Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-08-28
THE GREAT WOLF HUNT AT
SEYMOUR LAKE.
BY FRANKLIN b. GAGE.

Seymour Lake is in the town of Morgan,
VT. Encircled by green hills, there is not u
more beautiful body of water in New Eng
land. 1t is some ten miles from Island
Pond, n station on the Grand Trunk Rail-
road.
Forty years ago IN unbroken wilderness
extended from this lake hundreds of miles
to the Gulf of st. Lawrence. On the south
and west sides of the lake were several
farms, which had been under cultivation
ten or fifteen years.
think it was in the autumn of 1887 or
1888 that the bears and wolves overran this
great region of wilderness in suchi numbers
that they ate up all their natural supplies,
and (as the Saxon phrase s) "got starved
OUT Necessity then drove them towards
the inhabited portions Of the country, and
the farmyards of settlers on the borders of
the wilderness suffered sadly from their at
tacks.
Live stock were carefully herdcd at night,
but IN spite of all precautions the wild
beasts, fierce with hunger. would sometimes
plumber the folds, and the very sheds and
barns.
One night carly IN October, u farmer liv-
ing near the lake was much disturbed by the
continual bowling of wolves in the surround
ing forest. lie had shut his sheep and cat
tie into the barn, and believed them to be
perfectly safe. But sometime near mid
night he was startled out of his sleep by
great uproar in the barn. lie dressed quick
ly as possible and hurried out with his gun
and lantern. He found the wolves had
broken into the barn. killed several sheep,
and dragged some of them away.
Between the barn and the lake was =
dense forest of timber. From the depths of
this timber the bowling of the wolves was
still distinctly heard. The brutos had tasted
blood, and the farmer now knew that the
safety OF the rest of his flock could only be
secured by keeping watch the remainder of
the night.
As soon rs daylight appeared he started
several neighbors into the surrounding
towns to collect the farmers for II grand wolf
hunt. One went to East Charleston, one to
West Charleston, and one to each of tho
towns of Salem, Derby aud Holland Be
ing mounted on good horses, they were not
long in spreading tho summons, and all the
settlers in the surrounding country were
reused.
At that time was only twelve years old.
My father was living near the village of
West Charleston. | well remember the
bright morning when man dashed up to
my fathers door, told us what depredations
the wolves had committed, and notified us
of the contemplated wolf hunt. The hunt
ers were all to meet, he said, at the house
where the sheep had been killed Then he
fastened away in quest of others.
My father and older brother were away.
But my uncle, who had charge of tho farm
business in my fathers absence decided to
go to the hunt and take me with him. Of
course was eagerto go, having never seen
anything of the kind.
1t was three miles to the meeting place,
but we were not long walking the distance,
though some of the way lay through the
fields and forest. We found more than Il
hundred men and boys assembled and
others constantly arriving. Some of the
men were armed with guns, some with rifles,
others carried only pitchfOrks, and several
boys had tin horns.
The men were discussing the plan of pro-
ceeding, and choosing officers to direct the
hunt. One corporal was chosen to every
ten men, and u marshal with four or five as
sistants was to have the general command.
Seymour Lake is u little more than ten
miles long. The southern shore runs in
nearly straight line. The wolves were
Supposed to be secreted somewhere between
he farmhouse and this shore. The plan
was to extend line of men east and west in
curve from one end of the lake TO the
Dther, the extreems approaching the water
and tho center sweeping back into the coun-
ry. Thus the line Of hunters would resem-
pie vast bow, with the straight lake shore