Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-07-14
KILLING
OF THE
COUGAR
A Strenuous Chase After the
Big Cat Down the
Mountain Side
(Oregon Observer.)

nVI lOCahty III Amerlcd VndC PROMISES
better entertainment than the mount
aims and valleys of southern Oregon.
About year ago a sketch was pub.
lished in this paper of the exciting
chase and capture at the head of Will.
Jams creek of the great brown bear
familiarly known for yeas by the set
tiers Of that locality as "Club Foot"
because when he was young and guile
less he had put one of his front paws
into a trap and didn't get it out again.
fClub Foot met his fate one day when
he got too close to the trail of John II.
Kincaid and Jim Hall, farmers and
stock raisens of Williams creek. The
same parties had am interesting time
recently with a huge male panther.
The two men made trip to the mount
aims at the head of Powell creek to
lool1 after their cattle They did not
take their rifles as they were not ex-
pecting to need them. Mr.. Kincaid
had his hunting knife, and, by sort
of accident, an old pistol with the
sight broken off was picked up by Mr..
Hall just as they were starting. They
had two dogs. After sizing up the
cattle, the two men were returning late
in the evening and were about eight
miles fnom home when the dogs opened
a racket in bit of scrub few yards
from where the men were passing The
dogs became exceedingly noisy and were
no doubt using very bad dog language.
The men took peep in, and there was
a great panther stretched along big
limb of fir tree about ten feet up,
with his big cat head rolling and his
tail moving slowly from side to side
Jim Hall loosed the old pistol, and
Kincaid supported him with the hunt.
ing knife. The dogs were daring the
cat to come down, but he wouldn t.
Hall let off the pistol, but it was q
miss, and the cat IS tail put on motion
like windmill. Another shot had
better success, and the bullet struck
the cougar above the ear, and he
dropped from the limb but still held
with his claws, his body swinging back
and forth like a trapeze performer.
and the dogs INDUCED in terrible ca.
nine profanity. Presently the cat let
go his hold and dropped, and then Kin
caid and Hall rushed in to protect the
dogs. However, the couger had very
important business down the hill,
and the way he s'reaked down to
Powell creek made the dogs ashamed
of their sprinting qualities. For few
minutes there was silence, and as the
dusk was thickening, the hunt was
considered over. But all at once the
dogs found the cat again, and just
made the welkin ring with their cries
of joy. The old pistol was reloaded
and the two men quietly moved down
the mountain side. The eat had taken
tree again, and was lying along a |
limb not more than eight feet from the |
ground He was directing all his at. |
tention to the dogs, and did not notice
the men. Hall slipped up behind and
under him, and let off his pistol within
about four feet of the eats head |
tumbling him from the tree in short |
order, and befo-e he could make q
stroke at the dogs Kincaidl jumped In
with the knife and in an instant the
cougars jugular was fatally demoral.
lied.
The men tried to pack the cat home,
but he was too big and fat, and the
had to leave him till next day This
panther measured on feet, and was
in fine condition. Mr.. Hall cooked
some of the meat and introduced 1t at
a picnic. Everybody who tasted it
called fos more cougar, and took as
kindly to it as Indians take to dog
stew. This was the seventeenth pan
ther that Mr.. Kincaid was in at the
death Of.
A Little Brown Bear.
Master Give H. Galbreath, 10 years
old, went out last week with c. ID. Wei.
ter and family to Love Station on
visit with Master Roy Welter. He
struck a sensation Immediately and
wrote home as follows;
The fist thing when We got out
here, a fellow over to the eoOk-hOuse
said there's a bear in the trap As
soon as the door was open / went in
the house and got Roy's gun and about
half box Of cartridges. and then We
went up to the trap. j didn't take the
gun to shoot him, but / thought
might see a squirrel or jaek'abbit.
When got up there they were pouring
water down his mouth. They pourel