Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-06-06
FAILS TO TAME A WILDCAT.
Montana Old Timer Traps One, but
Is Glad TO Let II Co.

Montana Old Timer Traps One, but
Is Glad to Let 1t Go.
The subject Of wild animal pets oc-
cupied the attention of a number OF
the old timers Of Butte yesterday and
nearly every one had q word or two
to say about queer pets caught by diff
ferent people. i never had a queer
pet in my life" said one of those pres
ent. but it was not my fault tried
hard enough to eaten one. 1t was
many years ago and ! was younger
than | am now.
Il was living in the redwoods OF
California and deer were plentiful
To keep the meat We used to hang it
up il the wide chimney There it
would be smoked in day or two and
would become so we'll preserved that
Il would never spoil. But a wildcat
SOON learned the habits of my cabin
ano would often wake up in the
morning to find the choicest part OF
the venison haunch gnawed away
How to catch the thief was a matter
l puzzled over nightly and finally
rugged a 'panchion' so that I could
pull it over the mouth of the chimney
and trap the thief
We'll, l lay awake that night hold
ing the end of the string and waiting
for the wildcat. | had heard that
wildcats could be tanned and made into
house pets and | wanted to make the
experiment and at the same time
catch the thief.
Struggles VainIy to Escape.
Presently heard the cat climb
down the chimney and | pulled the
string. Immediately the cat realized
he was prisoner and he began to
raise a merry and particular brand
of Cain in that wide chimney. He
would make a spring into the air, land
hard against the big 'panchion' had
pulled over the chimney and then ne
would lose his balance and fall down
among the ashes This would feaZe
him for only a second and ne would
snarl and try again.
About the third time he had tried
to escape through the top of the chin
ney and failed | was there at the fire
place waiting for him TO come down
among the ashes again BY that time
the cat was mad clear through and
so was l, for the ashes and coal were
scattered to every part of the cabin
and the air was thick with the smell
of singed hair. When the cat bounded
into sight l nabbed him with both
hands by the nape of the neck and
thrust him away the full length of
my arms, intending to choke him into
submission But ne was not feazed
for an instant by the choking.
Driven Out With a Broom.
With snarl of rage and pain 1e
doubled up his hind legs and struck
out at me with them ripping my Cali
fornia flannel underclothes from my
throat to the knees. He ripped open
my hide as well as the fiannels and
dropped that cat as if he was a red
not stone and ran for the other end of
l4IS CdDIA
Seeing that he was not inclined to
follow up the fight. but was content
to sit on the hearth and growl and
spit at me, l plucked up courage and
opened the door The cat did not
show any signs of vamoosing the
ranch, but sat on his launches and
swCfe / had no weapon of any kind
save a broom and with considerable
difficulty / finally shOed the unwel-
come visitor out OF the cabin.
Even then ne squatted down on
the doorstep and growled and swore
at me as if hesitating whether or not
he should come back and have it out
with me for disturbing his feast
Finally ne trotted off into the brush,
looking back occasionally and growl-
ing as ne went. He never came back
after any more venison and l never
had laundering for any more wild ami
NAL pets since that time. Anaconda
Standard.