The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-12
HOGS ARE WILD
Large Droves Of Degenerate De-
scendants Of Tame Porkers.
The Thrilling Experience of an Over-CoE-
hdent Hunter Who Went Out TO
Bag Tender Young Sucker
A BId Old Boar.

The widest of wild hogs live both
above and below Yuma. on the Colo
redo river, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. While the steamer was ly-
ing ct Castle Dome landing few days
since, loading with ore. fine band Of
them on the opposite shore came down
TO the river to feed on the banks. where
the grass and weeds were green. and TO
get drink OF water. They paid no
attention TO the boat or to the Indians
at work. After loafng around for
awhile an old boar came out OF the
brush, and. on spying us. gave Z
swish" and away they all went.
Hardly day passes that the Indians
and cattleneR do not run upon them.
These bands seem to be more timid
than ugly. When the late Thomas
Blythe was trying to settle Z colony at
Lerdo, forty-fve miles below Yuma
on the Colorado, he set down large
number of very fine full-blooded BerL-
shire and Poland-China pigs, and turned
them loose on the banks of the river
near Lerdo, where they lived on the
*
beans; bred multiplied. kept fat and
filed the low and tule lands with
large number of fine porkers. Never
seeing a human being, except now and
then lone Indian, they soon became
wild. and wilder still, and scattered
until the low lands and woods were
full of them. Notwithstanding that
the coyotes slaughtered the little ones
in great numbers, they have increased
until it is estimated that at the pres
ent time there are mora that ten thou
sand of them roaming up and down
the Colorado and Hardie rivers, from
their mouths up as high as tide runs. or
from sixty-five to seventy miles this
side of the gulf.
They go wherever they please: moth
ing stops them in their course. When
the Colorado is at its food they will
cross It from shore 70 shore, even near
the Hardie, where it is four miles wide
when at its highest gauge. Their range
gives them the finest OF feed-wild,
sweet potatoes, tules, stray fish, clans,
dead turtles and seaweed along the
river bank az low tide. They are uu-
molested. except now and then by
hunter who finds his way down the
river. Most Of the hunters give the
wild swine wide berth. except now
and then as they happen to spy nice
little rooster on the bank and within
easy rifle shot.
\ few years ago man and his family
were living few miios below the col
ony ON the bank of the Colorado. He
lad pair of very fine, large stag
hounds, which the owner claimed could
run down and kill any Wild hog IN that
region One day he took dogs and rife
and went for nice little one, just right
for the oven. He had not gene far be
fore he fonnd large band of hogs, and
turned his dogs loose On them. No
sooner had they started when out OF
the tules near by jumped an enormous
boar, monster, who, with mouth wide
open, paying no attention to the dogs.
made for the hunter. The latter drew
up his rifle and fired, but on came the
boar, the dogs nipping hira a. every
Jump. The hunter fired a second shot,
but on came the beast The hunter
IItrIhcu anu ran LSN
yards distant, tho hog close to his hse.s.
He dropped his gun and jumped for
life. grasping limb Of the tree just as
the hog grabbed his pants and tore one
half OF them from him, bat he wes safe
tust out OF reach. The dogs all this
while ran grabbing the hog by the hind
legs, to which the beast paid no atten-
ton. The mad boar seized the bark OF
the tree in his great tus1s and tore il
int shreds. Finally he turned rpon
the dogs, instantly killed one and
wounded the other 80 that II died soon
after. he then turned his attention 20
the tree where sat the hunter. He
guarded him until It was dark. Twice
did the man get down and <Ty 20 get
his rifle, bat his foe was on guard and
drove hirn back up the tree During
the night the boar left. Daylight CAME
and SO did help The men had hardly
reached the river and got IN their boat
when down came The Old hog after
them IN vain pursuit