The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-07
FAILS TO TAME A WILDCAT,
Montana Old. Timer Traps One, but Is
Glad to Let It Go.

The subject of wild animal pets oc-
cupied the attention of number of
the old-timers of Butte yesterday and
nearly everyone had word or two to
say about queer pets caught by diff
ferent people, says the Anaconda
Standard. Il never had queer pet
in my life," said one of those present,
but 1t was not my fault. tried
hard enough to catch one. 1t was
many years ago and l was younger
than | am now.
II was living in the redwoods of
California and deer were plentiful. To
keep the meat We used to hang it up
in the wide chimney. There it would
be smoked in day or two and would
become so we'll preserved that it would
never spoil But wildcat soon learn
ed the habits of my cabin and l would
often wake up in the morning to find
the choicest part Of the venison hounch
gnawed away. How to catch the thief
was matter l puzzled over nightly
and finally | rugged 'panchion' SO
that 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 l 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
Presently heard the cat climb
down the chimney and l 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 spring into the air. land
hard against the big paunchion' had
pulled over the chimney and then he
would lose his balance and fall down
among the ashes. This would faze
him for only second and he would
snarl and try it again.
About the third time he had tried to
escape through the top of the chimney
and failed l was there at the fireplace
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 he
was not faxed for an instant by the
checking
With snarl of rage and pain he
doubled up his hind legs and struck
out at me with them, ripping my CAL
ifornia flannel underclothes from my
throat to the knees. He ripped open
my hide as we'll as the flannels and
| dropped that cat as If he was red
hot stone and ran for the other end of
the cabin.
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, | plucked up courage and
opened the door. The cat did not
show any signs of vamoosing the
ranch, but sat on his launches and
swore had no weapon of any kind
save broom and with considerable
difficulty l finally 'shooed' the unwel-
come visitor out of the cabin.
Even then he 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
he trotted of into the brush, looking
back occasionally and growing as he
went He never came back after any
more venison and I never had han
kering for any more wild animal pets
since that time"