The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-02

animals may seen. grossly Improbable
to unlearned and preindiced pc 9plc, but,
even aside from what has been said of
the kidnapping habitspf wolves, there
is nothiag improbable Ia it, According
to the fssss spapsfs offhe day, The prin-
cipal business Of enterpFising cats is the
adoption of SQUIRRELS. rats. chickens.
and all Sorts OF animals. Why may not
other animals initiate this PECULIARLY of
the benevolent cat, and include human
infants among the miscellaneous crea-
lures adopted by themp 10 point of
fact, the stories of wolf-children do not
stand alone. and IN oul. own country
there have been repeated instances of
the adoption of children by eccentric
animals.
Fer example. there is the story of the
calf-bos: of Arizona. Twenty years ago
a baby sixteen months old. Belonging to
family residing in Arizona, was car
ried off by a COW belonging to one Of The
herds of wild cattle that roam over the
plainssof Arizona, or at all events ought
to roam over them in the interests of
poetry and the leather business. The
cow having yentured neaF the house
when the infant was playing on the
doorstep, snatched him up IL her mouth
and made her escape to the forest be-
fore the alarm could be given. Seven
years did the weeping father of that in
FAINT hunt the wicked COW in VAIN but
at the beginning of the eighth year of
his bereavement he captured. her and
his missing offspring. Tie latter had
become morally a calf This calt-child
walked on all-fours, spoke the cattle Ian
guage with great perfection, and lived
on, nd hax Ia fol
taught to speak English. and partially
reclaimed from boyinsm; but to tie day
of his death, which occurred in his
eighteenth year, he retained his fond
ness for hay, and hfs skin pr. served its
leathery texture so well thai his father
made a pair of boots of it which no one
could distinguish from the very best of
calf-stzin boots.
Then there was the bear-clIild of Hi
nois. In 1873 party OF hunters discov-
cred bears den in the outskirts of
Chicago. They killed the Two VERY fine
large bears and litter OF miidIing-sized
bears, but spared tiny small bear that
was to all appe rance a human child of
about three years of age. This child
bear readily threw of most of his bear
ish habits. and in short time became a
fairly-eiyilized citizen OF Chicago. The
only traces of his early bear education
which he retained were an inordinate
growth of hair on the face and won
derful power of squeezing anything
around which he could put his arms.
He was immensely popular with the
young ladies of Chicago, and had he not
died within two years after his recap
ture from his ursine kidnaE pers be would
have become the most popular
man in the State, If not an the whole
West.
Still more remarkable is the case OF
The pig-boy of Ohio. Thirty years ago,
\ pig belonging to one of the herds OF |
Wild pigs which at that time Infested The |
State of Ohio, carried OF an infant son |
# a leading citizen. The zig, holding
he child in her mouth. and leaping over |
all fences, and rushing through swamps
md forests, was hotly pursued but final
y escaped with her prey. Ten years
alter the missing infant was found He
bad become a complete pig. except in
ew unrnportantaetaIls. He could speak
% language except a few so-called
Tords, that were said by some people to
e German words, and by others to be
imply the ordinary language of pigs
lie went upon all-fours, wallowed in
aud, ate nothing but swirl and acorns,
nj rooted with his nose and chin.
1t was found to be quite impossible
i'd him of his piggish proclivities. AL
lough he was washed and clothed and
iught to speak English, he never lost
ne porcine instincts of his pouth. The
rst time. he entered q railway car he
lrned over a seal, and with the help of
let and a small paper parcel eontrived
} monopolize four seats. although half
dozen ladies were standing in the aisle.
1henevers he entered a public convey
nee of any kind he always ate peanuts
nd scattered the shells around him,
nd when attending q concert or lecture J
3 trod on his neighbour feet and chew.
l tobacco with the usual results. After
'aching his majority he. ike other Ohio
tizens, was sent to Europe as a Cor
Il, where he never lost an opportunity
illustrating the greatness of the Re-
lblic by exhibiting his contempt for
cry thing foreign.
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