The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-06-07
THg WOLVERINE.
A Fierce Animal That Lives Only
in Michigan.
1t Has the Characteristics of the
Wolf and the Bear.

| state, but l don't believe there are two
dozen persons outside of that State that
know what wolverine is" said a ma
tive of the Green Bay region. 'For
that matter, the people in Michigan
itself who can tell you what wolverine
is are mighty scarce Why this animal
should be particularly a resident of the
Michigan wilderness I do not know
but never heard of it being seen or
heard of elsewhere. The wolf is a
common animal all over the West, or at
least it was before civilization limited
its habitat, and the black bear is also
found everywhere, in greater or less
numbers. Then why should the wolver-
Inc only have made its appearance in
Michigan, where it was in the pioneer
days as plenty, almost, as the wolf, and
even now is dreaded frequenter of the
woods of the northern part of the
State 7 The wolverine is an animal that
has some of the characteristics of the
wolf, and partakes in other ways of the
nature of the bear. The old settlers of
Michigan always insisted that the ami.
NAL was a cross between those two
beasts, and that is the belief of the
north Michigan woodsmen today.
When Michigan was admitted into the
Union the wolverine was still common.
In fact, infested all the forests of the
State, and the State was named after
him, owing to some of the character.
istics of the animal admired by the
hardy pioneers who hewed common.
wealth out of the great wilderness, they
found about their inland sea.
at is a singular fact that no museum
or geological garden has ever yet had a
specimen of this unique member of the
animal kingdom. Isay i. is singular,
and l do not know that it is either. for
the reason they have never exhibited
the wolverine is the great difficulty, not
to say .mpossibility, of capturing it
alive, or OF keeping it alive after it is
captured. They are the most SAVAGE of
beasts. They have the ugly temper of
he wolf, which they resemble in an
pearance, but in size and savareness
they resemble the bear of the Western
Businesses. But while having the size
md savageness Of the bear, they excel
llm IN aggressiveness and ferocitv. They |
10 not have his clumsiness. Their wolf
sh appearance makes the fact that they
ire expert and agile tree climbers seem
I'D. IN lying in wait for prey they also
esemble the panther, for they will
rouch closely in the branches or forks
II tree, and drop down upon
heir victim like one of those
'reat members of the cat family. They
VIII attack man in this way as reaii.
as they would fawn, and many an I'm.
vary hunter in the Michigan wood
as fallen victim to some hungry and
MUS cr'minating wolverine. Tie
laws of this strange animal are much
onger and sharper than the bear S, and
heir teeth bigger and more pointed
nd curved. Their wariness is said bv
unters to exceed that of any animal
n the continent, and they are seldom
united for the sport of the thing. the
anger being too great. 1t is only when
wolverine has made his presence so de-
tructive to the pastures and sheepfolds
I the backwoods farmers that the en-
re loss OF their live stock i, feared
nat the farmers organize for a raid on
nc wolverines, u,ua " cmplo ling a
lumber of expert and daring woodsmen
direct the hunt. can't see for N.Y.
III what the pioneers of Michigan saw I
tbs animal to perpetuate its memory
nicknaming their State after it. but
he name is there, and Michigan will
main the Wolverine State long after ,
10 wolverine is extinct" ~ y Sun.