The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-06-01
A WILD HOG TRAP.
How TWO Boys Mado Money to
Sdo tho Centennial.

Yesterday / heard one farm boy say
70 another; Come and SEQ my two
calves I'm going 10 keep them till
they're ttso.year-old steers, and then
sell them and 30 - the Columbian expo.
aItion Oh the money They'll bring fifty
dollars by that time
'Isut rvs cot colt that'll bring scv-
enty-iive by that time,n rcjoined his
companion, trinmphaptly
Maybe replied the first Ind, com
poscdly. nut Itell you, Frank, there's
good deal more risk on colts than on
steers"
Their earnestness wildly recalled TO
me u time, flfteon years ago, when
was boy Of sixteen. and lived Iii tho
Arkansas 'baclxwoods. . was making
similar plans to,xisit tho centennial ex-
hlbition 81 1870 at Philadelphia.
A young neighbor, pcnsNn Arbs.s,sie
BY name, was equally deairons Of At
tending tho cxhibitioas but, like my-
self, he was In painful doubt where the
dollars were 10 come from for railway
fnrcs. for q now suit OF clothes and for
other necessary matters.
Often we raised little money by
gathering pecan nuts In the woods and
selling them at tho store two miles
away; but tho pecan crop was light
that year, and our hopes suffered
blight with It. We knew that seventy
dollars apiece was the least possible
sum that would suffice to transport us
to Philadelphia and return us 70 our
nntivc country. The case looked hopc-
less.
We studied hard to think Of some
other means Wild turkeys were get
ting scarce In tho woods. Formerly q
good many had been shot and market
ed every fall. Deer, too, we're far from
plenty.
After careful canvass Of the situa-
tion, Benton and decided that our
only chance to raise money lay In the
wild hog. which were still 70 be found
In considerable numbers in the river
bottoms In our part Of the state.
These wild hogs arc descended from
ordinary swine brought into tho coun-
try by the earlier settlers. In several
generations Of wildness they have de-
velopcd the characteristics Of the wild
hogs Of the old world They run awift-
IL through the brush upon tho slight
est alarm, and are always difficult to
approach.
Shooting Is not the best method Of
hunting wild hogs, for unless shot
through q vital part they aqneaI
friRhtfnlly, and often run d long dis-
tancc. The squcallng may brighten the
drove away, and cause them TO desert
the locality for another tract Of forest.
Ny companion and / proposed to trap
them, md no fhr as possible TO conduct
still hunt. We intended 10 make
bacon, for which we were reasonably
sure 81 obtaining eight cents pound.
We fitted up disused Iog-shanty as d
smoikc-honse. and arranged 70 bring
home the carcasses on mules from our
trapss
Benton, who had more time than /,
spent several days In looking about for
d good place in which to seta trap. and
chose one upon Sugar creek At q
point where high bank had been
washed ont VIC set stakes and built q
strong corral eight feet high, IN such a
way that the bank formed one side Of
the inclosure, and the fence slxirting
the margin Of the stream formed the
other sides.
The yard thus formed included q
space fifty Or sixty feet across, which
on ono side was overhnng BY bank
from twelve TO fifteen feet In height
The earth had been cut away BY fresh-
cts. 50 that the roots Of the brushwood
above hung down in struggling
fringe.
Atrap gate was constructed to rise
and fall between posts on each side OF
an opening Eve feet wide. 10 spring
the gate i line was attached "a IL which
ran across to orr hiding place On the
other side Of the streapl
We did the worlxyYery quietly. for we
heard hogs mo I. ijoiIt Ia the swamp.
Carefully fenostng MI the chips. We
masked the ecrral and the gate with
brush. causing It to look like a thiclxet
For baitwc had bought four bnshssls
Of corn onNthe cob This We bro.se into
short pieces. which NJ stFSwed Oh trails
leading 10 the trap. We also gathered
several bushels 81 acorns, hnd these
and the corn trails were sown to
distance Of half q mile in three direc-