The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-02-17
"THE COYOTE
An outcast in the Role of a Public
Benefactor.

the bowling wilderness. His predatory
raids on sheep-pen and the poultry yard
have given him a conspicuous place in
the category of 'svarmints," against
whom every mans hand is raised. His
hideous midnight howl near the herd
er's camp or the ranchman's abode, has
always been the signal for hurried MUIR
derous preparations. Coyote has a
multitude of offenses charged to his
account. A price has been fixed ON his
on his tail in others, whichever hap
pened to strike the law-giver as being
most convincing proof of the certainty
of Coyotes death. The effort to divine
the object of Coyotes creation has given
rise to much vexation of spirit. The
war of determination inaugurated
against him promised to be faithfully
carried out. The ranchman and shep-
herd breathed easier with every addi-
tional Coyote scalp to their numerous
collection. They thought they could
see the glimmer of the dawn of the day
when the last Coyotes race would fall
under the unerring influence of rifle
ball, when the lives of the occupant of
the poultry-yard and the sheep-pen
would be no longer endangered. But
Coyote has found a powerful friend.
He turns up in an unexpected quarter,
and in a most unexpected capacity.
Coyotes friend is no less distinguished
a person than the Executive of the
Sagebrush state. Governor Bradley, of
Nevada, has the honor to be Coyotes
champion, and he has entered protest
against his determination.
1t is not many animals that are hon
ored with place in paper. Still fewer
find place in such document in the
role of public benefactor. The pre-
datory outcast, Coyote, is, however,
thus distinguished. The long-sought
object of his creation Governor Bradley
claims to have discovered, and in his
message to the Nevada legislature he
raises his voice against Coyotes exter-
mination.
Coyotes scalp has commanded good
price in Nevada. But the drain on
the state treasury has been so great to
the payment of rewards for scalp-locks
that retrenchment is henceforth in or
der. And while Coyotes ranks have
been decimated, rabbit warrens have
increased with alarming rapiaity. Put
ting these two facts together, Governor
Bradley arrives at the conclusion that
Coyotes mission is that of rabbit
slayer. He is willing to overlook the
depredations on the hen-roost and
sheep-pen, and commends Coyote to
the consideration of the Nevada legis-
lature, as public benefactor worthy
of every encouragement. The howl Of
the Coyote promises, If Gov. Bradley's
recommendation is carried, to remain a
familiar sound in the Sagebrush state,
while rabbit stock is doomed to de-
cline.
California is not altogether unac-l
quainted with this nomadic outcast.
The same ban which prevailed in Ne
vada has, by common consent, been
placed on his existence in that state.
His value as an exterminator of rabbits
has, however, not appeared prominent
enough to warrant any statutory limi-
tation to his slaughter or any sugges-
tion made contemplating the preven-
tion of his determination. If Coyotes
usefulness were conceded, we might
have some excessively humane man
putting in a plea for the salvation Of. the
gopher, the ground squirrel, and other
destructive pests, which may have a
mission for good that has not yet come
to light. G