The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-10-10
WILD HOES N ARIZONA.
The Degenerate Progeny of Swine of
Aristocratic Ancestry.


The widest of wild hogs live both
above and below Yuma, on the Colorado
river. While the steamer was lying at
Castle Dome landing 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 atten-
ton to the boat, nor to the Indians at
work. After loafing around for while,
an old boar came out of the brush and,
on spying us, gave swish, and away
they all went Hardly a 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, forty
five miles below Yuma on the Colorado,
he sent down a 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 .-iesquite beans, bred, multi
piled, 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 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 esti-
mated that at the present time there are
more than 10000 of them roaming up
and down the Colorado and Hardie
rivers, from their mouths up as high as
the 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 flood 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, CLAIMS,
dead turtles and seaweed along the
river bank at low tide. They are un-
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 Q 3 they happen to spy q nice little
roaster on the bank and within easy rifle
shot.
A few years ago man and his fam
lily were living few miles below the
colony on the bank Of the Colorado. He
had 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
rifle and went for nice little one, just
right for the oven. He had not gone
far before he found large band of
hogs and turned his dogs loose on
them. No sooner had they started
when Out of the tales 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 him at
every limp.
The hunter fired a 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 his life,
grasping a 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 the 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 so 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
pursuit. it.--Sa9e Francisco Chronicle.