Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1903-08-19
Tales from the
Knob Country

b " p
SsT HE Knob country lost it's leadin'
and most valuable citizen when
Uncle Jasper died. remarked the man
from that stored part of the Pike coun-
Sy wilderness that lies back Of Lacka-
wack. why, Uncle Jasper could
actu'lly smell bear, Uncle Jasper could!
And when it come to wild cats, why,
gosh all hemlock! he was like a prophet
of old!
cone time hadn't seen a wildcat in
two months, and I wanted a couple the
wust way Seemed as if wild cats had
all left the county. So, one day was
passin along by Uncle Jasper's and
asked. him where all the wildcats was.
t.He said he hadn't thought nothin'
about wildcats for good while.
Why says he, do you want some?
"'Only a couple, says.
Lemme see,' says he This is
along in November he says.
s'Then he looked around at the wealth
er awhile, and seemed TO be consfderin'
the leaves, how they was fallin', and
then he says:
We'll, DAHL he says, 4 see by the
way things looks that there's couple
o. wildcats down back O. the swamp
yender, he says, and I'm glad you come
along he says, cause / wouldn't a.
thought nothin' about wildcats if you
hadn't come along, he says, and them
two would "a been up here and played
hob with my chickens tonight, sure!'
he says. Il wish you'd go down and git
'em,' he says, but you won't git 'em
both if you don't act right, for they amt
together
GO down just beyond the big tama-
racks first, he says There, in one O.
them tamaracks, or nigh. it, you'll run
agin one O. them wildcats, he says
"Tt1l be the 1ittlest one o. the two.
Don't kill her dead he says Jest wing
her so she can't git away or jump ON to
you. Then she'll yell. Great Jupiter!
how she'll YELL! he says.
<'EThen you want to keep your eye
peeled sharp, fer it won't be long. before
t'other un1l come tearin' along thatway,
from up yender in the laurels, where he's
layin' about this time, watchin' fer
pheasant.
He'll hear them yells o. her'n,' says
Uncle Jasper, and he'll tear down to see
what's goin' on. Stand out good where
he'll see you about the time he gifts with
in couple o. rod O. where t'other un's
yellin' and spittin' and squallin',' says
Uncle Jasper. When he sees you he'll
stop and squat. Then you let him have
it.
And be sure you kill him. If You
don't mebbe you'll be sorry you wen,
down after 'em. So be sure you kill him.
"'Then,' says Uncle Jasper, you kin
/ settle t'other un,' he says, and you'll
have EN- both, and am glad you come
along he says, SOS to set meto thfnkin'
| about wildcats, and SOS could sort O
locate these two fer you,' he says.
| Them two is all there is in these parts
to-day, 'cordin' to the signs he says.
That's the way Uncle Jasper laid out
| the programme fer me that day as to
wildcats, and I follered it out and got
'em both. "A leadin' and valuable citi
zen Uncle Jasper was, and it was biz
swat to the Knob country when he
passed away.
att was somethin' tough on him that
he had to go, too, partic'ly as he had to
leave setch a woman to be wilder as
! Hammer was. Why, whenever l remem-
| Der Hammer and them three bears al
most have to set down and shed tears for
Uncle Jasper to think he had to go and
leave setch woman a wilder.
'FThem three bears, the old she one
and the two spring cubs, they come down
into the corn patch at Jasper's elearin'
jest about dusk one day, when the milk
was in the corn, and laid out to have
high old feast on to it. They knowed
them bears did, jest as sure as you're
born, that Uncle Jasper was way back
o. the Knob, havin' the gun with him,
and wasn't comm home that night; but
they didn't know that Hammer had SO
many p'ints about her.
'@They had been rompas' around in the
corn, tearin' off roastin' ears and havin'
good time gener'ly, before Hammer dis
covered 'em. There want no gun in
the house, but Hammer didn't calc'late
to let that bear family harvest that corn
crop, gun or no gun.
"Uncle Jasper had both the dogs with
him, too but the little yaller whiffet
was to home So Hammer, she grabbed a
pitchfork, and calm the whiffet start
ed fer the corn patch to attract the
bears.
} 1.-THE bears didn't see her till the
i whiffet begun to bristle up and bark,
but when they did look up and see what
J u1aa ennin' thav only shifted. jest as il