The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-17
NOSE. 4 FIGHTING SKUNK
COURAGEOUS ANIMAL THAT
AROUSED THE PRIDE OF SOME
WISCONSIN MEN
DEFEAT WAS NEVER KNOWN
brought Discontinue to His own
ers and Backers Because He
Couldn't Understand a
Little Joke.

''Take # altogether, think the most
remarkable animal the state of Wiscon-
sin ever produced said the man from
Appleton was Jim Pattersons pet
skunk, Nose. Jim and Nose lived in a
little shanty on the outskirts of Apple
ton and, although for long time the
people were content to have them live
some distance away from every one else,
popular pride in Noses achievements be-
came so strong that Nose and his owner
were always welcome guests where men
of sporting tastes gathered. Nose was
more welcome than his owner. Nose
didn't drink rum and always had excel
lent 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 disappointment.
Il think 1 never saw so quick and so
complete a breakdown as that of Jim
Patterson. His pride in Nose had reach
ed such enormous proportions 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
town pride over Nose were ready to 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 rattlesnake one morning
with one shake and had logged it home
in his mouth for Jim to see Jim just
coddled that skunk like a kitten and
the rest of us were almost ready to
take him to our bosoms
Nose wasn't his name at first. Jim
called him Corbett until after that little
affair in Carson City, and then he be-
came Fitz. In two years 1t became nee
essary to call him jeff and then Jim
just quit. He said he would probably
have to change the skunk's name in a
year or two again, and from all he had
heard of history he guessed the name of
Nose would do as well 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 in the
name. 1t turned out to be good name,
too, for, although Nose was permitted
to see the promised land Of fame, he
never entered into it.
Nose sneaked into Jim's cabin one
night when Moge was young and stole a
lot of meat. He was caught in a trap
and in the morning he showed fight to
such an extent that Jim took a liking
to him and kept him just to tease him.
Gradually they came to know each other
Jim began to trust him and Nose never
abused his confidence. He knew where
he got his meals regularly. He protect
ed Jim cabin to such an extent that in
trduers gave it a wide berth. Jim didn't
mind that. His record had been such
that whenever there was a robbery near
town there was always suggestion that
1t would be a good idea to search Jim
Patterson's cabin or yard for the stolen
goods. They tried that once after Nose
became thoroughly established there and
after that there never was another at
tempt.
Jim began to lead more comfortable
life at once and finally used to bring
Nose with him when he came to town.
He made all sorts of wagers as to Noses
fighting qualities and won them right
and left. Whenever any Of us got word
from Jim that he would be at certain
saloon at a certain hour with Nose and
ready to meet all corners there was al
ways a roundup Of the sports The
saIoonkeeper made money, Jim made
money and got drunk; Nose always had
fight, which he loved dearly and in
addition had some choice bits of food.
and the rest of US had some fun, 1t was
the most natural thing in the world that
we should have town pride in Nose:
we took Jim on sufferance
Nose first licked an impudent fox
terrier, did 1T as slick as grease, and he
used only his teeth and claws Chen
one night he tackled the best known Tom
cat scrapper in town. That cats friends
and relatives knew him no more Then
Nose walloped the best bull terrier in
town. Nose came off a little SCARED
after that battle, but his courage was
undiminished. After that we had to
get up fights with animals, dogs from
out of town.
''NIOse never failed us. He had one
quality, however, that we didn't I'M
Gerstand thoroughly, and that was the
undoing of us all. Nose would never
tritie with an opponent an instant after
the opponent was dead. He never would
touch any animal he had killed. He would
walk away as if to say, There, I have
licked him, now give him burial We
came to love Nose more for this quail
ty.
Nose had licked everything we could
find in or near Appleton and it was aug-
gested that he be tried on some wild ami
mails. Some suggested a porcupine, but
Jim kicked and said 1t would be well to
try him first on some easier game II
was about this time that the well known
badger trick was being tried with lots of
fun in the West You know about that of
course. A man from the East would
be invited to see a dog lick q badger
which was kept in barrel. A crowd
would meet with much secrecy In a Sc
cluded spot.
Vast sums would be wagered as to the
ability of the fighting dog to lick the
badger that was in the barrel. Finally
there would be an awful dispute as to
the fairness of the referee selected. Then
the stranger upon whom the trick was
being worked would be selected as ref
cree, and at a signal would pull the
string to release the badger. He would
generally drag out a dead kitten or a