The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-09-03

the rattlesnake are worth preserving for !
ouriosities, but there is yet to be dis |
covered method of utilizing any por-
tion Of the coyote from his snarling1
mouth to his ragged tail-except a. . !
fertilizer. The short grass country il
his home. the high prairies where the |
gray, hairlike vegetation that is called |
pasture blends with the dirty coat ol
the vandal. Through it he sneaks and
runs, now q gaunt figure on the horizon,
now al ungainly shape near at hand.
He is without acquaintance with any
thing that is alive, usually solitary, al
ways with criminal aspect, as il he
bad just done something to be ashamed
Of or was contemplating deed of the
sort at the earliest opportunity.
Once the coyote ba he whole Indian
Territory to himself He could snarl
and fight to his hearts content, and
there was none to say him nay. But
when the lands were opened to settle
ment and family took its place on ev-
cry quarter section there was less room
for the wild creatures of the plains who
had before been undisturbed. Then the
coyote had to go out among men, and he
found that he was very unpopular i'm
migrant into any of the communities
that he favored with his presence. And
he earned the right to SO be considered
honestly. He robbed the sheepfolds,
stole the chickens aud made the travel.
er afraid-all without any equivalent
in service. Furthermore, ae is essen
TALLY q coward. The men Of the from.
tier have q sort of respect for the brave
creature that defies them or for the
cupning one that outwits them, but
they can never forgive the trembling
one that is alarmed ut their very ap-
| pearance. So, from the farmers son who
blazes away with his old shotgun at the
| prowling coyote behind the barn to the
| city sportsman who wastes cartridge
intended for prairie chicken or duck
in ending the life of wolf trotting
along the hedgerow, there is a ceaseless,
unrelenting war waged against the
| luckless wanderer.
| Since the immigration Of the wolves
| from the territory into the farming and
stock raising states to the north there
| has been more than desultory war
fare. The farmers have banded together
20 protect the flocks and herds and
have offered generous bounties for the
scalps of the creatures, proceeding
that has resulted in the slaughter Of
thousands. Yet the supply seems none
the less, and all the sharpshooting is
but waste of powder and balls. Year
after year there are reported from 1900
to 1900 sheep killed in Nebraska and
Kansas by wolves, and the hundreds Of
dollars spent for bounties have produced
little diminution of the plague.
! Sometimes the bounties are not what
they are purportcd to be. The people Of
q western county found once that they
were being taxed very heavily for the
payment Of this sort of expense and
farms out Of the proceeds Of their Prov
ess Oh the plains. An examination fol-
lowed, and it was found that there was
in existence an endless chain III compar
ison with which the greenbacks and
gold reserve make but feeble showing.
At the rear of the county clerks office,
where the redeemed scalps were thrown,
was q convenient opening in the wall,
and through this the scalps were pulled
in the night, to be presented at the
counter in tho morning for another
bounty Of So each. 1t was estimated that
the county had paid for one set of scalps
not less than l2 times, and the empti-
ness Of the treasury was explained. The
saddest part of the happening was that
the schemers saw the investigators at
the hole and became bounty jumpers at
orce-junping the county for safer
climes.
Another curious circumstance was
noticed by the officers Of two counties
adjoining in central Kansas. The officer.
Of one were paying out money every
day for wolf scalps while the others sci
dom had any demands for the reward
Each Of the hunters was compelled tt
swear that he had killed the wolf inside
the boundaries Of the county where til,
scalp was presented, and there was NJ
reason for doubling the truth Of the tes
timony. But what could be tie reason
Of the disparity in the claims? One day
| q settlers son was questioned:
"Whcre did you kill this wolff"
"Down near the edge Of the county.
"Are coyotes very thick there?"
"Well, rather, though not SO thick a
they are further SOUTH"
"Over in the other county,"
eyes, there are more there.
"But they do not kill any there
Why is it?'
1.-The other county only pays 81 to
scalps aud this pays %. So we driv
them over the line before we shoe
Them"
the scale Of rewards. ->Cr'