The sun., 1891-06-27
A MYSTERIOUS WILD HOG.
It Eats Early Potatoes, Vaults Like Gym.
mast, and Runs Like q Deer.

It Eats Early Potatoes, vaults Like Gym
mast, and Runs Like Deer.
lands VALLEY. Pa, June 26.-Isaac r. Lam
dis is one Of Lancaster county's best known
farmers. He lives at Landis Valley, where
pretty much everybody is q Lands and has
been for hundred years. Farmer Lands
knows thing when he sees It. and could not
be induced to lie about it. Potatoes is favor
ite crop on the Landis farm. and If anything
goes wrong with that crop 1t sits heavy on
Farmer Landis's heart. Hence. when he
went out early ono morning about three
weeks ago and found three long rows
of choice brand Of early potato
plants. which were just beginning to
take on an abundance OF tubers dug up and
ruined. he was disconsolste. The strange
thing about the tearing up OF the plants was
that only the rows OF early potatoes were
molssted. The late ones were not disturbed
The manner in which the damage had been
done satisfied Farmer Landis that it was the
work or hog or Of hogs. but none of his hogs
could get to the field. and 1t was impossible
for any OF the neiGhbors' hogs to get there.
But that hog had rooted in that field Farmer
Landis was sure and he lay In wait next night
to see II the mysterious rsoter would pay
second visit to the field. The farmer remain ed
until he got sleepy. and no hog appearing. ho
Next morning a still greater area Of early
potato vines were found rooted up in the field.
Then Farmer Landis resolved to watch Tor the
hired man with him that nisht. and his s gun. lI
and tho two watched until almost daylight
we're on the point Of going home. when some
thing cleared the hien fence around the field
potato % Vines beean at % once % to root % them up. !s
That the animal which hal como into the field
SO bs S 30 but 6e wfs hs
and white as Q sheep. His snout was long and
sharp, and as he turned up the yielding soil
erunts Of were anG ond
He had made his sudden appearance from a
a :. Iand ta rss osS hssyS ts EAat which ad0ed
The farmer. did not waste much time in
watching the devastating and mysterious hog,
but aSsy az h with his gun which
NJ aim Was good, ! know" said Farmer
only coupie of rods @ away. but that % hor ,uss W
threw UP his head and looked ut me a second
or two, then CAV, snort you could have. heard
fence as fast as any deer could run. He bound
ed over it easier than a hurdle racer could
The mysterious hog. which at once one became
known as the wild hog appeared no more in
that Farmer r. Land,ss potato patch. but day
field. bound oye- fence into another Farmer
Landis's potato patcn. and proceed to appease
early potatoes, There II was discovered that
he had two Immense tusks. extending upward
IOuT OF uN6 luCu0S OH cdcu SIuo bI IlS Blarps
long snout; giving b i'm q most ferocious ap-
pearance. lie was shot mt and again bounded
away. apparently unhurt into tho wheat
He was not seen again for several days. al
though watch was set on all sides OF the
wheat field to give tho alarm II he appeared
Finally hunger for young potatoes drove him
forth from his lair amid the ripening grain
and he ran the gauntlet of watchers. and lean.
ing tho fence as before without touching it,
he sped away across country at speed which
an old Lancaster fox hunter said no deer could
begin to equal The unreasonable and uncon-
ventional hog made straight for the nearest
potato field. and his speed gave him such a
start OF all purSuers that he had time 10 root
up and get away with good meal before he
was again warned by a peppering of buckshot
against his tough hide that he could afford to
retreat to the shelter OF a wheat Held near by
He has been seen but once since then, and
that was last week. when he 9ppeared sud
denly IN a potato field near tho first Farmer
Landise. Being disturbed. he again per
formed his marvellous bounding and vaulting
feat aud returned to the protection OF the
ripening grain. Everybody knows he il in
there. but hey do not care 10 tramp down
twenty or thirty acres OF wheat irving to find
him. The snoring friends, Of Landls Valley
Of the wheat and they expect rare sport chss-
No one can imagine where this wild, potato.
destroying monster could hako come from ss
this is the very heart OF the great and fertile
county Of Lancaster. where no opportunity or
advantage 10 offered for The breeding or nur.
turing Of wild hogs. especially Of tho kind that
runs like a deer and vaults like a cham pion
RymlaSt