The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-08-11
A WILD HOG II TRAP.
How Two Boys Made Money TO
a See the CentenniAa;, ct srt

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Yesterday heard ono farm boy say
to another ~Cnme and see my two
calves. I'm going to keep them till
they're two-year-old steers and then
sell them and 90 TO the Columbian expo
sition on the money They'll bring fifty
dollars by that time" a
But i've got colt that'll bring sew
enty-fve by that Time" rejoined his
companion, triumphantly.
Maybe" replied the first lad, COM
posedly. ."But tell you, Frank, there's
a good deal more risk on colts than ON
steers" tr
Their earnestness wildly recalled to
me time, fifteen years ago, when /
was boy Of sixteen, and lived in the
Arkansas ''bachwoods." Twas making
similar plans to visit the centennial cx.
hibition of 1916 at Philadelphia.
A Ayoung neighbor, Benton Arbuckle
by name, was equally DESTROYS Of ct
tending the exhibition; but like my
self, ID was tn painful doubt where the
dollars were to come from for railway
fares, for a new suit of clothes and for
other necessary matters.
Often we raised q little money by
gathering pecan nuts IN the woods and
selling them at the store two niles
that year, and our hopes suffered
blight with It We knew thet seventy
dollars apiece was the least possible
sum that would suffice to transport US
to Philadelphia and return us to our
native country. The case looked hope
less.
We stndicd hard to think Of some
other means. Wild turkeys were get
ting scarce in the woods. Formerly a
good many had been shot and market
ed every fall Deer, too, were far from
plenty.
After careful canvass Of the sttua-
tion, Benton and decided that our
only chance to raise money lay in the
wild hog, which were still to be found
in considerable numbers IN the river
bottoms in our part OF the state.
These wild hogs ore descended from
ordinary swine brought into the coup-
try by the earlier settlers. IN several
generations Of wildness they have de-
veloped the characteristics Of the wild
hogs Of the old world. They run swift
ly through the brush upon the slight
est alarm, and are always difficult to
approach.
Shooting Is not the best method Of
hunting wild hogs, for unless shot
through vital part they squeal
frightfully, and often run long dis
tance. The squealing may frighten the
drove away, and cause them to desert
the locality for another tract Of forest.
My companion and proposed to trap
them, and so far as possible to conduct
a still hunt We intended to make
bacon, for which we were reasonably
sure of obtaining eight cents pound.
We fitted up disused log-shanty MS q
smoke-housc, and arranged to bring
home the carcasses on mules from oul
traps
Benton, who had more time than I,
spent several days IN looking about 70,
good place In which to set trap. an6
chose one upon Sugar creek. At q
point where high bank had beer
washed out we set stakes and built q
strong corral eight feet high. in such 6
Wuy tudt tuo O<tuh IOTLneu OI1e SlOe u.
| the inclosure, and the fence ssirting
the margin of the stream formed the
other sides
The yard thus formed included {
space afty or sixty feet across, which
on one side was overhung by bank
from twelve to fifteen feet in height
The earth had been cut away by fresh
cts, SO that the roots Of the brushwoot
above hung down in a Struggling
fringe.
A trap gate was constructed to rts,
and fall between posts on each side O
an opening five feet wide. To spring
the gate a line was attached to 1t, whicl
ran across 10 our hiding place ON tn,
other side of the stream.
We did the work very quietly. for ",
heard hogs moving sbout in the swamp
Carefully removing all the chips, VI
masked the cnrrel and the gate witt
brush, causing IT TO look Ike thicket
For bait we had bought four bushel
of corn on the cob This We broke Int
short pieces, which We strewedon trail
leading 70 the tsspt We'Aiso gasherel
several buahsh g acognA. and thes
and the, cosn, tsailD Wesa, sownl I
. distanes Of hai1 . uiis q thsss dire