Life — August 12, 1897 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Captain Fowler’s Great Thirteen Day. “Carrain WILLIAM FOWLER, the founder of our club, who died a few days ago,” said a member of the Thirteen Club, * was a fellow of infinite jest and a master in the making and telling of good and fitting stories. I joined the Thirteen Club in 1883, a few days before the recurrence of the club's annual dinner. A number of us were at the Knickerbocker Cottage, then kept by Captain Fowler, ‘The number 13, as the Sun's obituary notice on the Captain stated, had always been singularly connected with events in his life, and we had been talking about it that cvening, when suddenly the Captain, with a twinkle in his eye, and in his droll manner, said: “On September 13, 1870, | was hunting on the Mamakatine barrens, up in Sullivan county. [wasn't looking for panthers. Deer was what enticed me out there, and I was in shape not to raise any objections to a bear if one should come my way. One of the barrels of my gun was loaded with 13 buckshot. “*T had been tramping over the barrens on this particular day—the barrens, by the way,’ interjected the Captain, ‘are by exact measurement exactly 1,313 feet above t I had been tramping over the barrens on this particular day, and hadn't seen anything that might indicate that there ever had been even as much as a chipmunk prowling around there, when suddenly I heard a great noise off to my right. Turning quickly, | saw a tremendous and fierce-looking animal tearing straight toward me through the brush, I recog- nized it at once as a panther, and up with my gun and whanged the contents of my buckshot barrel atit. The panther gave a yell that made me turn pale, but he stopped, and stopped for good. “*Talways step just three feet when I walk—always and invariably,’ con- tinued the Captain, ‘I never knew one of my steps to lack or exceed that measurement by the fraction of an inch, I remember afterward that I took just four steps, and the remaining distance to the panther was not quite the length of my foot—lacked an inch. My foot, clad, is thirteen inches long. The distance from where I shot at the panther and the spot where it fell was con- sequently just 13 feet. “Of course I was quite a little excited by my unexpected adventure, but by and by I began dragging my big game out to the road. It was a tough pull but finally I got it off the barrens. At the place where I struck the road was a small house. I succeeded in getting a horse and wagon there, as the rig that was to come along and take me back to Wurtsboro wouldn't be along 1 towards night. Atter we had loaded the panther into the wagon I aski he boy who was to drive me how far it was to Wurtsboro. «+8 Just thirteen miles,” he replied “and we've got a hill for every mile.” *** We got to Wurtsboro, and when I looked at my watch | saw that we had been thirteen minutes over three hours making the thirteen miles. I begaa to find fault with the boy for taking so long. “**Well,” said be, “that's a tough road, and I think I've done first. rate, bein’s this horse was thirteen years on the canal before we xot him, ard that was thirteen years ago to-day, just the day I was born.” “**Of course the panther and myself created great excitement in that locality, but it wasn’t until I counted the panther's teeth and found that there were only 13 left, and then found that from the tip of his snout to the tip of his long, slender tail he measured just 13 feet, that I began to think of the peculiar combination of the thirteen business in the affair-September 15, 1,315 feet above tide, 13 buckshot in my gun, panther 13 feet loog, with 13 teeth, dropping dead with those 13 buckshot in it, 15 feet from where I fired, 13 miles from Wurtsboro, and 13 hills on the road, boy 13 years old that very September :;, driving a horse that had been 13 years on the canal and 13 years in the boy's family! I tell you, I began to think a little about these coincidences, and— “Then the Captain stopped, assumed an expression of sudden astonish- ent, and exclaimed : ‘Why, good gracious! September 15, 1870! That will be just thirteen years ago next annual dining day of this Thirteen Club! Gentlemen, come!’ “We came, and an hour or so later, whea we adjourned, there were thirteen bulging-based corks on the sideboard.""—New York Sun, CYCLOMETER Has banished all other forms of Cyclomieter, and its. success bas Sroused imitations tbat Tesemble it-only tn ap: Dearance, Desire your purchase arsthe namie thot assures perfection AVEEDEIC Acihal - DUST PROOF. WATERPROOF PRICE $1.50. a Weight, 1 oz. AT ALL DEALERS. Booklet Free. VEEDER MFG. CO., - Hartford, Conn. a powertal shooting revolver of strone and simple mechanism. Send for catalogue describing this and other models. | SMITH & WESSON, | 10 Stockbridge St., Springfield, Mass. A lasting scent of rare Fragrance and Delicacy. 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