The Raleigh Herald from Beckley, West Virginia • Page 2

ll mwm TALES fin Maxwell Writes of the Panther In West Virginia. A DREADED WILD BEAST. Only One Instance Recorded Where Human Was Killed and That a Small Cases of Encounters Witli Interesting Data Gathered. most dreaded wild animal in West Virginia forests is the panther. In popular opinion he is the embodiment of ferocity, the personification of cruelty, is bloodthirsty to a savage degree, possesses amazing strength and untiring is the mor- -tal enemy not only of the wild beasts that roam the mountains with him, but of.

man also. In this article I propose, to treat the panther from the historical standpoint in West Vireinia. I have collected concerning the animal for a good nuny years and I have availed myself of some valuable' sources information. I have tried to sift the true from the false, fact from fiction, just as I vould do in any other historical investigation. In this way I have, tried tn reach a reasonably correct conception of the in forests, and as he has existed in the past.

In order to head off anv expectations which can not be realized, I will state that I have no very blood curdling Dories to tell, no wild adventures with miraculous escapes or violent tragedies. I will further state that I have no personal experiences to recite, but must depend upon what reliable persons told me. Although I have spent many and nights in the wildest mountains of West Virginia, and have been in the habit of making extensive tamping trips in the woods since I was 15 years old, yet I never saw a panther in West Virginia, ahS never heard but. one voice which I believed to be a panther's within the limits of this state I will' anticipate saying that after all the investigation I able to not only the recollection" of persons with. Whom "I talked, hut extending in history back to the pioneer days of the state, I have heard only one human killed by a panther, and that was a child too small to escape or itself, nthprs mnv hnvp, been by panthers in West Virginia, but I nevflr heard of them.

panther is by no means as dangerous as the uear, if we are to judg" from the number of persons killed. The hear is much larger, but is probably inferior in fighting capacity, owing to the greater activity of the panther, and its ability to inflict wounds with teeth and claws. I never heard of an encounter in the. woods between a hear and a panther, and could only surmise what the result would be. I think that the panther's-weight is more, than 20 pounds.

Old hunters say that when seen in the he appears smaller than really is. This is' due to his habit of crouching, and gliding close to the ground, seeking concealment among weeds and behind Ings and rocks. He is said to seldom walk at his full height. At the first glance he is apt to be mistaken for a and the color, rather than tht- size, is usually the first thing to suggest to the hunter the true, nature of the visitor. Robert K.

Knotts, who is now a very old man, still lives on BacKbone mountain in Tucker county. While hunting one morning, some 60 years ago, be permited a panther to approach thinking it was his dog. He discovered his mistake and shot it. Loading hi" flint-lock as a nrecaut.ion, fearing that the beast might need another bullet to finish it, he was in the act of advancing when he discovered a second panther standing by the prostate foim of the first. A bullet from his unerring brought -down the second.

If I were writing fiction I would go no farther lest the 'limit of probability bo passed; but history requires that one more panther be 'added to the list. Mr. Knotts reloaded his gun in time to shoot the third -beast as it came, up to sniff the writhing forms of its dying companions. In relating the incident to me Mr. Knotts Continued: was not scared up to that time; but when I had shot the third panther (he called it painter) commenced to tremble, and my hand shook till I all my powder.

I ran home with my gun empty." I have told my biggest panther story "rat, and what is to follow will be. le. I may that 50 years rMr. Knott's son Stephen killed icr panther near the same place. climbed a tree, and at the first be brought it to the ground.

But ntbcr, like the cat, in tenacious of and it fell it struggled violently; and the boy bavin? modern CUD, could load rapidly than his father had been able to do 50 years before, and ho continued to fire at brute until he 'had emptied his magazine and his belt of reserve ammunition. He told me: "When 1 got through with it the things' hide was so full of holes it wouldn't hold a hazel brush." The panther is not a courageous anima 1 He is a sneaking, annoying creature. Many are the stories told of persons being followed for long distances of these stories are no doubt imaginary, hut. many are true. The panther is blamed for much noise that he does not make, and for much disturbnance that he is not responsible for.

Persons who hear suspicious sounds become excited and conclude that a panther is in the vicinity, while it is probably no such thing. A man on Dry fork of Cheat river once ran a mile to a neighbor's at night with the startling nexys that a panther was on his roof uttering Use most fiendish screams. When the relief party arrived a screech owl, the size of a man's fist, was on the roof, occasionally' uttering a plaintive little cry, in the same key as a panther's yell but many an octave lower. A good many of the current stories of panthers have their origin in similar occurrences. Persons think they see or hear panthers when the alarm was due to something else, usually to an excited imagination.

Nevertheless, panthers often follow benighted trav- ilers, hang on their footsteps, crawl the. brush on one side of the glide in front, and stealthily vanish. The animall acts as thouugh it intended to attack, but ts courage, seems to fail it every William Evans who lived on the face of the AUeghany was fol- owed night by a panther as be was passing along a forest path. The night was dark, but he saw the animal several times, and was certain that it was several times within a few yards of him. All efforts to drive it away were unavailing, and he finally came a footlog across a stream, and sat down in thejmidd'e of that to wait for morning.

The brute circled around and around him, wading the' stream above and below, but never summoned up courage to attack. When day dawned, it glidded into the woods and disappeared. The action of that panther may be taken as typical. They make nuisances of themselves, but never profit by it. Isaac Smith who lived in Grant county, was pursued by a panther while, riding along a mountain road.

about 25 years ago. The beast did usual. glided along parallel with the road, occasionlly rossing in front or behind him, occasionally visible, but keeping out sight. The horse was terribly frightened, and it was with difficulty that it was prevented from running away. Just, before some old fields, path crossed a large tree.

The panther had run ahead, and concealing liimself behind the tree, waited for the traveler to conie up. As Mr. Smith passed the tree he saw the panther standing on its hind legs, its acrainst the tree trunk, within a yard of the path. The horse sprang forward, and Mr. Smith, under the excitement, struck the panther on the lead with his hat.

The horse, now beyond control, dashed dowu the path, leaped the fence with its rider, and galloped across the field. The panther followed to the fence, as tracks "showed, but went no farther. The open field c'id not suit fhis skulking habits. Some ten nr twelve miles above Rowlesburg, in Preston county, a small stream empties into Cheat rive-r. is called Panther run, and its name a fight: in which a lardy pioneer named GofE whipped a parither with a club.

At dusk one evening the beast attacked a calf near Goff's cabin, and he Hew to the rescue, picking up a stout club as he went. He was a stout man, and he rained blows upon the brute both fast and furious. It had the taste of blood and was not inclined to gj e. up its prey. But.

the clubbing grew too severe, and with a yell of rage and disappointment it. loosed its hold on the calf's throat and retreated to the woods. It made no effort to attack Mr. Goff. Many are the stories told of panthers hanging around the campers' fire at night.

The animal wjll approach very near if he sees no object moving about the camp, but he will keep his distance if any one is on guard. Some years ago a man named Long who lives on Seneca creek in Pendle- tnn county, to the Roaring Plains, on the summit of the Alleghanies to pick huckleberries. He was accompanied by his son about 12 years old, Intending to remain all night he huilt a shelter of bark and brush. A while after dark he-discovered the presence of a panther in the "icinity. Ha was an experienced hunter, and knowing the habits of the beast, he made one or two efforts to drive it away, and then lay down to sleep, not believing that it would venture near while the lire burned in front of the camp.

Just what intervened, Mr. Long can confidence in its ability to get increased distribution to its sharehold- away that it ventures where a bear would never go. 1 have heard of a number of instances where a small dog has chased a panther and forced it to climb a tree, although the panther might be able to whip a dozen such dogs if it were not too cowardly to try. It is an animal which inspires terror, and its known proximity will test the courage of any man. Its cry is the most dreadful sound that forest inows, and if the.

person who hears it is safe from attack, his nerves will need be pretty steady if a not unsprung when the low wail and plaintive whine reach his ears. It has two or three different cries. Sometimes the similarity to the squalling of a chicken is striking. The earpieicing screams so vividly described by Fenimore Cooper, I am inclined to believe are pure fiction. I have never seen 'any one "ho had heard such a voic.e.

The cries are not "ery loud, whether, they are the whme and complaining moan, or shriller yell which 1 have said resemble the squall- notjtoll. but tie wai awakened from sleep by a yell tod a and found himself pinionwl to the ground one of the camp falling across the. back of his panther was on him, frantically to free himself, for he too had been caught under the falling camp. The, boy freed himself ami took to the open time to see the panther in headlong flight for the tall The brute had jumped on the camp and it had broken down under his weight. The only instance, so far as I have ever heard, where a human being was attacked and killed in West Virginia occurred nearly 40 years ago i'-i the western part of Randolph county, oh the'middte.

fork of Tygart rwer. TWO small children were some distance from their home in the dusk of the evening when a panther pursued them. The larger child tried to carry the. younger, but let it fall and the brute sprang forward and seized it. It.

is probablej that the. panther would not have attacked if the child had not fallen. It was evidently carrying out its usual tactics of and threatening. Many another, animal will attack a prostrate person but will not do so if the. person 's erect The above, are a ing the habHs of the panther.

Such stories might be multiplied many times without romance fiction. They would all tend to show the panther as a cowardly animal, and yet possessing INKED WAGES Granted li.r Pennsylvania By. And Standard Oil. FOB GREATER''PROSPERITY. Republican Victories Inspire Confidence In Great Commercial World- Pennsylvania Increase Will Apply To 185,000 Men.

At a special meeting of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Bailroad Company, an increase of 10 per cent in the wages of 'all permanent employes of the company now receiving than $200 a month was ordered The increase takes effect. December 1, 1906 and applies to all of the Pennsylvania system, both east and west of Pjttslmrg. The official announcement of the increase says: 'The takes this action by reason of the increased cost of living and the present groat, prosperity of the country, in which, the. Pennsylvania railroad shares, and which has made it. possible for the company In make an ing of a chicken.

condition" I think the atmos- woulo 1 need to very favorable if the; panther's' cry could he much half a mile. I have been told.that, it utters its cries onlv vh'ije walking, and never while at rest; but I do not understand just onelcould'kno" this to be DEEPWATEFMIME TABLE. Schedule of Trains In Effect Between Deep- I wafer and Mullens, 58 Miles. The' Deepwatcr has issued a new schedu'e of trains which now run regularly between JDeepwater and Mullens, 58 miles. No regular passenger coaches have been provided yet but passengers are carried on all trains.

Following is the schedule which it would be well to cut out and preserve for reference. Northbound Southbound. No. 3 No. 1 No 2 No.

4 a. m. p. m. a.

m. p. m. 9.15 3.40 Deepwater 10.40 5.55 Big Right Hand 9.00 3.25 30.55 6.JO 8.45 3.J5 11.10 G.ffi North 8.30 3.00 Page. H.2B 6.40 8.2" 2.45-Lv.

12.30-Ar. Page P. M. 6.50 Kincaid 12.55 Hamilton 12.25 12 10 P. M.

11. SO 11.1S 11.05 10.15 9.50-Lv. 9.25-Ar. Surveyor 9.00 Lester 8.45 Jenney Gap 8.20 Hotchkiss 8.00 Maben 7.30 Mullins Silver Gap Dothan Lively Cirtsville Harper 1.10 1.50 203 2.15 2.45 a 25 Lv. 4 20 4.45 5.00 5.25 5.50 6.15 0.

IMPROVEMENTS, Newport News, Nov. Chesapeake and Ohio railway has just awarded to Alsop Pierce, of this city the contract for building the new passenger enlarging the terminal station, and constructing a new freight depot, these improvements being necessitated by enormous growth in passenger traffic. The terimnal and roadway improvements under way will cost upwards of 81,000,000. it is reported that the Chesapeake an Ohio and the Norfolk and Western roads are considering the electrification of certain sections of their lines as experiments, is said that the and Ohio will use electric ity instead of steam in its locomotives in Big Bend tunnel near Itonccverte, W. Va.

It is one thing to appreciate a compliment and another thing to awallow it. ers. "On the Pennsy'vania lines east and west of Pittsburg a total of 192,000 men are. employed. Of these, on the lines east, the wages of 125.4<10 men Will be affected, the.

total increase amounting to $702,952 per month. "The increase "ill be of a horizontal' character, applying all cases, even where there, has been a readjustment since 1902. 3 "The present readjustment affects all the employes of the lines east of Pittsburg with the exception of about 5,000, many of whom are not permanent employes. "The action by the hoard of directors to day will ne followed by milar action on, the part of boards of the companies operating Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsb'urg, the increase in that territory to apply to moTe than 60,000 empldyes, and involving an increased pay rpll of and $4,000,000. The increase ot wages now ordered applies to a total oi abont men, and involves an increased annual outlay of about $12,000,000: franklin.

Nov. gtan- Oil Company to day announced a voluntary increase in wages to employ- Eclips" the Olena Signal Oil refineries, located here. and Tlie percentage of increase was not stated. About 800 men benefited. Gen.

Chn''les Miller, hn made the announcement, on behalf of- the fialena Signal Oil Company, said that the election of the republican ticket in Pennsylvania had Inspired the management with belief 'that 31,11 greater prosperity was coming and they desired their employes to share'it. ELECTION RESULTS Are Encouraging To G. 0, P. From All Parts of With a majority of between 60 and 70 in the national of representatives when they bad expected only SO: with legislatures elected that will ensure their continued control of the United States senate, the republican state tickets chosen in IS states and with the opposition candidates beaten in New York and Massachusetts, the "Grand Old Party" is somewhat, jubilant over the elections. Taking it all around, the result can hn construed in no other way than as an emphatic endorsement of President policies.

His personality cut a large figure in the campaign. He Turged the return of a renubli- can congress, so that the reforms upon which he 's working might not he. hampered or delayed and the people have complied with his request. His hands will be jpjield by a congress of his own party during the remainder of his term in the White House. The friends of the veteran General Chas.

M. who claims that he was defeated for renomination by a trick, are. held partly responsible fot the return of a democrat from thar district of Ohio for the first time in years. A fly in the republican ointment is the fact that, the constitution of the new state of Oklahoma will be drafted by democrats. Arizona and New Mexico rejected the proposed joint statehood.

A republican legislature in Colorado will choose a successor to the democratic United States Senator Patterson. Among the prominent republican senators whose re-election is assured are Cullnm, of Illinois, Dryden, of New Jersey, Elkins, of West Virginia, Alee of Delaware and Grain of Massachusetts. In the course of time the bottom dollar of a spend thrift is sure to come put on top. People seldom try to diacourage your ai long you are willing to tpmd money on'thvm. FUNERAL ORATION.

Of Dr. ChtrtatM. it tht Funeral Gtn. SLClilrLut Following is the of Dr. Barr, of (Jhirleiton, at th" funeral of Gen.

St. Clair last Wednesday. Nothing impresses me more with the transitory character nf human than the changes which death has wrought among the members of the bar in Kanawha and contiguous counties since I first came to amongst them. They have for the most part been of character and possessed of those social qualities and affab'lty of manners that brought them into ah intimate acquaintance with the entire community; Their names have become as familiar as household words. When therefore, onfe after another they fall out.

of the ranks it is known and felt by us all. Though the number that practiced their profession amongst us in former years have considerable, many of them men of. enerhinence and distinction, lean only put my band on one. ntY them who was an active lawyer when I came to ouFcity thirty- nine years ago. Only one atjed lawyer of all that number, now walks to.

his office, and he feeble, steps. Two or thiee of have gone to other localities, hut nearly all of them sleep with their fathers How startling trwe. ravages of death would be to us.if we would only reflect deeply upon.the rapidity with which men pass out, of busy scenes ot life. The actors of today sleep i graves of tomorrow, and because life'moves with unabated activity we do not notice it. This thought brings to our mind the words of one who standing in a gallery hung with the portraits of the Departed, exclaimed: "These are the realities, we are the shadows 1 And yet how difficult it is for us to realize that death stands at our own door 'All men think alUmen mortal but There is only a pdssi bihty to'any of us that we shall be living a year from this day.

"And yet on perhaps, this peradventure, Infamous for lies. As on a rock of adamant we build our mountain hopes, Spin out eternal schemes', And big with life futurity, expire," Death which has respect to age or sex or wealth or high distinction has marked for its own; and we have no means of ascertaining when it will execute its purpose. is on the way to you and to and it is coming with the speed of an any iday" it may reach us and frustrate all bur plans and cutoff all our hope's of We. Our friend, until, recently, was-the last one 'we. would have ex- ctpd to be taken.

His- strongly built fiame, his form, his happy disposition, nvwing always sunshin" about him, itemed to predict along -advanced years. But in the inscrutable providenc 0 of he is takon and ninny of us are left wh" might have expected our summons long before his. His task, of life, is now fininshed. has no part or lot in all-that is done beneath the sun. Courts w'll convene and great cases will be tried, but.

his voice will not be heard nor his opinion sought Exciting political campaigns will enlist, the energies and arouse; the feelings of th'e people and. array one party against'another, buVhe shall have no part in more for the load of care, the cup of sorrow, the song i'of'gladness or the of love!" When: we first knew, him he was not just the same man that he-has been in these later His spirits' Were so' exuberant and his fondness for humor and mirth so irrepressible that it seemed to be a temptation to him to see; the company of the gay and' hilarious rather than that of the graye and thoughtful, and the impul-' ses of his temperament and disposition naturally made him rash and sbme- t-imes reckless. But his friends all observed in these latter years a very decided change in his tastes, his habits, his speech and whole character. was a gentleness and dignity, and an elevation in his language and demeanor that did not belong to former years. He was a man of decided talent.

His mental gifts were of a superior order. He had but few superiors in court in his profession. and in a court there were, not many who were able to cope, with him. His knowledge of the law and sound judge- ment and courage execute his judgment approved as a source of that self reliance which bore him through many a difficult task. He was exceedingly generous and Charitable.

He was full of tender sympathy, and could nbt hear an appeal for those in need or see one suffering for the want of and not give the necessary re. lief. It is often the case that, men render favors from selfish motives and hope to receive personal advantages a result of their benefactions. But his gifts came from the kindness pf his heart and without the remotest expectation of praise, or of personal gain. This virtue made him many warm friends, the virtue existed of any thought of the One of the noble traits of his character bit forgiving npirit.

While h. w.i a firm Ittllevw in' ChriitUnity and had great for the church the ordinances of, religion, He never publicity identified jujriiolf with the cause of Christ. May we nov cherish the hope that the change'(if character so marked in his later years was the result of grane lending him to himself; John Newton said: "i I reach? Heaven at last I expect, to find three- g'eat surprises there First I will 1 find many I never expected to find! there. Second, I will miss many expected to meet 'there. Third, I will be surprised most of all to find myself ELECTIONS AND TAX REFORM, Charleston News.

The organs of the taxsmiths axe? quick to jump at the conclusion that the elections are proof of the popularity of the new system of taxation, and that the plain duty of the legislature-' now is to proceed to extend them: along the same lines now exist. The Parkersburg State journal, republican, and the Wheeling News, are. the first make their bows before the public, acknowledging the plaud'ts of the people. The State Journal does not approve of the campaign tactics of the republican state- committee, wherein it made appeal tothe: people vo the republican ticket, taxes were lower this year than they were last." But it does- insist that "assessments should made according true, and actuat value." To this no objection can be made, though it is difficult to perceiva if property is assessed at its trues and actual value, laws could be contrived to attain a superlative degree- whereby values would be truer or- actualler. The democratic News, which always comes nearer speaking- speeoh of the than papers within th" party'that are charged with the responsibility of making" the laws, sees in the election results; such general approval of present la'ws that urges the legislature to proceed" to "devise means of raising stats revenue that the remaining tax property may be abolished, as pledged! by the republican state platform." The proposition is a rash one and is likely to start whole lots of talk.

the first place there is nothing whatever in the election returns to justify the claim of papers the "tax system" has been indorsed. There rang throughout the entire campaign the promise of every pronvnent: republican the state, including" Gov- e.rnor Dawson and Senator Elkins; that the "tax laws would be'amend- ed." And it was not even the subject- of contemplation that by amendment, it was meant-that "chief task' of the. legislature would be to "devise' means, of stats revenue tbat the remaining tax on property may he- abolished as pledged by the republican, state It will be just as the advo cates of stringency, in tax matters, if they do not so'quickly slop over and 1 spoil their clothes. It was only to satisfy the obligations of a large ment of ths republican party, that the gentlemen' specifically referred to so- modified their zeal -tax legislation, as to publicly and fre- queht.lv announce that the tax laws; were to be amended. And at no time- was there even'a hint or suggestion that tax on property should be abolished and other means of" deriving, state revenues should be devised.

And secondly the republican platform never made such promise. And, the democratic press; of the state is not the keeper of the; republican conscience and the republican legislature is in no wise answerable to it. If more need be said, let rrs prompt, our contemporaries to give more careful study to the returns of the election! before so hastily concluding their- analysis. -They will discover by so- doing that the large majorities in the tK have come from counties where- the fact was well estabished fhat the- representatives in the legislature to be- voted for, were not in accord with much of the tax system as now executed. rp hey will find that in the sections and counties of the state where-the committees and campaigners made boH to advance the tax doctrines ot Mr.

Dawson the majorities were most soaring, while in some, as in Taylor, and Lewis, the republican majorities were wiped out altogether. And before accepting as an incontrovertible' certainty that such rare- schemes as the News proposes can be put into effect it might be profitable to peruse the lists of those elected to- legislature, and measure their- standing as men of sense as well as their predelictions upon matters of! this sort. Respectfully submitted. SMALLPOX AT HINTON. The samllpox situation in this county is getting somewhat serious.

There is perhaps 100 cases in the cities of Hinton and Avis and. many have been exposed. Almost-everybody has been vaccinated and the disease will soon be under control. No deaths have resulted and it. appears to be in its I'ghteit.

Independent. Herald. A man does deipiM fllrtin in on. be iiiiotc.