Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19

his calling. he says he VIII stick at 1t all
his days. 1t brings him a good living and
he is never happier than when he is alone
on tho mountains.
He Captured n Big Wolf.
You said that wolves are extinct in
Pennsylvania. and you wouldn't pay me SO
bounty for The scalp l sent yon, so here's
the whole pelt of a gray rascal that came
over into Pennsylvania from West Virginia
and got caught by monkeying with my
bear trap he said when he walked into
the county commissioners office At Cham
bershurE a few days ago. and threw down
before the eyes OF The aStUriSh.d COmmiS-
sIoners the polt of the biggest gray wolf kill
ed i'm the Cumberland valley for fifty years
or mUrr. Then the Ii-year-old trapper and
backwoudsman told the story OF the cap
ture.
Last winter WAS Il very severe one. The
SHOWS lay deep and many wild animals
were driven from their Businesses by hum
ger. From the mountains of West Virgin
ia a pack of wolves came over into West
ern Pennsylvania and were seen by hunt
ers. Several Somerset county hunters
chased them with hounds. anxious for the
so each scalp bounty which Pennsylvania
pays. with disastrous results to the hounds.
Some Of the dogs came back maimed and
others never returned from the mountains.
Some hounds belonging to a Somerset
county man chased the wolves across
fmountain and stream through Fayette.
Somerset, Bedford. Blair. Perry and Hunt
iUgdon counties clear 10 the SuSquehanna.
They lost the wolves somewhere near the
Cumberland valley. The Somerset man af-
forwards recovered his dogs near Harris
burg. He sent word in January last to his
traFper friend Poole that The wolves had
probably come this way and that he should
look out for them. Poolc'S friend and
ncighhor. I'D Gilbert, also told him that
he had seen six wolves over I'm Bear valley,
but the old trapp"r shook his head and said
81 CoulGa't be- possible, that some Gap wins
Ky had made Ed see things that didn't
exist.
0ne of the Last of the
Poole lives in the lower end of Path val
ley. twenty-one miles across the mountains
from here. He WIS trapping last winter in
Bear valley. seven miles nearer hamberS-
burg. and every few days took a fourteen
mil" tramp across. the mountains TO look at
his traps. Bear valley is Il very wild re-
Eiun. with only Il few inhabitants and with
plenty of wild animals. from squirrels IN
10 wilGcats,deer and bears. The old trapper
had made Il hig bear trap there. of hickory
saplinES. very strong and ingenious. He
had haiI.d il inside with half a side of good
bacon hui had hung a similar bait UP on Il
tree near the trap. il being JOe's theory
that If a bear once gets 4 good taste of ha-
con hen not be satisfied until he gets
more. hence the outside free lunch.
Pool. had good luck all during February.
except with has bear trap. This he Wis
iiCu -four or tly- times and WAS astonished
10 ind the outside bait gone. the crolIn5
.ldwrd up and the bark torn from tn. tree.
IT was not until the first day OF March
that he found out who had been stealing
his bacon. Upon looking through the bars
OF IN" trap he was ;iSi 'nishod to see glar-
Ing 1T him the hGnEry Yes Of Il gray wolf
y blow from his hunters AK stunned the
l.'Tc, fellow and q couple of revolver hui
lets did the rest. Poole took his pclt home
and sent the scalp TO ChambcrSburg last
spring. with the proper at!iiavitS. hut the
Commissioners wouldn't pay the bounty. so
IA" old fellow walked twenty-one miles to
ihn court house the other day 10 prove his
STORY 10 IAr county officials, and that
wolves sim existed IN the Cumberland val