Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-02-07
Old Times.

| Old Times.
Ed. Register-A few days ago was
asked to write what l know about
wolves. When we come to Arcadla
Valley in 1888, the woods and noun.
tains were full of wolves. Just as soon
as night came you could hear, way of
to the north, a long drawn howl, then
one way to the east, then to the south,
then west. Soon the bowling seemed
to come from every direction, and such
bowling to one unaccustomed to such
noises it was rather trying to the
nerves. Some nights the wolves would
come almost up to the house, and such
a time with the dogs. They would
rush out towards the wolves as though
they would tear them to pieces, in a
few moments come running back and
charge up to the door, and try to get in
the house. So the dogs and wolves
would have it back and forward, and
you may guess there was not much
sleeping done with such a racket.
| When we bought the saw-mill on
| Brewers Creek, after the crops were
laid by, all but one or two of US men
went down to make repairs on the dam
and about the mill, SO when the water
came we would be ready to saw. When
we reached the mill we found no house
to live in while making repairs but we
found a pile of plank to make US a
| camp. First we set up two tall forks,
then put large pole in the forks at the
top, then set the plank up with the top
end of the plank resting against the
ridge pole, with the foot of the plank
on the ground at an angle of about for
| ty-five.degrees, SO it was like the roof
of house set on the ground. Each
end was planked up tight. AT one end
we made a door to open and shut. At
ter the camp was finished we put in a
good load of straw, which made nice
place to sleep in, with our beds made
up nicely on the straw. AS it was
warm weather we cooked and ate our
meals out of doors on ia Bile. with rough
seats on each side. At night we were
tired enough to 60 to bed and to sleep
as soon as our supper was over. l al
ways preferred to sleep on the side
next the wall.
The first night we had hardly got to
sleep when we were awakened by one
of those long-drawn wailiDg howls. It
sounded but little way IF. Soon we
heard an answering howl. Soon an
other and another, and they seemed to
be coming nearer. and nearer, and such
noise as they made. Soon heard
what seemed to be a snuffing but a few
inches from my head. I looked out
through crack between two boards,
and only few feet from us was
whole pack of wolves. We pushed the
door open and fired our guns at them.
The way they scattered was sight.
but they did not come back to disturb
us any more that night.
Wolves are nor as ferocious in this
warm climate as in the northern cold
climates, and then there was such
quantities of wild game. Ihaye found
wolves one IF the hardest of animals to
see while in the woods hunting. They
seem to be always on the watch or
scent, for their sence of smell is very
keen.
But once in my life in the woods did
I ever see wolf try to attack human
being. The year after we pulled down
the old mill Oh Brewers Creek We built
q mill at the red bank Oh Stout's Creek
at the Itson spring. We had cut and
hauled all the timbers needed for the
frame, except four or five, and would
haye finished, but the day Was too
short, so we had to flush the next
morning. AS it would take us but
short time, my older brother and ]
took our axes and went and finished
cutting the timber while the two
younger brothers came with the OK
teams for the first time. I thought, as
we would be in the woods SO short q
time, would not take my gun. My
brother and had finished cutting the
timbers needed and had seated our
selves on one of the logs waiting for the
teams to cone, so We could help load
the logs. While sitting, talking we
heard some OF our neigh bor' shorses COM
ing running towards US as though
something had frightened them. When
the horses saw US they ran past us and
stopped, and looked back. The horses
stood for some minutes looking. then
went to feeling. After q short tims !