Show MAN PAKI HEa A pioneer Det bittl with a ferocious bartt did you ever hear of john potters with the ber asked an ld citizen of Il eynolds ville of the pint man well john potter came to this country along about 1834 aarl settled on the bank of the sandy lick on what is w w known an the gray aarni johei waa a larga sinewy man with any amount of courage one day in the early spring while the ground was still white with enow john and am wife and dog started to wall to they had traveled only about two miles when a pile beside the road attracted johns attention going up to it and kicking it a little he discovered a dead dear buried beneath it and just then a large panther had no doubt killel the deer and covered it with the enow sprang from behind a log and ran up an adjacent tree john told nancy his wife to hasten back and get the gun while he and the dog stood guard under the tree she did so but scarcely had she gotten out of sight when began to exhibit strong symptoms of restlessness it eyed the dog and enabled savagely potter had no weapon but adach knife and he had some anxiety to see that panther remain where it waa until nancy returned with the gun but the panther did not like bis quarters and with a tremendous spring bounded from he tree and immediately attacked the dog which with true canine courage gave the beast the very beet he had in the house and being a large and active mastiff he made it BO warm for the animal that it retreated back up the tree but the dog had the worst of the battle he was torn and bleeding but still stood his ground with magnificent and was furious fur the fray in the mean time potter had rut a hickory club with his jack knife and was prepared ti defend the dog he had not long to wait again the huge beant sprang from the tree and began a life bad death struggle with the dog which was greatly interior to it both in strength ani activity but while the fierce figat between the panther and dog was progressing potter in with his club and belabored the animal with all hia might and soon sue ceedee in crushing its skull when it keeled over and yielded up the choat then john sit down upon its lifeless carcass and waited fur nancy the dog was thought to be he was unable to walk and the noble brute was left to die in silence on the field of battle but to the surprise of bis friends he came home two weeks afterward a thoroughly emaciated but convalescent dug the panther measured nine feet to tip of tail wisconsin there is a man in the department of agriculture who bought ETs appointment for 50 cents and he acknowledges it himself it ia captain bob illinois who is special agent for the department he told the story this morn ing in the chief clerks room in the presence of major chief clerk of the department and colonel reelta chief of the seed room his story is as follows very small things determine the future of men sometimes I 1 was orderly serget of company K wisconsin infantry our regiment was in kansas and we were making a forced march ser geant briscoe WAS a mau and bad found a cuiule of barrels of sorghum on iho road aud coc floated it lie hd given considerable of it away and the boys had their canteens full of the sweet stuff when I 1 overtook him he banded me one of bis canteens and took my empty one in exchange when we got into camp you may be sure there was a big least that night and we fairly bathed in sorghum it certainly was good and we all enjoyed but how about buying your present im coming to it the next morning the man who owned the sorghum was in camp aad the colonel sent out a smelling corn to find the guilty carlies par lies every sticky canteen waa a silent witness against us we were drawn up in line and it was a long one before the colonels tent and the adjutant was ordered to make ua each deliver 50 cents to reimbursed the owner who was a loyal man the adjutant came down the line and gather in the money until he came to me I 1 declined to pay on the ground that the canteen full of sorghum had been given to me and I 1 had nothing to du with the theft the adjutant was inclined to abrea with me and was about to let me oaf when the colonel who was an irishman noticed the controversy and called out adjutant chats the the sergeant make im RIVO up his tight away the adjutant to explain the matter nhen the colonel roared at him adjutant I 1 want no lions at all we make the over them 50 cants or ill reduce him to the ranks this holy minute that settle it I 1 paid the money although I 1 did not owe it there was no remedy for me I 1 aln bleil out mighty chuick and that enforced payment got me my position in the department here wheres tho connection between the two evena simple enough if I 1 had been reduced to the ranks id have stayed there probably but 1 paid the money and was soon and finally trans ferrell to the infantry and made captain of company G the was commanded by colonel J M husk and I 1 served under him and pained bis confidence and respect see does it begin to dawn n you that the payment of 00 ceals practically purchased me my although very indirectly |