Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-04-09
THE BIG WHITE WOLF
SACRED TO THE INDIANS, BUT A
100000 10 PALEFAcEs.

when Jim Jacobs <slr-w Up Job nc
Guide - Ruth KcmLIe's Shot ct the
Mysterious Beast An Organised Hunt
and the Queer Way In Which Tt Ended.
Fifty years ago family of Cattaraugus
Indians lived on the corn planters reserve,
in Venango county. They were known as
the Jacobs" and the males were all tall,
powerful men and stark hunters, who fol-
lowed game clear to the Canadian frontier
Jim, the youngest, was the best known.
In 1865 Le was guiding a party of gen.
tlelnen from New York, among whom
was the lato Roscoe Conkling, through the
wilds OF ELK county. A camp was made
on the head waters of the Clarion, and tho
party made preparations to hunt for deer
the next day. Jacobs had been ranging
around the camp and came in late. Ho
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
to find McCarty 8 trading post, three miles
dow n the river, where another guide would
be had. After some questioning as to his
sudden resolution he explained he had
seen a big white wolf, and 1t was bad
medicine for Injuns." so, gathering up
bis traps and calling his two dogs, he dis
appeared in the darkness of the woods.
Next morning McCarty S post was found
without any difficulty and the party hos
pitably 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 30 years ago, but Fever seed
1t, nor do l know of any white man who
has, but Jim has no doubt, for he amt a
liar or boaster, and all the tnjuns think ii
bad luck"
Twenty miles east of McCarty's, on
Beaver creek, lived Rush Kemble. He
was a hunter and trapper, cultiyating
enough land to rnise corn for the family.
He had a small flock of sheep that he had
succeeded In raising although bear and
pnnthers 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; tho sheep were taken. One day no
found on 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 bis daughter Ruth was
feeding their one pig. Suddenly she saw
the chickens scampering for the barn,
whilo 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
q 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 Kemble and two others.
started out to hunt down the white
wolf" AS a lure the forequarter of deer
had been hung in the woods a 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 ~ 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
bills 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 rayine, 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 if he tried to get away the
dogs would give warning A fire was
built and each man divided his roast ven
ison 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 a wild burst Of trum
pets from the pack showed they were run
ming on sight.
"See, look on the top Of yon rockl ia
oobs was right. It's white"
Although there was no sun, it was per-
feotly 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 lashing like an angry
cats. One could see the huge jaws and
iron teeth clash.
tits nigh 300 yards, but let him have
IT."
-Four rifles cracked, and the bullets sang,
but the white wolf" was gone. The yell
ing Of the dogs was plainly heard.
Excited and eager, all hands charged
the rocks. 1t was hard climb. They
reached the top and the wolf was gone.
Inside of an hour the dogs found the trail.
The dogs seemed confident and ran at rae
ing speed The top of the ridge was COW
cred with a scant growth Of scrub oak, and
on the river side was sheer rock down go
feet to the water. Right on a point of
rocks that jutted out into the river the
white wolff came to bay. Kemble plain
ly saw q huge, gaunt animal covered with
bristling white hair The red eyes glowed
with fire, and for an instant he lost his
head. The dogs were getting the worst of
it, and he fired. A sudden flash, and he
plainly saw the wolf disappear over the
face of the cliff.
All rushed to the spot. There was not
trace. At the foot Of the cliff the river
was open. No splash was heard. For an
hour they watched and then made cir
cult, but the dogs seemed Indifferent and
made no effort.
And this was the last of Jim Jacobs
"white wolf" twas never seen or heard
Of again in northwestern Pennsylvania.
There were skeptics, but they were ST.
fenced by the fate of the hunters Not one
died natural death nor long after, and
Jim Jacobs escaped the many perils of the
wilderness for 80 years to be crushed to
death on the Erie railway in 1865.-Phil-
adolphia Times.