Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-09-16
The Great wolf Hunt at Seymour Lake.


not a more beautiful body of water in New
England II is some ten miles from Island
Pond. q station ON the Grand Trunk rail
road.
Forty years ago an mhrokon 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 lauu.,
which had been under cultivation ten or il-
teen years.
| think il was the autumn of 1877 or 1883
that the bears and wolves oyerran this great
region Of wilderness in such numbers that
the; ate up all the natural supplies, and (as
the Saxon phrase is) "got starved out Ne
cessity then drove them towards the inhab-
tied portions Of the country, and the farm |
yards of settlers on the borders of the viii |
deness suffered sadly from their attacks.
Live stock were carefully her,lcd 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, early in October, a farmer liy- |
ing near the lake was much disturbed by |
the continual bowling Of wolves in the sur |
rounding forest. lie had shut his heep and /
cattle into the barn. and believed IN 10 be /
perfectly safe. But sometime ncar iiduight |
he was startled out of his sleep los a great
hlNNtf IN WV fdfls III tIFNNfHi ..AtlthlN d-
possible and hurried out with his gun and
lantern lie found the wolves had broken
into the barn. killed several sheep, and drag
ged some Of them away.
Between the barn and the lake was a dense
forest Of timber. From the depths of this
timber the bowling Of wolves was distinctly
heard. The brutes 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 as daylight appeared he started
several neighbors into the surrounding towns
to collect the farmers for grand wolf hunt
One went to East Charleston, one to West
Charleston, and one to each of the towns of
Salem, Derby and Holland Being mounted
on good horses, they were not long in spread
ing the 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 a man dashed up 10
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
hastened away in quest of others.
My father and Older brother were away.
But my uncle, who had charge of the farm
business in my fathers absence. decided to
go to the hunt, and take me with him. Of
course was eager TO 60, 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 a
hundred men and boys assembled and 9th
ers constantly arriving. Some Of the men
were armed with guns, some with rifles 9th
ers 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 a marshal with four or five assist
ants was 10 have the general command
Seymour Lake is little more than ten
miles long. The southern shore runs in
nearly straight line. The wolves were
supposed to be secreted somewhere between
the farmhouse and this shore. The plan
was to extend line of men east aud west in
curve from one end of the lake TO the
other, the extremes approaching the water,
and the center sweeping back into the coun-
try. Thus the line of hunters would reseln-
BILE avast bow, with the straight lake shore for
bow-string--the curve, of course, enclosing
very large space of field and forest
As fast as the companies could be organ
lied the right and left wings were dispatched
to the ends of the lake, and the forming
of the ring commenced When other re-
cruits arrived they We're ofiicered and sent
out TO fill up the line.
II takes considerable time to form a line
of men seven miles long, out Of such mate
rails as would come together on such am oc
casion. II was ten o'clock when the mar
shalling commenced, and the line was moi
ady to move till past one O'Clock
In front the lake would prevent he game
from escaping From each end of the lake
the semicircle extended into the country oven
the hillsides, enclosing the wild region be
tween the farm and the water. a hunting
force arranged, and advancing in this form
is called by Sir Walter Scott "tinchel"
There were about three hundred men and
boys in the seven-mile line. Accordingly
when they started, they would be nearly
seven rods apart. It was with difficulty thai
the Impotence Of the boys and some of thu
younger men could be restrained during the
long delay but at last the line was com.
pleted and the order given to move.
From the center the marshal's word re
peated by hundreds of tongues went rapidly
TO the end Of the line;
"Forward-march' Don't fire ON any
game smaller than wolf"
The tin-hom boys, distributed at regular
distances along the line, sounded their horns
and forward We went tramping and shout
ing, making noise enough all together to
brighten and drive everything before MS.
was near the center of the line, which
must have been at least two miles from the
lake. The boys kept blowing their horns,
only stopping at intervals To take breath.
Every few minutes the cry would pass
through the line;
Keep your ranks ON the right"
keep your ranks on the left T.
IL was grand time for all of us. We had
advanced m this way perhaps fifteen minutes
when new order came;
:" Extreme right and left wings, halt
Close down on the center Keep the line
good
The order was obeyed. The wings rested,
and the center kept on, and still, every min
ute or two the cry, Keep the line good -
e-noed down the ranks. warning every hunter
TO Increased watch aud caution.
Very soon the command Move slowerr
ran along the forest.
A moment after rifle shot was heard on
The extreme right, and the shout came back,
Look out for wolf on the lett y
Presently a shot was heard ON the left.
and the cry came baak a. ooh ,,,t g. a.,