Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-10-02
A Co0SNG IN the EARLY MORN.
Fight in q Hen House on Fifth Avenue
Which Had a Fetal termination.

Inc slumDerlng cltlzenb Vi west
Fifth venue were awakened from
their beauty sleep one morning last
week by sounds Of combat such as
might have aroused Ivanhoe at the
siege Of the castle OF Tourqnilstone
In feudal times In Merrie England.
Sounds OF ponderous blows struck
with lightning-like r%apidity, which
were accompanied by emphatic ex-
pressions Of anger in forceable
language, stirred the quiet OF the
early morning into achaos OF violent
sound which gave the suddenly
awakened sleepers the chills. The
BOOSTERS in the neighboring roosts
crowed In alarm, the dogs howled
and the Thomas cat who was return
ing from his nightly prowl, fed with
a frightened yowl to the top OF the
nearest telephone pole.
The cause OF all this commotion
was not an earthquake, neither was
1t an early morning visit by Carrie
Nation, bent on reforming that sec
ton Of the city; 1t was Doc Long en-
gagged In deadly combat with one Of
Charlie Williams'latest importations,
a raccoon, which had invaded the
privacy Of the family hen house with
evil intentions. Awakened from
dreams Of lucky mining speculatiOns
by strange noises which proceeded
from his hen house, the doctor arose
and prepared to wage a war OF ex-
termination on the vain brawler
who had disturbed his dreams OF u
Montana Eldorado.
Aiming himself with an Xxi and
taking n lantern, the doctor crept
quietly to the chicken house. The
door was firmly closed and the fiut-
tering Of frightened chickens pro-
claimed that an intruder was within,
40 firmly %grasping his axe the doctor
suddenly threw open the door and
was considerably a~stonished to find
a big raccoon quietly devOuring the
carcass of n promising FRY" Plac-
ing the lantern on the floor, he
aimed a hasty blow at the coon,
who at that particular moment was
convinced that his presence was not
entirely necessary and fed to the
shelter Of n nest which was situated
in the corner Of the hen house.
1t was impossible for the doctor to
strike the animal AZ the opening In
the nest was too small for the axe to
enter and 1t was the blows with
which the doctor demolished the
nest which created CONSERVATION in
the immediate neighbOrhood. When
the vigorous efforts Of the doctor
had made his place OF refuge unten'
able, the coon started around the
chicken house in a n that IL
only possible In one Of his species,
The chase lasted for several minutes
and finished In a lively mixup be
tween the doctor and the coon
which resulted in the latter being
put out Of business by a blow from
the doctors axe and a few seconds
later, tired but triumphant, the doc
tor emerged from the hen house drag
ging the cause Of all the trouble by
the tail.
In recounting the affair In the
morning, Doc said that the coon
weighed % pounds and had teeth ar
inch long; AL Stephens, who was
present during the recital OF the doc
tor 8 adventure, bet two to one In
fives that the animal would not
weigh that much. Here was a chanc,
for Il practical joke which the doctor
could not resist and hunting up Alet
Branson he sent him for the coon
which was hanging on the doctors
fence. When the carcass arrived Il
was loaded by the doctor with five
pounds Of shot; just enough to max,
it weigh 25h pounds. 1t was thcr
taken to Mr.. Stephens store ant
weighed and 1t was worth consider
able to watch the ~astonished expires
sion of Al Stephens benevolent coun
tenance when the scales tipped al
over % pounds. 1t IL pretty hard +,
catch an old bird with chat, how
ever, and Mr.. Stephens held a pos
morton examination Of the carcass
OF the coon, with the result that h,
found the lower abdominal cavity O
the beast had been converted into
veritable lead mine. Ii was the post
masters turn to laugh and he didn'
overlook the opportunity and tn
doctors genial c0untenance takel
on Il rather bored expression whel
the subject IL mentioned.