Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-26
WILD HOG OF SAN JOAQUIN.
Of Unknown Origin and Safer to Tral
 than to Hunt.

Of Unknown Origin and Safer to Trap
 than to Hunt.
 From the New York Sum-
 'I don't know whether they do it any more out there or not," said 8 former resi- dent of California now in this city, "but when lived in San Joaquin county we used to have more fun than house afire at the quiet little pastime of trapping wild hogs. No one ever seemed to know exactly where the wild hogs of the San Joaquin tule lands came from, but there they are, at least there they were ten years age. They prob ably originated from some runaway domes- tic stock. These wild hogs were so shy that it was rare that anyone ever got glimpse of one, and then it would be only by accident. They held themselves entire ly aloof from civilization, and it was only by strategy that they could be captured This is the way we used to do it.
 "It was no trouble to find where drove of hogs was feeding, for they left abun- dant evidences of their presence. I never knew who first found cut that they were partial to barley, but they were, and for that reason we thought that it was more than likely that the original stock was escaped distillery- fed swine. Anyhow some one dis covered that if there was anything San Jo- aquin wild hog would risk his all for it was barley, and so we took advantage of the dis covery and went to tempting the wild hog to his destruction. The first step in the con spiracy against him was the building of a corral, or pen, big enough to hold dozen hogs or In one side of the pen a heavy drop-gat was set, which was raised up and held in position by a rope that extended to the side opposite. The rope was held taut by being fastened to a sort of fgure-fo drop, which the slightest touch would spring. ,@1oa 4,ok 11co of hogs.
 'SThe next step was to lay liberal train of barley from the gate of the corral some distance from it along the trail. Barley was scattered about inside the pen, thickest about the gate and gradually thinned down as the deadfall was approached. As soon as the hogs struck the trail of barley they fol lowed it up, crowding and pushing, and each one trying to get the biggest share suppose, just natural as tame hogs. When they reached the gate in they rushed, the first one stopping where tine barley lay thickest, until they were crowded further ln by the squeal- ing, greedy lot behind. It was only a mat ter of few seconds before of the leaders had to be jammed up against the deadfall That settled it. Down would come the heavy gate, and there would usual ly be a dead hog or two in under it and dozen of choice fat porkers inside The old fellows we butchered with rife balls the y corral we 1assoed them and took them home for future reference.
 s'I never saw drove of wild hogs loose but once, and from what I saw of them and their methods then I was satisfied to hunt them with barley baited corrals, and leave the free and open chase to some one else. l was out shooting birds one day, and as I was passing through dense thicket to get to an open where I expected good sport, I heard the unmistakabe snorting and tusk- grinding of wild hogs. I thought someone had cor ral set near by and had got the drop on some hogs as usual. I drew toward the edge of the thicket, and then it seemed to me that the snorting was too voluminous and the grinding too far-reaching and penetrating to be made by dozen penned-up porkers, but kept on When I reached the edge of the thicket peered out into the open. Well, that's all l did 1 had no desire to proceed further.
 "The hogs never let that wolf rest sec ond. Some big fellow would lift himself up against the stump on one side, with snort like thunderclap, and quick flash the wolf would turn his face that way. Then another long -tusked brute would jump up and let go howl, and around the wolf would go toward him like flash. And so it went all around the stump, and it was a wonder to me how that terrorized wolf man aged to keep his footing on the stump at all By and by got tired watching the proceed ings, and I thought I would try an experi- ment I raised my gun and fired in the air. That was the climax The wolf hadn't cal culated that. With the report of the gun he lost his presence of mind. He leaped ten feet in the air and came down twenty feet away. A thousand upraised tusks were ready to receive him. There was one wild yell Then pieces of wolf filled the air a sec ond, and the vengeance of the wild hog was complete. ."-New York Sun.