Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, March 15, 1834
By James H. Hackett.
I never was downhearted but once in my life, and that was on seeing the death of a faithful friend, who lost his life in trying to save mine. The fact is, I was one day making tracks homeward, after a long tramp through one of our forests-my rifle carelessly reasting on my shoulder-when my favorite dog, Sport, who was trotting quietly ahead of me, suddenly stopped still, gazed into a big oak tree, bristled up his back and fetched a loud growl. I looked up and saw, up on a quivering limb a half grown panther, crouching down close, and in the very act of springing upon him. With a motion quicker than chain lightning I leveled my rifle, blazed away, and shot him clean through the heart. The varmint, with teeth all set and claws spread, pitched sprawling head foremost to the ground, as dead as Julius Caesar! That was all fair enough, but afore I had hardly dropped my rifle, I found myself thrown down flat on my profile by the old she-panther, who that minute sprung from an opposite tree and lit upon my shoulders, heavier than all creation! I felt the print of her teeth and nails there now! My dog grew mighty loving-he jumped a-top and seized her by the neck; so we rolled and clawed and a pretty considerable tight scratch we had of it. I begun to think my right arm was about chewed up; when the varmint finding the dog’s teeth rather hurt her feelings, let me go altogether and clenched him. Seeing at once that the dog was undermost, and there was no two ways about a chance of a choke off or let up about her, I jest took out my jack-knife and with one slash, perhaps I didn’t cut the panther’s throat deep enough for her to breath the rest of her life without nostrils! I did feel mighty courageous and big as she was, I laid hold of her hide by the back with an alligator’s grip and slung her against the nearest tree hard enough to make every bone in her flesh fire! There, says I, you infernal varmint, root and branch, you are what I call used up.
But I turned around to look for my dog, and-and-tears gushed smack into my eyes; and I see the poor affectionate creature-all of a gore of blood-half raised on his fore legs and trying to drag his mangled body toward me; down he dropped-I run up to him, whistled loud and gave him a friendly shake of the paws-[for I loved him]-but he was too far gone; he just had strength enough to wag his tail feebly-fixed his closing eyes upon me wishfully-then gave a gasp or two and-all was over.
N. Y. Mirror.
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, July 12, 1834
A lad fourteen years of age, lately navigated the river Thames from Black Friars to Westminster, in a washing tub of six geese power: the geese are said to have pulled quite peacefully in the harness. The boy had bet fifty guineas on their ability to preform the feat, and won it. A number of distinguished visitors, among them the queen of England, were present on the occasion.
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, May 17, 1834
A singular incident occurred in this town on Sunday last. It appears that some persons had been amusing themselves by worrying an ox that had been confined in the Wagon Yard for the purpose of being fattened and that they had employed for this purpose an old ragged coat. After he had become much incensed, an individual put on the coat and sallied into the yard, when the ox made at him, and followed him up a flight of stairs into the second story. Here missing the object of his pursuit, he bolted through a window, and came down into the street, considerably injured by his leap of about 15 feet.-Fayetteville, N. C. Obs.
Published in the Waukegan, Gazette, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, June 4, 1881
A farmer of London Township, Ont., noticed one morning that a wild goose had joined his flock. Somewhat surprised at this sudden change to domestic life, he carefully observed the behavior of the visitor. He soon learned that it had not actually joined its barnyard relatives, but only appeared at meal time. Further investigation showed that after the goose had thoroughly satisfied her own appetite she would pick up an ear of corn and fly away. Greatly interested by the strange conduct of the bird, the farmer one morning watched the direction of its flight. It was but a short distance to the river, and he noticed that, after circling, the goose dropped apparently into the river. Going down to the bank, he discovered his visitor standing by a companion who was lying on the ground and feeding on the ear of corn. In order to understand this restaurant project he walked up to the feeder and found that it had been so disabled that it could neither walk nor fly. Without disturbing it he returned, and morning after morning watched the generous goose carry away an ear of corn. Finally, the visits ceased, but shortly afterwards the sick gander himself waddled into the camp and gobbled up the corn himself. He has remained all winter, and the indications are that he has made up his mind to settle down and go to housekeeping.
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, June 28, 1834
We find by our exchange papers, that the Locusts made their regular septemdecennial appearance in different parts of the country, with great regularity, on the 25th inst. and although we have seen nothing of them in this city, as yet, we have no reason to expect that they will delay their coming. Their visits in this country have thus far been comparatively harmless, when we consider the well authenticated accounts of their ravages in the Eastern world; yet it is asserted that during their previous visits in some parts of New England, they not only ate up the grass in the fields, but actually attacked clothing and fences to appease their hunger.
In Syria, Egypt, and nearly all the South of Asia, they make their appearance in immense and innumerable swarms, directed in their flight by a leader, whose course they are said to follow with great exactness. They are, almost invariably, the precursors of a famine, in the counties, we have mentioned; as, to pass over whole provinces, and leave them but barren wastes, is to them but the work of a few hours. Their bite is considered poisonous to vegetation, so that they almost invariably destroy the life of the little that their wants suffer them to leave undevoured.
In 1797, according to Barrow, Southern Africa was visited by them in such quantities, that according to the account given by him, they covered an area of 2000 square miles-while the water of a very wide river which lay in their course, was so covered with the dead carcasses that floated on its surface, that its water was hardly visible. They were finally destroyed [as they invariably are by a tempestuous wind, which drove them into the sea; and when they were afterwards washed upon the shore, they made a bank four feet high, and fifty miles in length.
The Journal of Commerce cites Pallas’ travels in Russia, as giving a minute description of their progress in that country. He says after getting started in the morning, they do not halt until evening, but proceed, without touching each other, at little distance, uniformly in the same course, frequently “at the rate of a hundred fathoms a day, until they acquire wings, when they progressively disperse, but still fly about in large swarms.” In 1650, they entered Russia in three different places, and afterwards spread themselves over Poland and Lithuania. In 1678, 30,000 persons are said to have perished in the Venetinn territory, in consequence of a famine occasioned by their ravages. And it is stated in Irby and Mangle’s travels in Egypt and Syria, that they almost annually pass the southern extremity of the Dead sea, on their way to Gaza. They visited Great Britain in 1788, but disappeared without propagating.
It is well known that in Southern Africa, they are eaten by both men and beasts-and prepared for the palate of the former by being stripped of their wings and legs, and then roasted and pulverized.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, March 22, 1834
Our neighbor of the U. States Gazette, records this morning, the adventures of a mad bull, who made his way down Chestnut st. yesterday, at a pace altogether too rapid for the safety of the foot passengers in that brilliant thoroughfare. The operations of the animal in other streets, however, are left unwritten by our morning contemporary. The excited beast commenced his career in Walnut street, where he overtook two ladies in Black, both of whom he knocked down without any other injury than fright. Just below Eleventh street, the attention of the furious creature was attracted by a young lady in a red merino dress- her he attacked in the most desperate manner, throwing her several feet in the air, rending her dress almost to shreds, but fortunately without seriously wounding her person. On his way into Chestnut street, he encountered Mr. Everly, a respectable comb maker, knocked him down with dangerous force, and hurt him very severely. Mr. E. was quite ill last evening. The bull’s course in Chestnut street is recorded in the Gazette, He ran furiously down the street, plunged into the Delaware, and swam to Smith’s Island. We have not heard of the animal since. His whole career was rapid and striking. The soul of Davy Crockett seems to have descended upon him. “Go ahead!” was his motto, and he fulfilled it well.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, March 15, 1834
A lady who was a notable housekeeper here many years ago, found the eggs in her well stored larder diminishing daily. She did not like to suspect her domestics of nullification. She secreted herself in the room and watched. A company of rats came. A large full furred rat, the principal thief, grasped an egg with all four of his legs, and rolled over on his back. Two others, his accomplices, laid hold of his tail with their teeth, and lugged their load manfully to a sly rat-hole hard by, where, it is fair to infer, all hands feasted on the spoils of victory.
Portsmouth Journal.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, March 15, 1834
The docility and domestic habits of Cows are quite amusing sometimes. There is a venerable old pet creature in this town, who is accustomed to steal a march of the family with whom she resides and eat up the miscellaneous matter deposited in the kitchen. She occasionally walks into the back part of the house and from thence into the larder, and after seating herself on some humble stool, quietly fills her stomach with culinary matters which happen within her reach. She always has a good appetite, and never takes hot sling or early bitters to create one. The other morning it was found during the night she had eaten up what was designed for the breakfast table, a goodly mess of Codfish and potatoes; and at another time she stowed away in her bread basket a large quantity of baked pork and beans. A few days since she walked into a neighbor’s kitchen and ate up a number of fresh loaves of bread and then returned home and swallowed a quantity of butter, enough to spread them. She’s a nice beast, and yields, in the proper season, sixteen quarts of milk in a day, and withal has a touch of somnambulism about her.
Northampton Courier.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, September 24, 1836
A party of persons of both sexes, were crossing the Hudson from Saugerties to Trivoli, in a little boat rowed by two of the party. On reaching the river, a large sturgeon sprung from the water in front of them depositing himself in the bottom of the boat. Great was the surprise of all on board; but one of the gentlemen caught the fish by the tail, and tied it fast to the boat. The creature in the meantime, uttered the most plaintive sounds, moaning with a noise much like that of a cow. It was conveyed to the shore, where it was found to measure eight feet and a half in length and to weigh 150 pounds.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, May 14, 1836
Some of the Piscatorial people of Pekin and Peoria have assumed a very belligerent attitude toward each other in the matter of taking catfish from the river. The last accounts from the north left the Pekinites ahead-the latter having in possession a cat-fish of 178 lbs: while the Peorians, with all their diligence, had not been able to secure a cat heavier than 114 pounds: but we learn by the very last number of the Champion, that the Peorias were hourly in expectation of taking a “monster” which will throw the exploits of the Pekinites altogether in the shade.