Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-14
How he Made Sl75 in a Wolf
Fight on the Top Of Roam
Mountain.

Knoxville, Tenn, Tribunc.l
Some years ago, but little hunting
having been done for some time, the
wolves became very numerous as well
as very destructive not only in south
western Virginia, but ~fearfully so in
western North Carolina; so much so
that but few sheep had escaped them
in the vicinity of Black, Yellow and
Roam mountains, in Rip Van Wrinkles
dominions. The fame of Wilburn
Waters as an intrepid and successful
hunter and trapper having gone out
into all that country, a number OF
farmers and stockraisers whose folds
had been broken up and scattered
some sixty in all-drew up an obliga-
ton to give him one sheep each for
every volt he would capture, in add
ton to the five dollars bounty given
by the county for each scalp. Will
burn accepted the proposition and
killed several wolves, but the depre-
dations continued. He again started
on a hunt. According to Coale's life
he held out faithfully, though the
Wovles led him from mountain to
mountain, and from gorge to gorge, to
great distances and for weeks. But
when be returned he brought the
scalps, not only Of all that gang, butof
Others, making in all forty-two wolves
as his winters hunt. Besides these he
captured during the hunt a number Of
catamounts, a lew bears, an otter or
two and any number Of wild turkeys
and other small game.
During the same general hunt he
had an exciting time with a detach-
ment Of five wolves that had wander
ed off to some distance from tho main
gang. He was entirely alone, with
out even a dog high up one Of the
tall peaks Of the Roam mountain and
several miles away from the nearest
human habitition. The five wolves he
was il search of were two old ones
and three half grown. They had de-
stroyed a great deal of stock in the
range as well as In the adjacent val
leys, running out dogs that had been
put upon the trail and even %eyincing
a disposition to attack man when
alone. Wilburn had found a sign
and had followed it up a tall cliff
near the summit of one Of the highest
and mot inaccessible peaks in
the range. 1t was a sultry, drizzly
day, and having greatly fatigued him
self working his way up through tan
gled vines aud laurel jingles and
climbing over and around steep and
rugged precipices, he lay down to rest
under a shelving rock and fell asleep.
In about an hour he arose refreshed,
and, crawling out of his resting place,
he found that the old leader of.
the gang had been accommodating while
he slept and had passed along
on a ledge a few feet below him. Pick
ing up his gun and tOmahawk, he took
the track, and, on approaching a preci-
pice, he saw the old male wolf at its
base, quietly licking his chops and
apparently winding prey or an enemy
in the distance. Stcalthily advancing
within convenient range, Wilburn
brought his gun to bear and fired.
when the largest and most formidable
wolf of the gang fell aud died without
a struggle. Securing the skin, he
made his way with great difficulty to
the top of the precipice and there,
Just beyond the turn Of the summit,
he saw the four others, three Of them
gamboling like puppies around the
dam, not having heard the report of
the gun under the cliff. They were in
an open place, and it was very difficult
to get within range without being
seen, heard or winded, but he made
out to snake it to within forty yards
of them and pulled down" Two Of
them dropped dead, but the old dam
and one ofthe old cubs escaped into a
cavern near by.
Having started out with the deter
mination Of capturing the whole fam
lily, he went to digging with a sharp
ened stick; he soon reached the old
one, which was too large to get far into
the hole, drew her out by the hind
legs and tied her feet together. He
had to widen the passage for a distance
of ten or twelve feet before he could
reach the other. The hole. after being
worked out, was barely large enough
to admit his body, and, it being i'm
possible for the wolf to escape, he had
to meet it face to face. All that he
could see of the animal was its eyes,
which shone like two balls of fire in
the darkness of the cavern, and having
no room to operate with gun or toma-
hawk, he cautiously slipped his hand
over the VOLTS head, grasped it by the
neck, brought it out and tied it as he
had the ether. He her marched out
into the settlement with two live
wolves and thfee skins, without hav.
ing received a scratch or wasting ;
load of ammunition. The days worE
brought him Sl75, made up by tn,
settlers whose stock had been destroy
ed and whose lives had been menacet
by the gang.
"My wife was saved by wearing on
ofProf. Guilmette's kidney pads, aite.