Show THE DANGERS AT HAND if it be true M reported that a huge mountain lion invaded the northern part of the city yesterday and acted as though inquest in quest of prey it Is a very serious matter it should be borne in mind that the unusually heavy snow falls fails we have been receiving in this part of f the country of late have been very much heavier in the mountain tops tope and near them than in the habitable districts and this invariably has the effect of driving wild beasts out of their accustomed haunts and with their cus customary bass base of supplies cutoff oat off they become fiercely ravenous and correspondingly venturesome A mountain lion is in such oases apt to be as dangerous a beast as his bis african brother and either will take ae desperate sperate chanced ch anceo always seemingly preferring human victims to any others the heartrending occurrence in a colorado town a month or so ago in which a small child who had wandered but a little way from the house was seized by one of these ferocious beasts and borne away to his bis fastnesses fast nesses should alone be sufficient to put on their guard those who live adjacent to mountains which have not been jully fully subjugated by man and when one of the prowlers actually comes within the cites city Is limits and stands at bay in a citizens citizen Is back yard until frightened away by a lamp the feeling of admiration for the audacity exhibited which might mise arise for a moment should give way to one of what if a child had been in the monsters erPs path coming or going then the only feeling which would pervade the community would be one of destructiveness for the whole leonine race and it is just as well that something of this feeling prevail beforehand at least those who live in the more exposed places should be provided with ath effective firearms and see to it that their powder is kept dry this all reads so much like the early days that it will doubtless cause many to smile but without blaming them particularly we insist upon it that it to la not a smiling matter whether the incident referred to occurred restated as ae stated or not because of the prevailing snows and general inclemency it is nothing more than might happen it should be remembered that the city has been spreading in every direction until in the northern limits it reaches the actual haunts of wild animals or what were such a few years ago these these have not been exterminated by any means nor have they beer driven butof the country but only crowded further back even with that they are not so far away that they cannot and will not come within sight eight if not within range this kind of weather small herds of deer have repeatedly made their appearance within a stones stone 19 throw of the nearest house bouse and these are the most timid and suspicious of all wild animals it if they will venture so far under a stress of circumstances what may we not look for from the mountain lion which has 0 fear to speak of and only gets out of our way because of that instinct in beasts which informs them that we are in possession of means it f destruction with which their native powers and strength cannot cope to add to the uncomfortable n ess of the situation we are presently afflicted with a gang of wild beasts disguised as human beings and these prowl around actually a within the shadow of the constabulary doubtless laying their plans and giving out assignments for attack and plunder within the sound and hearing of the city hall haill they cannot be or have not been caught nor so far as known any one of them immunity from punishment makes them bolder and bolder and we may look for them to begin operations in broad daylight before long unless some sort of check to is administered without delay self protection in ia a natural and necessary outgrowth of the lack of protection otherwise and it if we must resort to it it is better to do so go before the law abiding and well disposed suffer beyond redemption wild beasts watching for flor opportunities from without and their human counterparts doing the same game thing from within imparts a rather unpleasant feeling even when one is measurably used to it |