The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-04-01
How the City OF Sandusky was
Saved from Famine,

The following is from tdo 6u6dfo ne.
public, in which 1t appeared few years
ago:
Years agone, when the course Of trade
ran in a counter direction to what we
now behold, owing to a severe drouth, the
city of Sandusky underwent all the hor-
rorS OF protracted famine. The water
on the bar at the mouth of the Bay was
so low that the vessels were unable to
reach the port, ,and as there was no trans
portation by land at that time which
could be relied upon in case of sudden
emergency, it appeared as If Providence
had forsaken the place entirely, and that
It's inhabitants must soon perish. For
days and weeks their stock of pNysions
had been gradually disappearing, until
soon all was gone, and their only reliance
was upon tho few fish which they were
able to obtain from the waters Of the Bay,
and an occasional meager supply off, game
from the ncighboring forest.
AT the time Of which we write, the
woods in that vicinity, and in fact through.
out the Western Reserve, were frequent.
ed by vast numbers of wild hogs which
obtained bountiful subsistence from the
"shack" which everywhere abounded.-
These hogs were doubtless originally es
trays, but the sparseness of the popula.
ton in the interior, and the rapidity with
which they multiplied, rendered them
strangers to man and very shy of his
presence. During the drouth, Of which
mention has already been made, large
droves OF these animals wended their way
to the lake, in the neighborhood Of which
they continued to remain.
SanduSky Bay, in particular, was "a
vorite place of resort Tor them, il the wa
tcrs of which they were accustomed to
waliOw, after shaking their thirst. Those
who are acquainted with the locality Of
which We speak, will remember the an
noyance to which the early settlers were
exposed in the shape Of fine red sand
which covered TIE beach, and which, in
times Of high wind, was not only troub.
lesomc, but exceedingly dangerous -
Thousands Of hogs. in consequence Of
lltquentng this spot, became totally
blind but still, with all the cunning
which belongs to this perverse race in
their natural state, they continued to
elude their hunters.
One day, when the famine in the city
was at its height, and when it was appa.
rent that even the strongest must soon
snccumb, Joe Z. took down his gun, and
resolved to make last effort to rescue
his wife and little ones from fate TIE
most horrible of which the mind has any
conception. All day long had their
shrunken eyes and sLrivelcd hands i'm
plored him i'll vain for bread-and alas
he knew to well that not within the whole
city was there a mouth(ul to be had,
though he were to offer thrice its weight
in gold. Ncrved to desperation by this
reflection, but still with feeble steps, hl
took his way to the forest, resolved moi
TO return without relief in some shape.
For a long time he hunted in vain, ,trav.
ersinS miles of weary pathway, without
SO much as seeing single evidence CT
animated nature, until he was on the
point of yielding to despair. At this mo-
ment, noisc,as of approaching footsteps,
attracted his attention and he paused, with
every faculty rendered keer by hunger,
to listen. Nearer and nearer came the
trainping, and juSt as Joe, to screen kim
self from obsrr vation, took shelter behind
a trec,a wild hog emerged from thicket,
advancing directly towards him, followed
Immediately by another, and another
still.
The hunter, trembling with anxiety
and excitement, raised his gun, but sud,
denly paused in astonishmcnt at the sing.
ular phenomenon before him. The drove
Qor drove there was) was approaching
him in Indian file, and headed directly
for the bay. The second hog held in his
mouth the tail OF the first, and third that
OF the second, and SO un to the number Of
sixty and upwards, each was holding fast
to the caudal appendagc Of his predcccs
sor, and all being led by tie foremost Of
the drove, and being the only one that
could see, was thus conveying his atilict-
ed companions.
The hunter comprehendcd the scene
in moment, and instantly decided upon
his course. Raising his gun deliberately,
he fired and severed the tail Of the leader
close to the roots. His aiErightcd leader
ship, with loud squeal, bounded into
the thicket, while his blind companions
came to the dead halt Joe quickly di.
vested himself of his boots and crept
steathily up to the first of the band, which
stood quietly holding in his mouth the
amputatcd tail of his former conductor -
This the hunter seized and commenced
gently pulling upon it. First. one hog
started, then another, then another, until
soon, like train Of cars, ell were in mo.
ton, and without pausing to rest for a
single instant, Joe. led them quietly into
huge pen near his residence, where they
were soon slaughtered, and the city was
saved"