The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-05-14
Gibisonville

Mr.. Editor: We will endeavor to give
the DEMoCRAT-SENTINEL a few of
the details of an unique and rather
pitiful incident that befell w. Il.
Whitcraft while on his way to church
last Sunday. He had just left the
main road and taking a byway lead
ing through the woods, when his
attention was attracted by peculiar
sound proceeding from a tree stand
ing short distance from the path.
Upon casting his eyes in that direc-
tion Mr.. Whitcraft beheld what his
impaired vision of II years service
told him was the head of a cat pro-
truding from hole in the body OF
the tree, and as one of his cats had
disappeared some time previous and
had not as yet turned up Mr.. Whitcraft
concluded that he had ran across the
lost feline and determined upon an
investigation for the purpose OF
ascertaining the cause of its deten.
tion, and being somewhat elated at
the prospect of recovering his prop
erty he bounded up that tree with
the agility of a II year-old boy, and
striking limb short distance be-
low the place where he had located
his supposed kitty he stopped to rest,
from where he saw that the object
had disappeared. Changing his snotion,
Mr.. Whitcraft was about to descend,
when he located in another hole
in the opposite side from the one of
his first discovery and found it inter
secting a cavity extending too and
cropping out at the base of the tree,
which he thrust his hand in to the
full extent of his arm, which he
scarcely succeeded in doing, before he
felt his intrusion resented by the
occupant which he seized and buried
It's claws in his wrist, when with a
yell that stirred up the denizens OF the
whole surrounding woods, he made a
violent effort to extract his hand,
but in that he was doomed to dis.
appointment, for as Mr.. Whitcraft
afterward remarkably the object
stuck as tight to his wrist as tick
would have to dead nigger's ear
One can only imagine what might
have been the consequence had not
Bert Vorhees, who was also on his
road to church. happened along that
way just when the old man was in
act of ascending the tree, and being
somewhat curious to understand his
object made himself scarce to watcl
for the result, which was easy enough,
as the old man was too busy engaged
with his one particular affair to see
any other object, but when he utter
ed his Cry of pain Mr.. Voorhees,
imagined there was a chance for some
fun and proceeded to make himself
useful by applying match to the
cavity at the base of the tree, whicl
ignited the decayed wood and burst
into flame. Soon reaching the
occupant, causing it to release it,
claws from its victims wrist, but the
process cost the victim the sleeve o
brand new coat, besides well sci
mustache, a set of eye brows and 9
pair of eye lashes which the blazt
licked off that followed the with
drawl of his hand and came in con
tact with his face. But when th'
author of his trouble came forth from
an upper chamber where the fire hat
driven 1t to and fell to the ground
! it's feathers burned off and unable
| to fly, Mr.. Whitcraft quickly distin
guished the difference between /;
woods-owl and house cat. But whel
he came to inspect himself, which IN
did by the aid OF pocket miro
which Mr.. Vorhees was kind enougi
to loan him, he found his countenanc,
In color corresponded with that of
picked lobster, which brought to hi
mind some expletiyes he had memol
lied when a boy, but when detecting
! a sly grin proceeding from on
corner of Bert's mouth, he fired al
other yolley point-blank at Bert, bu
Bert had been there once or twice be
! fore and had become accustomed
dodging SO that the missiles, the oil
shot proved OF none effect,