The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-25

presidential runner, House confers
had been Instrumental in maxim gov
ernor q few years prior. and they rib
up the greatest huntin' trip ever staged
in Travis rounty. They impressively
notify Bryan they are plannln' wild
animal hunttn'Ltrip for him. which
seemed to please that Nebraskaa much
There was an old panther chained
to the post in the back yard of our
most popular saloon--yes. we had lots
of saloons them days. To Strangers.
how be-ever. she was always referred
to as wild Mexican wolf. The critter
was weil-nigh blind and only had ne
upper and one lower tooth, neither CT
which hit, maxim bitin' and eatin' con-
siderable difficult. In fact. she had
dined on nothin' but soft vittles Cor
years. This animile was kent because
preferred listenin' to her style If
growlin' instead Of goin' home.
House and Hogg give niger boy
dollar six bits to lead the wolf, under
cover of early mornin' darkness, to u
strip of woods right smart piece be
yond town--mebbe sig or eight milas.
and put her up in the forks Of a
whalin' big cottonwood tree.
EARLY that mornin' the hunti.l
party paraded M Congress avenoo
everybody on hossback or muleback.
House and Bryan Arcadia the pro-
cession, Bryan straddlin' his sorrel
mustang as dignified and straight as
Napoleon Bonypart and John Pershing
combined. They was followed,
reckoned by so or 100 men and
boys armed with muskets. shotguns
and sixshoeters 1t was as imposin' a
lookin' band OF hunters as ! had ever
SEEN Every houn dog for miles
around had been borried for this par
ticular festivity. Bryan, OF course
was some happy. duly appreciatin' .he
, Kindness of his new Southern .neiya-
bors In goin' to all this fuss in order
| to show him true Southern hospitality.
A few miles beyond the city limits tile
dogs took the scent and away they
scampered: such howiin' and barking
and growiin' I never heard in all my
born days. Them that could, jumped
their bosses over fences and creeks;
them that couldn't got all excited AMI
cut lot OF wire fences and just waded
the creeks When We reached the hig
cottonwood you never seen such pic
ture as them dogs made surroundin'
that tree and bayin' away at that old
panther girl as she biinked down at
/ etcAi nSf Sale p6FCn WOHueTln.
s'pose, what it was all about. Every
body in the crowd. by prearranxe-
| rlent- acted scared and excited, az If
they expected the panther to leap at
them any second and renA them arm
from leg.
!" Gentlemen said Colonel House,
| polite-iike, like true Southern gem
tlenan. 'bein' as how Mr.. Bryan In
highly honored guest in our midst, I
woult respectfully suggest that he be-
accorded the honor of havin' the first
shot at this dangerous wild beast But
ltp-case he misses. then II is to BIO d.
free for-al each man protectin' him-
self as he deems best
Bryan beamed all kinds of graft
tude. Restin his r-plated VIII
chester in the forks Of saplIn. he
/ took long and careful aim and shot
that descrepit panther plum through
the heart. When Bryan rolled II over,
nonchalant-like. with the barrel OK his
gsa. the CT sression on his face, saSa4a
as plain ms day that there was only
just as happy--that bein' the time be
pulled that crown OF gold and cross
OF thorns speech on Ms Democrats and
got nominated number one.
"A delegation Of leadin' citizens had
the varmint skun and the hide dressed
and fixed uD right pretty and presented
II TO Mr.. Bryan with = httin' speech
by sthS MAYOR. fsnr told II decorated
the Bryan barior for many years.
1t wasn't until years afterward that
Bryan learned the real truth about
that hHntin' trip. generated by Colonel
House. and found that n0thin but cots
t6nfAxfs AMI GiifDn1HhES hR1f Beer,
within ATTY miles OF Ahskin II more
than dftY Year,.