River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-15
Putnam's Adventure With the Wolf.

In the year 1889, he removed from
Salem to Pomfret. al inland fertile town
in Connecticut, forty miles east of Hart
ford. Having here purchaseda consider
able tract of land, he applied himself
successfully to agriculture.
The first years on a new farm are not
however, exempt from disasters and dis
appointments, which can only be rene,
died By stubborn and patient industry
Our farmer, sufficiently occupied in
building house and barn, telling woods,
making fences, sowing grain, planting
orchards, AMI taking care of his stock,
had to encounter, ia turn, the calamities
Occasioned by drought in summer, blast
in harvest, loss of cattle in winter, and
the desolation Of his shcepfold by wolves
In one night he had seventy, five sheep
and goats killed, besides MANY lambs
and kids wounded. This havoc was COM
mitted by a she-wolf, which, with her
annual whelps had for several years in
tested the vicinity The Young were
commonly destroyed by the vigilance of
the hunters, but the old one was too saga
cious to come within reach Of gunshot
Upon being closely pursued, she would
generally tly to the western We DDS, and
return the next winter with another litter
ofwhelps
This wolf at length became such a
intolerable nuisance, that Sir. Putnam enn
tered into q combination with five of his
ueighbOIs 10 hunt alternately until they
could destroy her. Two. by rotation,
were TO DC constantly in pursuit 1t was
known that, having lost the toes from one
foot by steel trap, she made one track
smaller than the other, By this vestige
the pursuers recognized, in q liz hit snow,
tho route Of the pernicious animal. Hav-
Jug followed her To the Connecticut Riv-
CT, and found she had turned back in a
direct course towards Pomfret. they i'm
medistely returned, and by ten o'clock
the next morning the bloodhounds had
driven her into a den, about twelve miles
distant from the house of Mr. Putnam.
the people soon collected with dogs, guns,
straw, fire and sulphur, to attack the COM
mon enemy. With this apparatus, sever
al unsuccessful efforts were made to force
her from the den. The hounds came
back badly wounded, and refused to re-
turn. The smoke Of blazing straw had
n effect. Nor did the fumes of burnt
filed, compel her to quit the retirement
Wearied with such fruitless attempts
(Which had brought the time TO ten
o'cloC k at night). Mr. Putnam tried once
more to make his a0g enter bat in vain.
He proposed 10 his negro man TO 20 Gown
into the cavern and shoot the wolf the
negro declined tie hazardous service
Then it was that the master, angry at
the disappointment, aud declaring that
he was ashamed 10 have a coward IN his
family, resolved himself to destroy the
ierOciOus beast, lest she should escape
through some unknown fissuTe of the
rock. His neighbors strongly remon-
strated against the periious enterprise;
but he, knowing that wild animals were
intin idatcd hy fire, end having provided
several strips of birch bark, the only com
busuble material which he could obtain
that would afford ligh. in this deep and
darksome cave, prepared for his descent.
Having, accordingly, Invested himself of
his coat and waistcoat. and having q long
rope fastened round his legs, by which
he might be pulled back by concerted
signal, he entered head foremost, with
the blazing torch in his hand
The aperture of the den, on the east of
q very high ledge OF rocks, is about two
feet square; from thence it descends OBJ
Hquelv about fifteen feet. then running
horizontally abou- ten more, it ascends
gradually sixteen feet towards its ter min
alton. The sides OF this subterraneau
cavity are composed Of smooth and solid
rocks which seem 10 have been divided
from each other BY some former earth
The TON as,I bottom, ora oil of
stone, and the entrance, in winter, being
covered with ice, is exceedingly slippery
1t is IN no place high enough for man
to raise himself upright, nor in ana part
more than three feet IN width.
Having CROPPED his passage to the hOr-
iz0ntal part of the den, the most terrify-
ing darkness appeared in iroat of his dim
circle OF light afforded by his torch. 1t
was as the house Of death. None but
monsters of the desert had ever before
explored this solitary mansion of horror.
He, cautiously proceed.n onward, came
to the ascent. which he slowly mounted
on his han0s and knees, until he diseov-
cred the 2taring eyc5alls of the wolf, who
was sitting at the extremity of the cav
eru. Startled at the sight Of fire, she
CRASHED her teeth lnj gave a suilen
gr0wl. As soon rs he had made the
necessary discovery, he kicked the rope
as a signal for pulling him out. The
people 1t the mourn Of the den, who had
listened with painful anxiety. hearing the
growing OF the wolf and suppoSing the
friend 10 be in the most imminent dan
Ger, drew him forth with such CELEBRITY
that his shirt was stripped over his head
and his skin se~erely lacerated. After he
had adjusted his clothes, and loaded his
gun with nine buckshot, holding torch
In one hand and his musket in the other
he descended the second time.
When he drew nearer than before, the
wolf, assuming a still more fierce and
terrible appearance. bowling, rolling neI
eyes, swapping her teeth, and dropping
her head between her legs, was evidently
in the attitude and on the pointof spring
ing upon him. At this critical instant he
leveled and fred at her head Stunned
with the shock and suffocatetl with the
smoke, he was Immediately drawn out OF
the cave. But having refreshed himself
and permitted the smoke 10 dissipate, he
went down tue third time. Once more
he came within sight Of the wolf, who APP
peuiDg very passive, be applied the torch
to her nose. and perceiving her dead, he
took hold Of her ears, and then kicking
the rope (still tied round his legs, the
people above. with no small exu.tation
DIR gged them both out together.
l have offered these facts in greater de
tail because they contain a display o.
character; and because they have beer
enormously related in several European
publications, and very much mutilateC
in the History OF Connecticut, work a
leplete with falsehOod as destitute o
enius lately, printed in London.