Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-04-30
Desperate Struggle with Wolves.

Now decree, or express what fear, ~
Its pest we depart out of each others sight,
Lest we have too many fouls gathered here"
-Chica0o Ledger. @..f 40 ID.
Desperate Struggle with Wolves.
Valentine White, one of the Oldest
farmers residing in Bradford county,
Pa, had q desperate encounter with two
almost famished wolves not long since.
Around. Mr.. Whites farm is q dense
forest, almost untouched by the pio-
neers. Bear, deer and wolf are album
dant, Notwithstanding which they are
seldom disturbed by hunters. In tho
rear of Mr.. Whites house is huge
frame barn, with great cracks caused by
decaying boards. On going out to the
barn he heard great commotion.
Thinking some of the animals had
broken loose he did not open the front
door lest they should escape, but
squeezed himself through large aper-
ture left by broken board. As soon
as he entered the uproar increased, and
he saw in the middle of the barn floor
a heifer which had torn herself from
the stanchion by main force, and broken
one horn in the act. Clinging to her
muzzie was q large gray wolf, with its
long sharp teeth fastened'in the animals
nose with bulldog grip, while another
was trying to hamstring the poor
creature.
The believing of the heifer, the snarl-
ing Of the wolves, and the rafting of
the loose barn floor made deafening
racket, and the human intruder, was I'M
noticed. The COW shook the wolf like
3 limp rag, and pounded the sides of
the stable with it, but in vain. Old
Whites anger at u 9 attack on his. stock
over'nasiercd all feelings of prudence,
and, seizing pitchfork, he prepared
himself for all attack. No sooner did the
wolves see him, than, maddened by the
taste OF blood, they turned from the
heller and attacked him. As one of the
inEu, lated animals sprang toward the
old man, he dealt it mighty blow with
the fork, sending it to corner. But
the other animal caught its teeth in the
old mans right coat sleeve, and in such
close quarters that the weapon was of
no avail. After kicking uselessly at
the animal, he grasped its throat with
mis- left hand, and choked the wolf I'M
til it let go. Then, Selling again the
pitchfork, he dealt wen-directed blow,
and broke the leg of one of the animals,
which then lodged through the hole
behind him and imped off, bowling
dismally. The other wolf held its
ground, and, whenever opportunity was
offered, sprung at the old man, now and
then fastening its teeth into his arms.
Though bleeding profusely, White con-
tinued the fight, and finally, with awell-
directed thrust of the pitchfork, sent the
tines through the animals heart, killing
it almost instantly. The dead wolf was
of large size, gaunt with hunger, and
with a shaggy coat of light gray.
Whites clothes were torn into shreds,
and his face, neck and breast were
scared deeply by the claws of the ami
NAL.
Household Perils.
Under this head the Boston Jour-
nal of Chemistry names several dan
gerous substances which find their way
into households. There are two or three
volatile liquids used in families which
are particularly dangerous, and must be
employed, if at all, with special care.
Benzine, ether, and strong ammonia
constitute this class of agents. The
two irst-named liquids are employed
in cleansing gloves and other wearing
apparel, and in removing oil stains from
| carpets, curtains, etc. The liquids are
| highly volatile, and fash into vapor so
soon as the cork of the vial containing
them is removed. Their vapors are
very combustible, and will infame at
long distances from ignited candles or
gas flames, and consequently they
should never be used in the evening
when the house is lighted. Explosions
of a very dangerous nature will occur
if the vapor of these liquids is permit
ted to escape into room in consider
able quantity. In view of she great
hazard of handling these liquids, eau
tious housekeepers will not allow them
to be brought into their dwellings, and
this course is commendable.
As regards ammonia, or water of am
monia, it is very powerful agent, espe-
cially the stronger kinds sold by drug
gists. An incident in it's use has re-
Gently come under our notice, in which
young lady lost her life from taking a
few drops through mistake. Breathing
tho gas under certain circumstances
causes serious harm to the lungs and
membranes of the mouth and nose. It
is an agent much used at the present
time for cleansing purposes, and it is
unobjectionable if proper care is used
in it's employment. The walls holding
it should be kept apart from others
containing medicines, etc., and rubber
shoppers to the Walls should be used.
Oxalio acid is considerably employed
in families for cleaning brass und cop
per utensils. This substance is highly
poisonous, and must be kept and used
with great caution. In crystalline struct-
ure it closely resembles sulphate of
magnesia or EPSON salts, and therefore
frequent mistakes are made and lives
lost. Every agent which goes into fam
lies among inexperienced persons
| should be kept in q safe place, and Ia
beled properly and used with care.
80 Bears as Pets. 49, =, G
Although young bears are playful
and good-natured, they are not to be
trusted when full grown; hence it savors
of foolhardiness to adopt them as pets.
A story is told of a planter in Louisi-
ana who once picked up young cub
that had either been abandoned by it's
mother, or had run away from the par
entail den. 4 He carried it home and