Sunday, December 15, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, April 6, 1854
We noticed an Elk in harness passing through our streets the other day; and yesterday we saw a sight still more strange and noteworthy-a yoke of buffaloes-working kindly and efficiently, with three yoke of oxen.
On inquiry we learned that they were taken when calves, on the plains, and have been kept since in Keokuk county, running freely with the cattle on the farm, and working as occasion required, with oxen. They are heifers, and have not attained their growth, yet they are larger and stronger than than any yoke of oxen in the team, and are highly prized for service. [Des Moines Valley Whig.]
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Friday, March 30, 1855
The Noblesville Patriot gives as amusing account of the destruction of $500 worth of liquors by the Temperance people. Some 70 barrels and kegs were consumed. The Dayton Ale would not burn of course, and the Patriot says:
The next morning droves of hogs licked the foam of beer, drank the half frozen spirits and soon Mr. Porker began to hang his head and lop his ears, swinging head towards tail and tail towards head, showing the whites of his eyes, and opening his mouth as if things didn’t feel right in his internal arrangements. They soon took a line for the river, but occupying all sides of the street-in imitation of his more noble companion, the biped. Didn’t catch them at it the second time. They were seen for days after standing sullenly beside a fence, looking as if the Maine Law was in operation.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, January 17, 1855
The Banger Mercury of Dec. 30th, says, Albert Richards and P. A. Chase, were returning from Machias last Monday, when a large wolf crossed the road about two rods from them, in pursuit of a deer, which was about twenty feet ahead of the wolf. The wolf caught up to the deer about two rods after they crossed the road, and caught him by the neck; Richards and Chase had their rifles loaded by their side, which they both discharged at the same instant, killing both the wolf and deer., which was brought to the city. The wolf measured 7 feet 3 inches.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, January 17, 1855
The Rockingham, [Va.] Register gives the following account of an old Virginia hunter, Frederick Keiser, of Pendleton County, has devoted much of his time to hunting the mountains of his native county. He is in his 88th year, and has killed during his life, one thousand deer, ten elk, three-hundred bears, thirty panthers and fifty-three wolves. Daily he has slain his share of varmints. He was a volunteer in the whiskey insurrection, and has a very young wife, with two interesting boys-chips of the old block-one two years old and the other four.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, January 24, 1855
A young man had a severe fight with a grizzly bear in the neighborhood of San Andres, last week. Bruin attacked him and threw him down, so that he could not draw his pistol, but was able to draw his knife, which he used pretty freely on old bruin, and was shortly enabled to gain his feet, when he pitched in so bravely to his savage assailant, that the grizzly hurried off for a breathing spell. This was also an advantage to the young man which he so successfully employed as to be in a better condition to continue the fight. The armistice lasted but a short time; the grizzly was cautiously coming to renew the battle, when the young man, with knife in hand, although severely wounded, charged on the monster with a whoop and a yell, burying his knife in the animal’s neck. Which being more than he had reckoned on, and not at all agreeable, old grizzly turned tail and trotted off. Fairly beaten in a stand up fight of his own seeking. [Alta Californian.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Friday, January 27, 1854
A sword-fish ran his snout into the British ship, Lord Riverdale, on her voyage to Valparaiso, piercing a plank three inches and a half in thickness, and leaving seven inches of the sword on the inside. The ship was compelled to heave to, for repairs.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Illinois Daily Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, February 18, 1854
A dog plunged into the Ohio, a few miles above Cairo, a short time since, after a deer, and caught it when about a hundred yards from the shore. The dog after getting on the deers back, and fastening to his ear, so interfered with its swimming, that a spectator on the bank took a canoe and secured it. The owner of the dog subsequently sold him for $175.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Published in the Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, May 25, 1890
Incident of the Rabid Dog Epidemic in Fulton County.
Canton, Ill., May 24. An exciting incident of the mad dog epidemic now alarming the people of Fulton County occurred near Breed’s station on the Toledo, Peoria and Western railway, yesterday afternoon. John Byno was driving to his home at Breed’s. When within a few miles of town he heard the pounding of hoofs and a strange, squealing sound. Upon looking around he saw a huge white mare following him at breakneck speed. A stream of green saliva was running from her mouth; her eyes and nostrils were widely dilated, and she was giving vent to horrid cries as if in agony or rage. The truth flashed upon Byno that the mare was mad-a victim of one of the rabid dogs in the neighborhood. He applied the lash to his horse, which was now trembling and whinnying with fear. But the mad brute gained rapidly, and in a few moments was biting and snapping at the wheels of the buckboard, at Byno, and the horse. A Toledo, Peoria and Western train appeared in sight, and the mad mare jumped the fence and chased the flying train for some distance. She fell into a fit and was killed.
Byno says the mare followed him nearly five miles, and although he constantly beat her in the face with his whipstock the brute kept close to him. The people of Breed’s were horrified at Byno’s story, and dogs are being slaughtered without regard to value. It is feared that much valuable farm stock has been bitten by rapid dogs.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Tuesday, February 20, 1855
In a paragraph concerning the high tide of Thursday, the Boston Telegraph records the following:
“At the wharves owing to the high water a large number of rats were killed by unemployed laborers. The vermin were obliged to leave their holes, or remain quiet and be drowned, and as they appeared, parties of Irishmen waiting for jobs chased them about the dock with clubs and stones. In one instance the men had driven two large rats into an empty building on Commercial street where there was no mode of egress except through the door. This the two men fastened, and forming a circle, drove the animals into a corner and prepared to dispatch them. The rats rendered desperate, sprang at the throat of the nearest Irishman and one succeeded in fastening its long sharp teeth in the man’s handkerchief, which he wore around his neck, and held his jaw firmly clasped until killed. Luckily the handkerchief was thick, so that the animals teeth did not touch the man’s throat. The rat’s companion sprang at his intended victim, missed him, and was knocked over by a club. They were enormous large fellows.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Saturday, February 24, 1855
An elephant, valued at $50,000 died of sea sickness, on its way from Calcutta to Boston, at which latter port the vessel has just arrived. It is said his sufferings were in proportion to his size.