The herald., 1894-08-28
WILD HOGS IN ARIZONA.
The Degenerate Progeny of Swine of Aris
tocratic Ancestry.

ghc Degenerate Progeny of Swine of Aris-
tocratic Ancestry.
Tho widest Of wild hogs 1.-Two both
above and below Yuma, ON the Colora-
do river. While the steamer was lying
at Castle Dome landing q few days
since, loading with ore, a 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 a drink of water. They paid no at
tention to the boat nor to the Indians
at work. After loafing around for awhile
an old boar came out of the brush, and
on spying us gave a ''swish, and away
they all went Hardly day passes that
the Indians and cattlemen do not run
upon them. These bands seem to be
more timid than ugly.
When the late Thomas Blythe was
trying to settle colony at Lerdo, 45
miles below Yuma, ON tho Colorado, he
sent down large number of very fine
full blooded Berkshire and Poland
China pigs and turned them loose on
the banks of the river near Lerdo, where
they lived on the roots, grass, weeds,
tules and mesquite beans; bred, multi
piled, kept fat and filled the low and
tule lands with q large number of fine
porllers. Never seeing human being,
except now and then a lone Indian, they
soon became wild and wilder still, and
scattered until the lowlands and woods
were full Of them.
Notwithstanding that the coyotes
slaughtered the little ones in great num-
bers, they have increased until it is es-
timated that at the present time there
are more than 10, 600 of them roaming
up and down the Colorado and Hardie
rivers, from their mouths up as high as
the. tide runs, or from 65 to 70 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 to 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 at low tide.
They are unmolested, except now and
then by hunter who finds his way
down the river. Most Of the hunters
give the wild swine wide berth, ex-
cept now and then as they happen to spy
q nice little roaster On the bank and
within easy rife shot
A few years ago man aud his family
were living few miles below the col
ony on the bank of the Colorado He
had pair Of very fine, large staghounds,
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 gone far be-
fore he found 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
rife and fred, but on came the boar,
the dogs nirping him at every jump
The hunter fired second shot, but
on came the beast. The hunter turned
and ran for mesquite tree few yards
distant, the hog close to his heels. 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, but he was safe, just
out of reach The dogs all this while
ran grabbing the hog by the hind legs,
to which the beast paid no attention.
The mad boar seized the bark Of the
tree in his great tusks and tore it into
shreds. Finally he turned upon the
dogs, instantly killed one and wounded
the other 80 that it died soon after. He
then turned his attention to the tree
where sat the hunter. He guarded him
until it was dark. Twice did the man
get down and try to get his rifle, but
his foe was on guard and drove him
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 pur-
suit. San Francisco Chronicle.