Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-06-29
A Mysterious Wild Hog

I5sac Lznis5 Is cce of LsncSaler ccur-
t?'a best kn3wu tanners Hs iqe7 at Lam
dis Valley. Ps., @hsre pretty muca s7ers-
hoGy is LSadia end has been for 100 years.
Farmer Lands knows :hiag when be ssee
Il, aud could nnt be Induced to lie abou It,.
P1!a;oes is g fAyorite crop on toe Landis
farm, aud If anything goes wrong WITH that
crop it sits heavy on farmer Lsrdis'a heart
Hence, when ne went out esriy Que morning
soous three weeks sgo and found three long
rows OF choice brand OF esry potato plaDis,
which were just beginning to take on an
abundance Of Jubere, dug up ani rulred, be
asa disconsoiate. Tho et'aogs thing about
toe tearing up CT the plants Wae that on!y
the rows uf early potatoes were moiested.
The lsta cnce were ros disturbed The
n.Bnrer IN which the damage had been done
satisfied teIm9r Lan6ia that it wss the work
o. hog or hogs, but none OF his hogs could
esu to The f ID. and IL ~as impossible for
eay OF tbs neighboEs' hcgs to get there.
Bu. that hog haa rooisd ia that ha!d
te.rner Lands was sure, and be lay IL wsit
nexs uisbt to zee il the mysterious rooter
would Pas a second visit 20 the field. The
farmer remained until he got sleepy, std, no
hog appearing, be went horle.
Next morning q Ell greater sfes OF early
potato vices were found rooted up In the
isid Then Farmer Landis resolved to
watch for the hcg i; 10 tad to stay up ali
night. He took his hiied msn with him
that night and his gun, aud be two watch
ed uuti Almost dayight. Nothiog appeared,
sud the farmer ard his rnan were On ,he
point OF going home. when something ciesr
ed tbs high fence srouud the field ct en-
gle honnd, and, landing among the potato
vince, began 81 cree . root them up. Ihas
Inc animal which had come into the field 50
snddeale and so pimbly was hog there
could be no doubt, but be was lcas aud lank
and white as sheep His s0out was
long and sharp aud ss be turned up the
yis,dipg soil and feested On the tender young
potatoes his gsunts OF satisfaction were fire.
Quent and loud. Ee had made his sudden
appearance froul 6eld of tall and heavy
VI heat which sdjoined Farmer Lsndis's po.
tato field.
The farmer did not waste much time in
watcbing the devastating and mysterious
hog, but whauged away st him with his
quo, which was loaded with buckshot.
my aim was good, know" said Farmer
Landis, relating the experience, land l was
only couple of reds away, but that hog
Just threw up his head and looked at me
second or two, then gave snort you could
have beard q quarter of mile, eud, turn
ing, made for the feucs as fast es any deer
could run. He bounded over it eesier than
hurdle racer could have lone il, and dis
appeared in the wheat"
The mysterious hog. which at once be-
came Known SIS the wild hog, appeared 10
lore in that farmer Landis's potato patch,
but day or 30 later he was seen to leave
q 4 fn
another farmer Lardis's potato patch, and
proceed to appease mis- hpnger'5 wrath Dy
roofing up that farmers esriy pototoes.
Tiers it was discovered that he had t@o
immense tusks, extending upward four or
five iuchee on each side OF bis sharp, long
snout, giving him most teroeious appear
ence He wss shot at and again bounded
away, apparently unhurt, into the wheat.
He was not seen again fer several days al
though a watch was set on all ssdea Of the
wheat field TO give the alarm II he appeared.
Finally hunger for young potatoes drove bin
10th from bis lair amid tho ripeniDg grain,
end he ran the gaurtiet of watchers, and
leaping the fence as before, without touch.
Ing II, be sped away across country at
speed " bich sn old Lancaster fox bunter
said no deer could begin 10 equal. The un-
reasonable and unconventional hog mada
straight for the nearest potato field, and his
spsed gave bim such start Of all pursuers
that he had time TO root up and get away
ssitb q gooti meHl before he was again warn
ed by peppssing of buckshet against HE
tough hide that he could afford to retreat
to the shelter OF whest fed near by.
He has been ssen but oUce aiuce then, and
the. was las. week. When he appeared sud
denly 10 q potato ield GEAR the first farmer
Laudise. Being disturbed, he agaiD par
formed his marvellous bounding and Vaalt-
ing feat and returned to the protection ef
the ripenng ersin. Everybody knows he is
iu there, but they do Dot care TO tramp dosn
tWensy or thirty acres of wheat trying TO
find hiU. Toe sporting friends of Landis
Valley farmers are waiting snx!ously for the
cutting of the w heat, snd they exGeos rare
sport chasing the wild hes When be Is driven
from cover.
No one can iussine where this Wild, po-
tato-destroying monster coud have coue
fsom, ss this is the very heart of the grsst
and fertile county OF Lancaster, where no
opportunity or advantage Is offered tor the
breeding or nurturipg of wild hogs, csperi
ally of the kind that runs like deer and
vaults Ike champion gymnast.
BecsseH'a Arntca ssive
TIE BEST SAEYE in the world for Cuts, Bruises