The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-02-14
mi i 8 Q ella N @ O u g.
From the Neao York Ledger.
Wilburn Waters, the Hunter.
BY JAMES PARTON. 4,

BY JAMES PARTON. h
1t is startling to be told that within forty
eight hours of New York there is region
where man can earn thousand dollars in
winter by hunting bears and wolves. In
some of the Southern States bounties of
twenty to thirty dollars are still paid for
scalps of those ruthless devourers of pork
and mutton. The shooting of one large
bear brings in good deal of money, since
in addition to the bounty, the animal fur
nishes three or four hundred pounds of the
meat which pioneer settlers consider the
best of all animal food. The skin is also of
considerable value.
Wilbur Waters is an elderly gentleman
living in southwestern Virginia, who has as
decided genius for hunting as Zerah Col
burn had for mathematics He would de-
scribe himself, perhaps, as "mighty hunter
before the Lord for he is an ardent Meth
odist, strict observer of Sunday, and per-
fectly moral in all his habits. He lives
alone among the Appalachian Mountains
in that angle where Virginia, North Caro-
lima and Tennessee come together; and there
he has lived for nearly fifty years, profess
sional hunter, rarely departing from the
sight of his mountains except to visit dis
tant camp meeting. He has gained in one
day by his rifle alone one hundred and
seventy five dollars. He has killed forty
two wolves in one winter And in captur-
ing his game he has shown a skill and fer.
tility of resource rarely equalled.
In that corner of Virginia there is
mountain called by the inhabitants, White
Top, which is nearly as high as Mount
Washington. The summit is a great field
four or five hundred acres in extent with
out tree or bush, and covered with kind
of wild grass, very nutritious, of which
cattle are extremely fond. This field is
bordered by kind of tree called Lashorn,
which is peculiar to that spot, and cannot
be made to thrive anywhere else. 1t is a
species of spruce, the branches of which
spread out at the top, and, growing very
close together, form firm, green table, upon
which man can stand without any danger
of breaking through. Some of these flat
tops are so large that twenty persons can
stand upon one of them without inconven-
ience. The view from this lofty and pecu-
| liar mountain is one of the most beautiful
in the world, little known as it is to the
| tourist.
Near its foot in densely shaded glen in
grove of huge old sugar-maple trees,
stands the solitary cabin of Wiburn
| Waters. There he has lived since he was
| twenty years of age, when he "entered" a
| square mile of government land, six hun
dred and forty acres of mountain forest
He is now approaching his SEVENTEEN year
but he can still put ball where it will do
n wolf most harm, at distance of hun
dred and fifty yards Mr.. Charles B. Coale
who for the last thirty four years has edited
the abingdon Virginian, visited him some
years ago, and met him frequently since
Mr.. Coale has recently published series OF
chapters upon him in his newspaper which
supplies that corner of Virginia with in.
| telligence.
When the editor first found him in his
romantic mountain home he was eating hi:
breakfast upon log near his cabin, and or
excellent breakfast it was, consisting o.
corn-cakes, bear meat, wild honey and crys
tai water from his mountain spring. He
describes him as livery pious," and as hav'
ing what the hunter himself calls family
prayers" every day, though his family con
sists OF himself and two ferocious bear-dogs
He will hold no intercourse with mar
who swears or who goes hunting on Sun
day. He has this motto
"If man has neither fear of, nor respec
for, his Maker, he is dangerous compan
ion for his fellowman."
This strange individual was born il
North Carolina in 1912, his father being
Frenchman, strong, brave and given t.
violent anger, and his mother half Indial
woman. He is called in that country
quarteroon, or, as we say, quadroon. H
showed some curious traits of the India
even in childhood. Being abandoned b
his father, he was apprenticed, at tn
tender age of five, to q saddler, who sol
him for thirty dollars to planter, wit
whom he lived to his seventeenth year.
He told the editor story of his boyhoo
which showed curious blending of TIL
civilized being and the savage. Havin
caught Il number of cartridges one aftel
noon, he saved four of them for his en-
:. ployer. These having been stolen in til
: night, he accused hired woman of til
r theft, upon which she flew into rage, an
declared he should catch no more BIRDS
she started to destroy his traps, four in nun
Der, all within sight of the house. Instea
of following her to prevent the mischief,
went up to her room, where he knew 81
I had new feather-bed, her own prcciol
property. From the window he saw b