The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-18
THE BIG WHITE WOLF
s.ceep TO THE INDIANS, BUT A
100000 TO PALEFACES.


and the Queer Way In which 1t Ended.
r,ftv wears ago family Of Cattaraugus
,,d,ans lived on the corn planters reserve,
=. VenanQo county. They were known as
IL % Jacobs" and the males we're all tall,
W. s.,,orful men and stark hunters, who fol.
,ro,.ed game clear to the Canadian frontier.
In the Youngest, was the best known.
Tn 1868 he was guiding party Of gen
,o,nen from New York, among whom
vas the late Roscoe Conkling, through the
lids Of Elk county. A camp was made
w. the head waters of the Clarion, and the
Oartv made preparations to hunt for deer
the next day. Jacobs bad been ranging
sropnd the camp and came In late. He
was more than usually silent and sullen.
After time passed In smoking he startled
the others by declaring that he intended
leaving them at once and gave directions
70 find MoCarty S trading post, three miles
down the river, where another guide would
he had After some questioning as to his
sudden resolution he explained she had
seen a big white wolf, and it was bad
madeleine for Injuns," so, gathering up
his traps and calling his two dogs, no dis
appeared in the darkness of the woods.
Next morning McCarty's post was found
without any difficulty and the party hos
nitably received. They told their story,
and McCarty, man of 65, who had passed
his life on the frontier, said: $50 Jim
seed the white wolf again. I've heard of
the yarmint so years ago, but never seed
Il. nor do know of any white man who
has. but Jim has no doubt, for be amt a
liar or boaster, and all the Injuns think it
bad luck.
Twenty miles east of McCarty's, on
Beaver creek, lived Rush Kemble. He
was hunter and trapper, cultivating
enough land to raise corn for the family.
He bad a small flock of sheep that he had
succeeded in raising, although bear and
panthers were plenty in the country
around. But his luck changed The sheep
began to disappear. He set traps, watched
at night, while his son secuted around
with his powerful bear dogs. 1t was no
use; the sheep were taken. One day he
found OH the soft mud on the bank of the
creek number of tracks, Enthusiastically
wolf
One day In September while he was alb
sent from home his daughter Ruth was
feeding their one pig. Suddenly she saw
the chickens scampering for the barn,
while behind was an animal like an enor-
nous dog, gaunt, covered with rough hair
and pure white in color. 1t had caught
chicken and was devouring it. Full of
terror, she rushed into the house. Catch
ing up rifle and calling the house dog.
she crept around the cabin. The WOLF
caught another chicken. The dog was an
old bear hound and game. He rushed on
the beast, while Ruth, resting the gun on
one of the projecting logs of the cabin,
took long aim and fired. The wolf gave
leap in the air and came down plump on
the dog. In an instant the beast had dis
appeared and poor Boston lay dead with
his head half bitten off.
The next day Komble and two others
started out TO hunt down the "white
wolf" As lure the forequarter of deer
had been hung in the woods few miles
away, and in the early morning they found
this gone and on the slightly frozen snow
were plainly seen the big tracks of the
wolf They had 10 fine dogs who hunted
by scent, and all were confident that Jim
Jacobs white VOLTS hide would come to
the lanyard
The trail led northwest over a range Of
hills covered with laurel, utterly sterile.
The dogs ran freely, keeping the men well
up to the collar. About midday they
found pheasant feathers on the trail-the
wolf had snapped up one for lunch. Their
game was heading for Bakers rocks.
1t was growing dark as they entered a
wild ravine, one side faced with rocks, full
OF holes Here they resolved to camp. If
the wolf holed, they could get at him at
daybreak, and IL he tried to get away the
dogs would give warming. A fire was
built and each man divided his roast ven
lson and corn dodger with his dogs. 1t
grew bitter cold, and very little sleep was
had. AT daylight they began TO scout
around, and shortly wild burst of trum-
pets from the pack showed they were run
ming on sight
See, look on the top of yon rock ia.
cobs was right. It's wbite.'
Although there was no sun, 1t was per-
tectly clear, and there was the wolf seen
through the thin wintry air. The rock
was bare, and the animal stood as If carved
In stone-over three feet high at the shout
der. The dead white hair was bristling with
rage, and the tail flashing like an angry
cats. One could see the huge jaws and
iron teeth clash.
It."
Four rifles cracked, and the bullets sang,
Dut the white wolf" was gone. The yell
ing OF the dogs was plainly heard.
Excited and eager, all hands charged
tne rocks. 1t was hard climb. They
reached the top, and the wolf was gone.
inside of an hour the dogs found the trail.
Inc dogs seemed confident and ran at rae
ing speed. Tho top of the ridge was COW
cred with scant growth of scrub oak, and
on the river side was sheer rock down go
ieet to the water. Right on a point of
rocks that jutted out into the river the
white wolf" came tn bay. kemble plain
" saw huge, gaunt animal covered with
pristiing white hair. The red eyes glowed
win lire, and for an instant he lost his
mead. The dogs were getting the worst of
10, and he fired. A sudden flash, and he
plainly saw the wolf disappear. over the
lace Of the cliff.
All rushed to the spot. There was not
uace. At the foot of the cliff the river
was open. No splash was heard. For an
nour they watched and then made cir
cult, but the dogs seemed Indifferent and
made no effort.
And this was the last of Jim Jacobs