The Osceola times., 1882-07-15
HUNGRY WILD HOGS.
Attacking Farmers and killing and De-
vouring Sheep in New Jersey.
Cor. Philadelphia Times,

Cor. Philadelphia Times.
A drove of ull grown wild hogs, made
savage and desperate by hunger, have
been roaming up and down the highways
of Burlington county for week past, at
lacking travellers, killing and devouring
sheep, dogs and poultry and in several
cases driving farmers from their work IN
the fields. During the war mother and
litter of pigs, belonging to J. l.. Champion,
a farmer of this county, took refuge IN
the swamps and became as wild and saw
age as peccaries. From the litter of pigs
have sprung all the wild hogs that live
or have lived in the miles OF swampy and
unclaimed land in Burlington and adj
joining counties since 1864. Between 1870
and 1875 several were killed by hunters,
and during the severe winter of 1877
those farmers who had suffered by the
depradations of the wild porkers made
arrangements tor great drive hunt.
Seventy men on foot and horseback took
part in the drive, which lasted four
hours, and ended with thirteen hogs,
weighing from one TO two hundred
mounds each, were killed. The hogs
were barbacued on Christmas day, ami
several hundred people assembled to en-
Joy the feaet, which, however, did not
prove satisfactory as was expected, the
meat being too highly favored with fish,
pine cones and otheraromatic but unpal.
atable things that the swine had fed
upon.
This hunt had the effect Of making the
hogs that escaped retreat to the depths
of the swamp and became wilder than
ever. A few pigs are killed by hunters
every winter, but as the hunting has to
be done over boys and creeks and
through almost impenetrabie under
brush none but enthusiastic sportsmen
attempt it. IL is said that in the summer
season the old ones devOur the pigs and
that in the winter the strongest kill and
eat their weaker companions. "Old" John
Pateman, a professional pot-hunter, de-
clares that in 1880 he saw ten or fifteen
wild hogs attack the weakest one In the
drove and after they killed and ate 1t
they at once attacked another, but the
second made such desperate resistance
that it was not killed for nearly an hour.
Last winter the wild hogs were unusually
bold particularly in the neighborhood of
the RYAN. Fairfield and Big Pine Swamps.
| IDeTe ID more Hldst III hiu epous 'A~oS
swamps than any where else in the coun'
ty, and consequently the hogs center IN
search of food.
On Friday, May 26, drove of five at
tacked horse that James Cook was driv'
ing along the Browns Mills turnpike.
Cook endeavored to drive through the
swine. but his horse became so fright
ened that he refused to move in the de-
sired direction. The horse wheeled, how
ever, upset the buggy tumbled Cook out
and ran away. The hogs followed the
horse few wards and then returned, in
tending to make meal of Cook, who, by
the way, weighs over 200 pounds, and is
young and no doubt tender and juicy.
Anticipating their desire, Cook started
at a fat mans racing speed for a small
pine tree forty or fifty yards away. The
hungry hogs followed and the race was
close and exciting to the finish. Cook
reached tree few yards in advance
and managed in some unaccountable way
to climb it and perch himself in safety
on the only limb that was stout enough
to support his weight. His porcine pur-
suers were frightfully enraged at the es-