
lowed by some strange beast and had
only escaped by flight From the
mountain slopes above Pine Valley
strange weird cries as Of human voice
had been heard frequently at dead of
night IT was plain that the mountain
whence no sailed forth on his nightly
raids
How 10 kill or capture this bold IN
yader was the all-absorbine topic. The
boys in the old red schO0lhOusc in the
valley were not n little exercised over
the discussion Of this vital question.
THE noon recess was filled with the
widest tales and most adventurous
plans. Ike Jones, whose grandfather
was in the battle Of Plattsbnrgh, had
tracked the panther that very morning
through the pine woods and found
place where he had slipped from log
into the water in crossing stream Jim
Harris boldly affirmed that he had found
the animals tracks within ten rods Of
his fathers sheppard. And Tim Boone
Tim always was one Of the brayest OF
fcliOws-hc had followed the panther's
trail only that morning across ever 50
many ficlds-freSh tracks they were. too
tracks that were hardly cold.
The situation was becoming desper-
ate. All Pine Valley was getting excit-
ed-and with good reason. Such q state
OF affairs was not long to be endured.
Courage was at premlum-es specially
in the old red scho0house, aud the guam
tity Of ii developed among the boys that
winter was something wonderful. All
thrsted for glory--0nd for the subStau-
tial bounty which the panthers head
would bring. Other ncighborb0Ods were
fired with the same spirit Of adventure.
for the wauderings Of the common pn.
cmy had been widely extended From
the mountains Of Hague to Crane NOUN
tain and northward to the foot Of
Schro0n lakC---ail over this mountainous
and Weil-wOOded region the lawlesS free
booter had wandered
People hardly dared venture out after
dark for fear Of getting into unpleasant
company. Finally a band Of bdnters-
mostly bOys-was organized fer ng-