Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-09-24
Tales from the
Knob Country
ssT HE Knob country lost it's leadin'


Uncle Jasper died." remarked the man
from that stored part of the Pike coun-
ty 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 prophet
OF old! i, ,s ~. .&., y.
zone time hadn't seen wildcat In
two months, and wanted a couple the
wust way. Seemed as if wild cats had
all left the county. So, one day l was
passin' along by Uncle Jasper's and l
asked him where all the wildcats was.
"He said he hadn't thought nothin'
about Wildcats for good while.
"'Why,' says he, do you want some?'
"'Only COUPLE says.
! "Lemme see,' says he. This ID
along in November he says.
Then he looked around at the wealth
or awhile, and seemed to be considerin'
the leaves, how they was fallin, and
then he says:
"'Well, Danl,' he says, I 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 I 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. 4 wish you'd 60 down and git
'em.' he says, but you won't git 'em
both If you don't act right, for they amt
together itiu+. -
eco 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.
""It'll be the littlest one @ 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.
"'Then you want to keep your eye
peeled sharp, fer it won't be long before
t'other unll come tearin' along that way,
from up yender in the laurels, where he's
layin' about this time, watchin' fer 4
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 went
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 'em both, and am glad you come
along he says, SOS to set me to thinkin'
about wildcats, and SOS could sort O.
i 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 follered it out and got
'em both. A leadin' and valuable citi-
zen Uncle Jasper was, and it was big
swat to the Knob country when he
passed away.
1T 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 remem-
Der Hammer and them three bears 1 al
most have to set down and shed tears for
Uncle Jasper to think he had to GO and
leave setch woman wilder.
Them three bears, the old she one
and the two spring cubs, they come down
into the corn patch at Jasper's clearin'
Jest about dusk one day, when the milk
was in the corn, and laid out to have a
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
Hhey didn't know that Hammer had 80
many p'ints about her.
'sThey had Been rompin' around in the
corn, tearin' OF roastin' ears and havin'
q good time gener'ly, before Hammer dis
covered 'em. There want no gun in