The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-14
ALL ABOUT WOLVES.
The Greatest Pests the Early New
England Settlers had TO En-
Hon. William Gooldl


[Hon. William Goold1
An Oxford correspondent Of the PRESS
has lately twice mentioned the appearance
OF wolves in that town. This looks as II
these plaques of the colonists were coming
down upon us again from the north wolves
have served for illustration of everything
vicious, treacherous and destructive from
Bible times to ours. They were the worst
enemies the New England pioneers had to
encounter, and every settler was interested
in their determination. The old town aud
colony records are full of legislation con-
corning wolves. After the choice of town
officers the next article in the warrant read,
ITO see what the town will allow In adj
dition to the province bounty for wolves
heads" The Importation Of faru: stock and
its increase brought the wolves to the coast.
and the sheep, goats and hogs furnished
supply of tempting food causing a cores
ponding increase Of wolves. They grew
bold and would come near the houses in the
daytime for their prey and at night they
kept the settler awake by their bowling
around the log novels which it was necessary
to have to secure the farm stock. Wood, In
ulo 4NCW IJoPCCt klOOfI says n
wolf makes no mere bones to run away with
pig than dog to run away with marrow
bone"
Treasurer Pincheon of the Massachusetts
company records these payments out Of the
common treasury"
"9th of October, 1882 Zone year after the ar
rival paid John Saggameres brother for killing
To Jack Strom one coat, by note from the
Governor.
To Womascuss son for wolves, 2 coats lilo.
pounds.
For 20 wolf hooks to hang.
For W IL hooks with adders tongues.
For 25 wolf hooks To ROxbury.
To WATERFOWL % wolf hooks.
To Ipswich 20 wolf hooks.
To Boston 25 wolf hooks.
From this it would seem that Boston had
then as many wolves as the neighboring
towns and she has yet, but these Of today
are of the species spoken Of in the scriptures,
Sin sleeps clothing" These will not take
| the NOOK, only tne drag net will take them
like the common sucker.
In 1913 Plymouth General Court ordered
the making of supply of "wolf traps" In
the treaty entered into in Boston by King
Philip in 1911 the third article read:
81 do promise to send unto the Governor or
whom he shall appoint, five wolves heads II can
get them, or as many as 1 can procure until IL
comes TO hYe wolves heads yearly"
In 1717, so troublesome had wolves become
on Cape Cod that a project was started to
build high fence OF boards and palisades
from Sandwich to Wareham across the cape,
to keep wolves from coming into the county
Of Barnstable. Sandwich wanted the fence
and Falmouth acceded but the other towns
declined, whereupon the general court was
applied TO but refused to compel. This
fence would have been little north and
west of the canal now in course of construc-
ton to unite Barnstablc and Manomet Bays
When Dexter owned and occupied Nahant
| he built fence across the reach ito keep out
the wolves and swine"
In early times it was common occurrence
| for towns to become alarmed and call meet
ing and offer an extravagant bounty for some
individual wild animal. In 1870 Sandwich,
Cape Cod, "vOted twenty-five dollars to any
one who shall kill the wolf, catamount, or
tiger infesting this and the. neighboring
towns, and destroying sheep" In 1927 the
same town offered 500 for the killing Of a
wolf which was causing great destruction to
| the sheep.
Wolves were very troublesome in York
county in early days. Below Is sample OF
laws enacted to exterminate them.
At general court held at Sac0, Sept. II,
| 164C, at is ordered by this court that In re-
gard to the great damage the inhabitants of
| this province do sustain through the loss Of
cattle by the devouring wolves, that from
| between Piscataqua and Kennebunk, the
party so killing them shall have twelve pence
| for every wolf so killed, from every family
| between Kennebunk and Sagadahoc The
| party killing any wolves by repairing to the
| next councillor of this province within those
| limits, shall have order to take up said
money" Old Falmouth was not exempt
| from the ravages of wolves. In 1913. John
| Winter wrote to his principal from Rich
monds island that wolves attacked COW
NJ afnL nd xuNnndAd a hot ha
died. In June 1640. there were on the island
| and main land 76 goats and kids, 20 swine
| and 40 young pigs. Winter complained that
evolves and bears do kill many and maketh
| the pigs fearful to stay away in the woods
| for all have man to follow after Them.
| At this time wolves were so plenty In Fal-
mouth that the town voted to allow ten
pounds In addition to the 40 shillings that
the Province allowed for wolves; In July,
174O. Parson Smith records. Il had three
sheep killed by wOlf-there were seven
killed belonging to others" In many cases
the payments by towns for wolves heads
exceeded the amount Of their Province tax.
and in 1719 a law was passed in Mass
achusetts that the Province treasurer should
refund payments by towns.
In 1874, the town of Falmouth 'noted that
ten pounds be allowed in addition to what
the Province allows for the head of a grown
wolf: he, or they making oath that they killed
the said wolf within the township OF Fail
mouth three pounds for whelps not taken
out of the belly of bitch wolf" In 1873,
six pounds was the town price. The next
year it had fallen to three pounds. but the
| next year it went up again to six pounds;
| There it vibrated between six and ten pounds
| for several years, according to the destruction
| to the fiocks.
The killing Of wolves became a regular
business, the same as the hunting OF Indians,
| for the bounty. There were at least three
places in old Falmouth where deep pits were
| dug to decoy wolves into by bait consisting
| of live sheep in cage, so secured that
| when the wolves leaped for the sheep they
landed in the pit. which was concealed by
| brushwood which also prevented the animals
| climbing out. Wolves will scent a sheep
long distance, and during a night several
| would get trapped, and often kill each other
in their efforts TO get the sheep. All that
| were left were sure to meet death In the
morning. Two OF these pits were on the
| land Of John Blake, now enclosed in Ever
| green cemetery. They were on the low land
in the westerly section of the enclosure
at place known to the villagers as MUS
| quito Harbor. In my shooting days sixty
/ years ago, went there looking tIr WOOD
| cock, aud wondered at these large deep PITS
| which were made receptacle ior tln enipS
from the tin shops OF Buckley ana N0rtn.
| They have been filed up, and some day
grave digger will wonder over them as
| seriously as did long ago. There were TWO
other pits for the same purpose lew RODS
south of the Minot farm. half mile south OF
lived several Shaker families-the Wilson's.
Robert, jeremiah, and Gowen who after
wards Joined the Shaker community at New
| Gloucester They were there in 1913.
Jeremiah Wilson died there In 1859 aged 50
wears. These Wilson's had wolf pits but
am unable to point out the spot. In 1743
the treasurer OF Falmouth paid Buxton 30
and Mayor Bracket 10 pounds for killing
wolves and three pounds for three wild cats.
| These men probably owned wolf pits.
Wolves were also trapped in large numbers.
| They avoid water as do cats. Advantage
was taken of this dislike. and at proper
| places in shallow streams, the trappers
placed stepping stones reaching out Of water
Tor them to cross on, the shore ones at a
longer di .tance asUnder, obliging the animals
to leap to 1t. On this shore stone was placed