Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-21


eaten down. and as buffalo paths and other
evidences that this is their tavorite feeding
ground are everywhere present. | presume
they will be here in the course of week. But
enough of them. And let me here profer my
Acknowledgements to sundIy other quadrupeds
with whom | have recently formed passing
acquaintance.
The prairie wolf was the first of these gen.
try to pay his respects to us. He is sneak.
ing, cowardly little wretch, of dull or dirty
white color, much resembling small short
bodied dog set up on pretty long legs. | be-
lieve his only feat emitting him to rank as a
beast OF prey consists in sometimes, when hard
pressed by hunger digging out prairie-dog
and making meal of him. His usual PROV
ender is the carcass-no matter how putrid-
OF any dead buffalo, mule or OK that he may
md exposed ON the prairie. He is paltry
creature.
But the gray wolf-who is also denizen of
the prairies Il think we have seen at least a
dozen of the species to-day us scoundrel OF
much more imposing caliber. He delights
to Turk around the outskirts of herd of buf;l-
10, keeping out Of sight and unsupported in the
rayines and creek timber so far as possible
and wo to the unlucky calf that strayS (which
he seldom does) outside of the exterior line of
defence formed by the bulls. If very large
and hungry, the gray wolf viii sometimes
lnterposing between her and her companions,
detain or drive her further away, until she is
beyond the hope OF rescue, when her doom is
sealed. His liyeliest hope, however, is that of
finding a buffalo whom some hunter has
wounded, so that he cannot keep up with the
herd, especially should it be stampeded. Let
him once get such a one by himself, and few
snaps at her ham-strings, taking excellent care
to keep out Of the way Of his horns, insures
lnt tbn intit, hn,-
and become mere wolf-meat before another
morning.
1t is impossible for a stranger to the prairies
to realize the impudence of these prairie law
yers. vi some twenty of them that | have
seen within the last two days, | think not six
have really run from us. One we saw lust be-
fore us two hours ago, kept on his way across
the prairie, stopping occasionally to take a
good look at us, but not hurrying himself in
the least on our account, though for some min
utes within good rifle range. Once to-day, our
division superintendent sent ball after one
who was making very deliberate time away
from us, hitting him in a quarter where the
compliment should have expedited his motion
but 1t did not seem to have that effect 1t is
very common for these wolves to follow at
night man travelling the road on mule, not
making any belligerenc demonstrations, but
waiting for whatever may turn up. Some
tunes, the express wagons have been followed
IN this way, but | think that unusual. But
this creature is up to anything wherein there
is chance for game.
The prairie dog is the funny fellow of these
parts-trisky himself and source of merri-
ment to others. He denS on any dry, grassy
ground-usually on the dryest part of the high
prairie-and his hole is specifically very
large ant-hill, with the necessary orifce in its
centre On this ant-hill sits the proprietor
often more than one-a chunky little fellow,
III size between gray squirrel and rabbit
say about half woodchuck. When we ap-
proach, he raises the cry of danger-no bark
at ALL but something between the piping of a
frog on warm Spring evening, and the noise
maze by very young puppy-then drops INTO
his mole, and is silent and invisible. The holes
are not very regularly placed, but some thirty
feet apart, and when | say that | believe we
have to-day passed within sight of at least
three square miles of these holes, the reader
can guess how many of these animals must
exist here, even supposing that there is usually
but one to each hole. judge that there can
not be less than a hundred square miles of
prairie dog towns within the present buffalo
range.
That the prarie-dog and the owl--of a small
brown backed, white-beled speces-do live
tremendously in the same hole, know, for l
have seen it. presume the owl pays for his
lodgings like gentleman, probably by turn
ing some provisions toward the supply of the
common table. If so, this is the most success
full example of industrial and household asso-
citation yet furnished. That the rattle-snake
is ever admitted as third partner, indig-
nantly deny. No doubt he has been found in
the pralre-dog's home-it would be Just like
HIM to seek so cosy q nest-but he doubtless
entered like true border-ruffian, and con-
trlyed to make himself a deal more free than
welcome. Politeness, or (if you please pru-
dence, may have induced the rightful owner to
submit to joint tenancy at will-the will of
the tenant, not that of the righttul landlord !
but no consent was ever given, unless under
constraint Of that potent logic which the in
truder carries at the tip of his tail
a word now of the face of the country
For more than hundred miles back | have
seen no stone. and think there is none, except
at great depth. Soomon's Fork, where we
left its vicinity, is now stream two reds wide,
running but four to six inches Of water over a
bed of pure sand, at depth of some three or
four hundred feet below the high prairie level
of the country. l infer that there is no rock
for at least that depth. The subsoil of the
prairies is generally loamy clay, resting on a
bed Of sand the violent though not frequent
rains of this region form sheets of water, which
rush down the slopes into the water-courses,
which they rapidly swell into torrents, which,
meeting no resistance from rocks or roots of
trees, are constantly deepening or widening
the ravines which run down to the creeks on
every side. These gules or gorges have orig
inally steep, perpendicular banks, over which,
III times OF heavy rain, sheets of water go
tumbling and roaring into the bottom of the
ravines, washing down the sodden, semi
liquid banks, and sending them to thicken
the waters of the Kansas and the Missouri
Thus the prairie, save some narrow, irregular
ridges, or divides is gradually scooped and
worn into broader or narrower valleys, some
of which have three or four little precipices at
intervals up their sides, where they formerly
had but one, and will eventually have none.
For still the soil is washing away and run
ming off to the Gulf of Mexico; and if this
country should ever be cultivated, the progress
OF this disaster would be materially accelera-
ted. ltneeds to be timbered before it can be
fit for the habitation of civilized man. But
still few low COttOnwoods and Films along
the margins of the larger streams-not cord
of wood in all to every hundred acres-I had
almost said to each square mile-s all that is
to be seem / hear of some poor oak on the
broader streams, and an occasional white ASH
but'dO not see them.