The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-10
BUYS WARDSBORO
CATAMOUNT FOR
BOSTON MUSEUM
Specimen Last on Exhibition at
Bennington Historical Pageant
KILLED 40 YEARS AGO
Was Taken to Paris as Model for
Bronze on Site of Catamount
Tavern.

The "Wardsboro catamount,' the
mont, is to become part of the col
letion of the Boston Society of Nat
ional History Charles w. Johnson.
curator of the society," was a guest
at the Walloomsac Inn at Old Ben
nington recently and while here pur-
chased the big cat of Chelsea Har-
rington, the local taxidermist. The
catamount has already been shipped
to Boston but will not be placed on
exhibition until after it has been
through the hands of an expert and
thoroughly restored. Since it was
first mounted 40 years ago the animal
has been transported about the coun-
try to Fourth of July celebrations and
other public gatherings and had been
considerably damaged. Mr.. Harring-
ton, however, states that an expert
with museum experience will be able
to repair all injuries and convert the
catamount into a permanent speci-
men.
The catamount was killed in Wards
boro in November, 1875, by three men
who tracked the animal into dense
piece of woods. Edwin l.. White of
North Bennington, who was boy liv-
ing at NVardsboro, at the time, well
remembers the occurrence. Only one
of the three hunters possessed gun.
When the panther had been run into
the top OF tree the man with the
gun fired at the animal. Down came
the panther and out of the woods ran
the three hunters. Once in the open
their courage returned and they re-
entered the woods and found the pam
ther threshing about on the ground.
One of its fore shoulders had been
broken by the bullet and as the other
fore foot had been lost when the ami
may had been caught in a steel trap
it was powerless do inflict any injury
upon the hunters.
One of the men carried rope. A
moose was thrown about the panth
ers body, the animal was tied to
tree and finished with a club. After
on exhibition at Wardsboro and the
following year was brought to Ben
nington and placed on exhibition by
the Bennington Battle Monument and
Historical society at the Shurtleff
drug store An admission of ten
cents was charged to see the curios-
ity, the funds so derived being turn
ed into the treasury of the society.
George A. Robinson of Old Benning-
ton has among his collection of SOU
venirs one of the handbills circulated
at the time advertising the exhibition
at the drug store.
From Bennington the catamount
was taken to Paris to be used as a
model by Bartlette. the sculptor, in
the creation of the lfe-size bronze
that marks the site of the Catamount
Tavern at Old Bennington.
The catamounts last public appear
ance was during the historical pag-
cant held here in August. 1911. At
that time the animal was brought
from Wardsboro by automobile and
was used in the reproduction of the
Catamount Inn, the headquarters Of
the Green Mountain Boys during the
controversy with the New York state
government and in the days of the
revolutionary war.
After the pageant the catamount
was not returned to Wardsboro but
was purchased from its owners by
Mr.. Robinson who later sold it to
Chelsea Harrington of whom it was
purchased for the Boston society.
Mr.. Robinson has just received a
letter from the curator saying that
the catamount had been inspected by
the executive committee of the or
ganizaton and stating that they are
well pleased with the latest acquisi-
tion to their collection.