Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1911 — A Reminder of Youth [ARTICLE]

A Reminder of Youth

Hunter Sees Panther Like He Used to Hunt. Animals Are Not Extinct In State of Pennsylvania as Generally Sup-posed-May Have Esoaped From Menagerie or Circus. Watervllle, Pa. —William Button, who lives on the mountain about two miles north, and who when a young man had more than cue exictlng adventure with panthers, declares that the belief that pantherß are extinct In Pennsylvania Is a mistake. He says he saw a panther In- open daylight one forenoon during a trip he made through the wilds of the country north of his place on an inspection of his bear traps. Button Is seventy-one years of age, and has lived In the Pine creek region ever since he was a boy of seven, when his people came In over the old Ooudersport pike and “squatted” on a piece of land along that thoroughfare and followed the business of trapping and hunting and tilling a small piece of ground In the neighborhood of what Is now Hanevllle. Young William was schooled In the wilds and at eleven years of age was I' fine shot with a smooth-bore rifle, and a year later he killed a big panther that had followed him and his mother while they were returning at night from Lock Haven. This animal, but a few weeks before, had attacked and almost killed a peddler that had passed along the road. With his acquaintance concerning panthers and their ways, the old man’s declaration that the panther has again appeared in the Pennsylvania wilds gives rise to a most interesting question, for *the state authorities announced as much as fifteen years ago that there were no more panthers In Pennsylvania. Mr. Button was Inspecting his bear traps the other day, and had gone Into a deep ravine in crossing from one ridge to Another, when his attention was attracted to the partially devoured carcass of a deer. The blood and torn flesh of the animal showed him that the work I had been done that very day. He ex- ; amlned the carcass to determine the I character of the animal that had killed I it, when he heard a peculiar, cat-like j growl that seemed to come from the I thick of a big hemlock close by, and | looking up into the boughs of the tree he saw the form of a big tawny crea- ! ture that lay crouched on one of the limbs at a point near the trunk. It was far too big for a catamount, and tor the moment the old hunter thought it was s mountain lynx, which animal is still found at rare intervals. He had a rifle with him, but before he determined to shoot, being anxious to learn the character of the beast, the thing raised quickly and jumped to the ground at the other aide of the | tree. A shot sent in Us direction failed of its mark and with that the animal had gained effective cover In the thicket At that moment the beast gave vent to a cry of anger that was unmistakably. Mr. Button saya, the cry of the panther aa he heard It hundreds of times In the early years of his manhood as a hunter and trapper. Button watched for the animal to come Into the open beyond the thicket, where the ground rose; but It was smart enough to avoid this, and as It doubtless was gorged with its feast of deer the animal probably took to a convenient tree and retired for rest Button examined the ground where the beast must have leaped down, and found In tha soft earth tracks thit further convinced him that the animal was a panther. The old hunter, however. Is not Gt the opinion that the panther Is one of

the original Pennsylvania family, but rather is of tbe belief that this one must have come from some circus or menagerie.