26 THE PENNSYLVANIA LION OR PANTHER. 



ited range and the limited amount of wild territory in 

 I'ennsylvania set an early doom on the native lions. 

 Gradually civilization closed in, and the number of 

 hunters increased yearly. Panther hides were as pre- 

 valent on the walls of old-time farm buildings as 

 woodchuck skins are today. Almost every backwoods 

 kitchen had a panther coverlet on the lounge by the 

 stove. Panther tracks could be seen crossing and re- 

 crossing all the fields, yet children on their way to 

 school were never molested. In an early day in Centre 

 county hunters who had killed fifty panthers were of no 

 rare occurrence. Among the Jefferson county hunters 

 who killed fifty panthers may be mentioned "F.iir'Long, 

 "The King Hunter," who died in May, 1880, in his 

 ninety-first year. Young bloods dared not pay 

 court to a girl unless they could boast of having killed 

 a panther or two. Even preachers and missionaries 

 joined in the chase and some of them held high scores 

 in the awful game of slaughter. Panthers insisted in 

 returning to spots where they had reared their voung 

 the season before. The hunters were soon aware 

 of the panther "ledges" or clefts" and robbed them 

 annually. They lay in wait for the old animals, kill- 

 ing them wathout quarter. A dog which would not 

 trail a panther was held to be of small value. Tame 

 panthers were used to attract their wild relatives out 

 of the forests. Joseph McConnel, a pioneer in 

 Northern Juniata county, killed eleven panthers in 

 seven years in this way. He is said to have 

 covered one entire side of his barn with panther 



