Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-04-11
The Wolverine.

Michigan is called the Wolverine
State, but | don't believe there are two
dozen persons outside OF that State
that know what a wolverine is, said
a native of the Green Bay region,
now a New Yorker. For that mat
ter, the people of Michigan itself who
can tell you what a wolverine is, are
mighty scarce. Why this animal
should be particularly a resident OF
the Michigan wilderness | do not
know, but / never heard OF it being
sean or heard of elsewhere. The
wolf is common animal all over the
west or at least il was before civiliza-
tion limited its habitat, and the black
bear is also found everywhere, i'll
greater or less numbers. Then why
should the wolverine only have made
its appearance in Michigan, where il
was in the pioneer days as plenty
dreaded trequenter OF the woods o'
the northern part OF the Slater Ine
wolverine is ali animal that has some
OF the characteristics OF the wolf, and
parTakes Ill other ways of The nature
OF the bear. The Odd settlers oi Mlcn-
igan always insisted tnat the animal
was a cross between those TWO beasts,
and that is the belief of the nortn
Michigan woodsmen to-day. When
Michigan Was aunitt1 Il INTO the Union
the wolverine Was su, common, Ia
tact, infested ali the forests OF the
State, and the state was named after
him, owing TO some OF the character
istics OF the animal aGmlred 10y the
hardy pioneers who hewed common
wealth out of the great wilderness
they found about their Iniaud sea.
1T is IA singular TACT that no muse
um or geological garden has ever Yet
had specimen OF this unique mem
Der of the animal Kingdom. say IL
Is singular, aud | do not know why II
Is, either, for the reason they have
never exhibited the wolverine II the
great difficulty, not TO say impossibl,-
ity of capturing it alive, or of Keep
ing it alive after it is captured. They
are the most savage Of beasts. They
have the ugly temper of the wolf,
which they resemble in appearance,
but in size and savageness they re-
semble the bear of the Western fast
nesses. But while having the size
and savageness of the bear, they
excel him in aggressiveness and feroc-
ity. They do not have his clunsi
ness. Their woltish appearance makes
the fact that they are expert and
agile tree climbers seem odd. In
lying in wait for prey they also resem-
BILE the panther, for they will crouch
closely in the branches or forks OF IA
tree, and drop down Oh ntheirvictim like
one of those great members OF the
cat family. They will attack II man
in this way rs readily as they would
a fawn, and many an unwary hunter
in the Michigan woods has fallen IA
victim to some hungry and undiscrlm-
mating wolverine. The claws Of this
strange animal are much longer and
sharper than the bears, and their
teeth bigger and more pointed and
curved Their wariness is said by
hunters to exceed that Of any animal
on the continent, and they are sell
dom hunted for the sport Of the thing,
the danger being too great. 1t Is
only when wolverine has made his
presence so destructive to the pas
lures and sheepfolds OF the back
woods farmers that the entire loss Of
their live stock is feared that the
farmers organize a raid on the wolyer
ines, usually employing a number Of
expert and daring woodsmen 10 direct
the hunt. can't see for myself what
the pioneers Of Michigan saw in this
animal TO perpetuate its memory by
nicknaming their State after 1t, but
the name is there, and Michigan will
remain the Wolverine State long after
the wolverine is extinct.