The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
INDIAN WAS SUPERsTITIoUS.
NE SAW a WHITE WOLF AND IT
WAS a BAD SIGN.


Herbs as n Remedy for the Evil.
Hunters Try Unnecessarily to
Capture "a Big White Wolf.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Fifty years ago a family of Catteragus
Indians lived on the Cornplanter reserve an
Nenango county. They were known as the
Jacobs and the males were all tall, pow
erful men and stark hunters, who followed
game clear to the Canadian frontier. Jim.
the youngest, was the best known. He
killed the last elk ever seen in this state
and is credited with bringing into Byers'
trading post, on the Allegheny, the skins
of forty-one full-grown bears. all taken in
one winters -hunt.
In 1868 he was guiding a party of gentle
men from New York, among whom was
the late Roscoe Conkling, through the
wilds of Elk county. A camp was made
on the headwaters of the Clarion ana the
party made. preparations to hunt for deer
next day. Jacobs had been ranging around
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 leav-
ing them at once and gave directions to
find McCarty's trading post, three miles
down the river, where another guide would
be had. After some questioning as to his
sudden resolution he explained he had
seen big white wolf and il was bad med
lcine for lnjuns," so gathering UP his traps
and calling his two dogs he disappeared in
the darkness of the woods.
Next morning McCartys post was found
without any difficulty and the party hos
pitably received They told their story and
McCarty, man of 65. who had passed
ms life ON the frontier, said: so Jim seed
the White wolf again. I've heard of the
varmint fifty years ago, but never seed it,
nor do know of any white man who has,
but Jim has. no doubt for he amt a liar
or boaster. and all the Injuns think il bad
luck. They are full of notions. Why, do
you know. IL they miss good shot they
shink their guns bewitched and the bar
rel made crooked, so they will spend a
DAY IN hutin's certain YARDS, take the gun
apart, load the barrel and then drive down
these YARDS till its full, then stick the
breech in The fire and the charge goes
or The barrel is all right, and they
can shoot as well as ever Oflcourse ALI
timber wolves is more or less white, spe-
cially the old ones, but one plum white
1 never see, and don't expect to-"
Twenty miles east of McCarty's, on
Beaver creek lived Rush Kemble. He was
a hunter and trapper cultivating enough
land TO raise corn for the family He had
small flock of sheep that he had succeed
ed in raising, although bear and panthers
were plenty in the country around But
his luck changed. The sheep began to dis
appear. 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 on
the soft mud on the bank of the creek
a number of tracks, Enthusiastically wolf
one day in September while ne was alb
sent from ahome 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 a
chicken and was devouring it. Full of
terror she rushed into the house. Catch
ing up a rifle and calling the house dog,
she crept around the cabin. The wolf had
caught another chicken. The dog was an
old bearnound 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
a leap in the air and came down plump
on the dog. In an instant the beast had
disappeared and poor Boston lay dead
with his head nearly bitten off.
The next day Kemble and two others
started out to hunt down the white
wolf" As a lure. the forequarter of a deer
had been hung in the woods a few miles
away, and in the early morning thew
found this gone and on the slightly frozen
snow were plainly seen the big tracks
of the wolf. They had twelve fine dogs
who hunted by scent and all were conf
dent that Jim Jacobs white VOLTS hide
would come to the lanyard"
The trail led northwest over a rance or
hills covered with laurel utterly sterile
Inc 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 leading for Bakers Rocks.
IL was growing dark as they entered a
wild ravine, one side faced with rocks. fuIl
OF hoies. Here they resolved to camn If
the wolf holed they could get at MIN at
daybreal1 and. if he tried to get away tbe
dogs would give warning. A fire was built
ana each man divided his roast venison
ana corn dodger with his dogs 1t grew
bitter cold, and very little sleep was had
At daybreak they began TO scout around
and shortly wild burst of trumpets from
the pack showed they were running on
sight. 9t
oSN'i @ooA4oH. IEeNVop OF yOn rock. ia
cobs was rght-itsg white"
Although there was no sun 1t was per
fectly clear, and there was the wolf seen
through the thin winter air. The rock was
bare and the animal stood as If carved in
stone-over three feet high at the shoulder
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.
TITS nigh three hundred yards but LET
him have it,"
Four rifles cracked. and the bullets sang
across the open, but the white wolf was
gone. The yelling of the dogs was plain
ly heard
Excited and eager ell hands charged the
rocks. 1t was hard climb. They reach
ed the top, and the wolf was gone Inside
of an hour the dogs found the trail. The
dogs seemed confident, and ran at racing
speed. The top of the ridge was covered
ABE VOTIt