The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-05
THE JACK RABBIT
The Spanish Nafador Nothing TO Him
in Fight With n Vicious Bull.

IN right Nffn q thcfous Fuh.
Several days ago TIE New York
Times i,onored The Post by reproduc-
ire the story Of one Our Virginia cor
respondents regarding an encounter
between one William B.usser and an
adult rabbit, i'm which Bluster escaped
By leaping a ivc-rail fence. The Times
commented upon the incident in the US
ual f,ippant and skepiical metropolitan
vein, intimatiug its own disbelief in the
turbulence of the rabbit in its relations
with man.
1t is Impractical, II course. To dem
onstra,e upon the person OF our e S
teeIned contemporary the soundness OF
the theory which we have established
So much evidence has been
however, that nobody outside OF the
island Manhattan any longer questions
the danger To life and limb involved IN
an encounter with u really ragged RAD
bit. The Post is now in a position 10
e%nlighten the Times as 10 the h2hunS
qualities of the jack rabbit. Well knowE
throughout the West for its carniver
Gus and thanksgiving pro,.ensities. Our
information is derived from a CORE
sDondent at Aztec Rock. y. NJ. The
gentleman is Il Rough Rider, n private
IL the Presidents Own. He whites:
"A young doctor who is here for his
health was riding the range with me in
, search of Il blooded bull. We were
,+..-Ini Ix- lilo SbriaES Coming
| from Il canyon IL quarter of Il mile To
our left. We rode quickly up the can
yon, and on nearing an o~vcrhauginG
| rock crowned with Il clump OF cactus
we were astonished 10 see my lost bull
! engaged in combat with Il huge jack
rabbit. The rabbit was upon ILLS
| Launches waiting for the the bull 10
charge, and from time to time he emit
ted the b~lool-curdiiag cries which we
| had heard. The bull, with Il below.
suddenly charged. The rabbit side
stepped, made an indescribably swift
|! pass with his right paw, ana leapeG
into the air. With a CAL of pain the
bull turned. shook his head savaSely,
and stopped. Blood oOZed from his
left eye.
The rabbit, still s%hrieking, again
stood upon his launches. a moment
later the bull charged again, and the
performance was repeated. except that
the rabbit side-stepped to the right
ana swiped the bull with his left paw.
A hollow, moaning roar came from
the bull, and l noticed his right eye
| began t bleed. The rabbit now as
sumed tie offensive and leaped upon
the bulls back, executing the same
mysterious sidelong movement with
his paws. The bull beloved and
frantically tried to dislOdge his enemy.
1t was Don made clear to us that the
bull was blind. He lunged about,
crashing through the cactus, with the
rabbit gnaShing his teeth and swiping
the bulls tough hide. / feared the
bull was about to pitch headlong of
the rock, and hastily drawing a bead.
l knocked the rabbit off his back. The
big jack was stunned for Il moment
as neither animal had paid us the
slightest attention. Seeing his new enc
mics, the jack stood upon his launches
with an aspect of ferocity and frenzy
that | have never seen equaled. His
great ears, which ordinarily make him
| tOlilltdl, HOW dtOSu I'D Ills H6lSuI anu
badly frightened our horses. He
CRASHED his teeth, and began to side
step toward rs. Before he could reach
my horse, which was rearing and
plunging. l got in a lucky shot. and
the fight was over. The doctors horse
by this time was several hundred yards
down h canyon, and the doctor was
deadly pale. He is going east tomor
row. | can give you his name and ad
dress if you want it"
Without comment upon this nara,
tive, which speaks for itself, we mere
~ call attention to a dispatch from
C~rOokst9n, Mimi, which states that
Norwood Davies managing editor OF
the Crookston Times, has trained two
jack rabbits to race with the railroad
trains. 1T is said they can negotiate
a mile a minute" says the dispatch.
LAS the train approaches the animals
become restless and nervous, and
prance about much like running horses
at the start of a race
If the New York Times is still skep-
teal as to the dangerous qualities of
minute and d~isOrcaniZe their prey with
| the experiences of matadors, we shall
call upon other friends in the west 10
| supply further evidence regarding the
man-despising rabbit.-Washington
Past.