Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-25
Welt Hunting In Clinton ana fra"Ai"

Wolf Hunting In Clinton and Franklin" '"u"''s'
Ny.
Fifty wears ago a number OF persons re-
siding in M,oers and Chateaugay, n l.,
formed a plan to deiraud those towns oil
large sums of money, by fraudulent vol
bopn+v certificates. The amount OF the
certificates granted in 1921 and ls22, ex-
ceeded forty thousand dollars. If the GER
ti6cates were honestly and legally issued, at
least five hundred full grown wolves had
been killed in Franklin County during the
two years. and two hundred and seventy
FIVE in Clinton County and yet the actual
number killed in both counties was proba-
bly, less than one hundred. According to
the report of the wolf hunters, the country
around Long Pond. Lily Pond and Round
Pond, at the head waters of the north
branch Of the Saranae, was filed with
wolves. which were caught there IN great
numbers: two Of the hunters representing
that they had trapped nine in their bed. On
the other hand Mr.. Abner NJ. Sherman
swora that, induced by the reports of the
profits attending the hunting business, he
commenced trapping for wolves about these
ponds in .Julv. 1921. and followed the bust
neSs faithfully until September. That in
his trips he visited As many as thirty OF the
hunter's traps, and that he never found
wolf in those traps, OF IN his own nor dld
he ever discover 1--we or dead wolf. or any
thing which he believed to be the remains OF
q wolf.
To obtain the bounty, the law required
a." that the person killing the wolf or whelp
shall take the head thereof, the skin and ear
entire thereon, to some Justice of the Peace
in such county, and make oath of the time
and place, when and where such wolf or
uhelp was taken and killed. and shall also
submit himself to further examination, upon
oath, as the said justice may require, ana
said Justice shall thereupOn cut OF and burn
the ears of said wolf or whep, and shall
give the person 50 applying certificate
thereof, setting forth the substance OF such
oath and examination" Ii thus became ne
cessary, in order to carry out the plans OF
the confederate hunters, or " wolf ring,
as they would now be called, to Ind DIS
honest applicant to swear TO the killing,
and an equally dishonest magistrate IL
grant the requisite certificate. Both were
lOunu Nllulu tue LUZ 1919 wa N'''A'
the county expenses of Franklin County IN
creased from 81, 30 81, in ls20, to SIC OBS
40, in 1921, and to 50, 1870 %, IN 1872, while
the expenses of Chateaugay, which prior to
that time had been less than $1,000 per
year. was s., $50 50 in 1921, and 50, 6S1 9o
IN 1922. In Clinton County, IN lo2l. boun-
ties were paid on l25 wolves amounting to
s.. 300. and on l49 wolves in ls22.
Various devices were adopted by the wolf
ring TO secure the certificates EmissarieS
were sent into Vermont and Canada to pur-
chase the heads of wolves killed there.
Wolves were caught in Canada. brought
across the boundary line and put in the traps
OF the hunters. Dogs were bought from the
Indians at Caughnawaga and IN Vermont,
in large numbers. and certificates granted
upon the production OF their heads to the
certifying magistrate. The skins Of the
heads OF wolves killed several years before,
were drawn over the skulls OF other ami
mails and stitched with thread. Certificates
were frequently granted to one man for ten,
thirteen and sometimes fifteen wolves, and
a dozen OF more certificates would he grant
ed for the same head. In the latter cases
the magistrate would examine the head, |
finding " the skin and ears entire thereon,
would throw it behind hip and become |
deeply engaged in writing affidavit "oi |
the time and place. when and where. the |
wolf was taken and killed" intending. I'M
questionably, after having prepared the pa
pers, Ito cut off ana burn theears, as re
quired by law. While thus engaged in
writing. another person would silly throw |
the head out of the window, when another |
would pick it up and bring it into the room
ready to he presented and sworn to a soon
a. the first papers were com. leted. Thus |
h. Ii and
would pass in at the door and out at the
window, until the magistrate had dozen |
heads, in fancy, piled up behind him, wait
ing for their ears to be cut off. We can con
ceive the establishment of this official when I
he found but one solitary head ~ ing upon
the floor. and but one pair of ears to be |
cropped The hunters frequently paid a.
high as twenty dollars for VOLTS head.
and they could afford to do So a. the State.
county and town bounteS combined amount
ed to fifty dollars in Clinton County, and To
sixty dollars in Franklin County.
When the taxpayers of Chateaugay As
certained that nearly twelve thousand dol
lars had been assessed upon the town. to
pay the town and county bounty, they con-
cluded it was better TO let the wolves run
among their hocks, and therefore petitioned
the legislature to repeal or modify the huun-
ty law. To pacify their townsmen, the
= ring placed one thousand dollars in the
hands of the supervisor towards paying the
resident taxes The result of the applica-
tion to the legislature was the passage Of
law limiting the aggregate amount of State
and county bounty, in Franklin County. in
any one year to one thousand dollars, which
was not TO be paid until the Board of Super
visOrs had examined and passed upon the
regularity and fairness of the certificates
issued by the justices. Commissioners were
also appointed by the Governor to examine
and determine a. to the legality and fair
ness of all certificates issued since the an
nual meeting of the Board of Supervisors
in the year ls20. and none were to be paid
except such as the commissioners should de-
termine to be - legal and fair" This dis
posed effectually of the wolf ring in that
county.