The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-03-29
tlrx:1N:aussiA.
THE nxxENss QUANTITY OF WOLVES
HARBoRHD.

How many people are killed BY
wolves 10 Russia each year = l once
ssked Of q Russian official at 81.
Petersburg.
Twenty ethoussnd, perhaps; but
What Of it Z he replied.
II The Russian Government was
not concerned about the number. be
oould not see Why outsiders should
be. And IL the Government was
concerned. IL is doubtful II IL could
take any steps to greatly lessen the
number Of wolves or victims. From
esst TO west and north TO south RUS
sis is wolf country. The distance
between towns and the thiply settled
agricultural districts give wild beasts
opportunity to increase in numbers,
and il is said Of the Russia wolf that
he is always hungry. If statistics
were preserved aud published, as in
India, the publication of the number
of victims killed and devoured by
wolves would be startling. Between
the villages Of Toblosky and Urkov-
sky--thirty miles apart-thero was,
10 1868 only one house. That was
the halfway hotel. The rest OF the
road was given up to plain and for
est, and for Eve years previous to
1868 this had been one OF the most
dangerous places in all Russia
Travellers waited at either village
until a band Of from ten to twenty
had collected, aud 10 mid-winter sol
diers had to accompany all travellers.
A member Of the French Legation
told me that, in making this journey
once. the sledges were followed and
surrounded bv q drove Of wolves es>
timated to number two thousand
No attack was made, there being u
large escort OF soldiers
The first timo ] passed over the
road was 10 summer, aud not-a wolf
appeared in sight. At Que point.
wheie e::the road iraversed a plain for
eight miles, saw, without leaving
the beaten truck, the bones Of at
leaet fifty horses and Of seventysfive
persons. In sop,e cases only band
Iui OF 6unes were left to represent n
person, but / was assured by the
drivers that victim bad been pull
ed down wherever these lponss lay.
The smaller bohes are eaten up or
carried of but the larger ones are
left to bleach in the summer sun or
lie bidder under the drifts of winter.
Even the hotel at the half way point
was not safe from attack. bat had TO
be surrounded by u wall OF stone ten
feet high. When asked Why gem
eral raid waa not made on the VOL
YES Of this district, and the pests ex-
termined or driven out, no one had
an answer. Five hundred armed
peasants, directed aud assisted by
fifty soldiers, could have made clean
work Of it ia day, but the idea Of
suoh . raid had never occurred to
any one.
While ! was lying at Urkoysky
that summer the Russian Govern.
ment offered bounty Of fourteen
cents for the scalp OF every wolf kill.
cd in that district. There was
another American and an English
man in the village, and when the
proclamation came out we determin.
cd on wolf hunt We called in Q
carpenter and gave him plans Of q
house on runners. II was as large
az one OF the photograph cars drawr
from to town 10 the United States
and provided with three hunks, Q
stove. and other con veniences. There
were port holes in the sides and
floors, besides three or four sliding
doors, and when the house was com.
pleted we found plenty Of room fol
three men aud coal and provision,
for fortnight. There was great
ouriousity in the town as to whaI
sort Of q move we bad in view, and
1.-THE house had beeu scarcely flushed
splwhen q Government official made q.
IA call aud demanded the fullest in
Formation When we told him thai
Awe intended to draw the car ouI
!. Upon the plain and use il as Q cove
: and protection while We shot wolves
his gravity increased, and he official
ly notifsd as not 10 move 1t foo
until be had communicated with BIZ
superiors. The Government bad Of
fsred bounty for the destruction o
wolves, but We must get permission
a. Jaatrov thaun