The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-06-14
HUNTING WILD HOGS.
"A Dangerous Adventure in the San Jo-
 aquin River Bottom.

hunters have been haVlng eXcltlhg sport hunting wild hogs in certain sec tions of the San Joaquin river bottoms. It isn't every day, though, that the venturSome hunters are almost Killed by the cornered hogs, That fate, how ever, nearly befell William Douglas re- gently. If Jim Pope, with trusty Winchester, hadn't been standing near by, Douglass wouldn't be telling the exciting story he does about the old ''tusker" that had him down in rush.
 The country they hunted in is wild and densely covered with an almost impenetrable tangle of vines, low brush and occasional trees. All old residents along the lower San Joaquin valley know just such territory along the bottom lands, where the water overflows in the spring. Hundreds Of wild hogs inhabit some of them. It was in just such jungle, near La throp, where young Douglass went to bag some wild hogs, and it was in this same jungle that "Old Man" Tyler hid after killing Deputy Sheriff Buzzen on Thanksgiving eve, 1895. To this wilder ness of willows and underbrush Will Hams and Schlagel fled last September after attempting to wreck and the south bound New Orleans express.
 Nearly every traveller in California knows of Lathrop, in the banner wheat county of this state, but very few of the passengers who dine at the station daily know that less than five miles away there is wild spot where boar hunting can be followed that Is every T.. I1A Ca India. There can be no pig sticking to be sure, for the hunter who wishes to bag a wild porker in the San Joa- quin underbrush must rely on his rifle and enough nerve and strength to car- ry him on his hands and knees beneath the network of vines and bushes.
 The land whereabouts abounds in coons, and coon hunting is favorite pastime with the sportemen of San Jo- aquin county. Occasionally, when run- ming down one of these ring tailed de- spoilers of hen roosts, the hunters run across one of the droves of wild hogs that sometimes venture out into the thickets on the open places on the r1v- CT bottom. The hunters. however, rarely venture into the thickets on the old Trahern ranch and in the under brush, where the wild hogs root out a. living. It is a dangerous venture un- less one is prepared to meet rowing, vicious old "tusker.' Williams, the train wrecker, now serving a life sen tence in the Folsom state prison, knew this wild section well, and told the au- ihorities that he crawled all night long through this tract on the evening of the Morano hold-up. He was looking for hiding place where it would take the officers weeks to find him, and he was in just the right kind of country 10 find such a place. He might still be at large had not hunger and curiosity forced him to leave the haunts of the wild hogs
 Those robbers will have plenty of hog meat to keep them alive" was what number of timers said when they heard that the train wreckers had Iaken to the brush This is what fired hunters with desire to possess pair of wild boar's tusks.
 "Pope and [ had heard,' said Dou- glass, in telling his adventure, that there were lots of wild hogs in the un- derbrush near the river. I heard this story when I first came to the country, but paid no attention toit, for when ever I had chance to go hunting was after ducks or doves. After the newspapers printed so much about that Williams and Schlagel affair and told of the wild country they were supposed to be in, I suggested to Jinl-that's t's Pope-that we go down into it some day and see if we could get one of those wild boars. Jim is always ready for anything of that kind and has a fine Winchester to help him out. I had no gun, so I borrowed a single-barreled magazine shotgun. We fitted out for 8 three days stay, and hired skiff to gc up as far as San Joaquin City, I did not know much about the country, but Jim had lived in the country all his life and knew the layof theland.
 When we reached San Joaquin City it was early in the afternoon, and Jim inquired if there were any woodchop- pers' camps near by. Just as soon as we learned in what direction we could find one we started for it. Maybe you don't think it was work getting there That's the toughest country I ever ex- pect to travel through. There was nothing but tangled willows, blackberry Vlu6S, DdZ0l DuSNeS ana and you have to crawl on the ground ol climb over it or cut your way through It was nearly night when we reached the clearing where the woodchopper's cabin is. No one would ever find it il ten years without proper directions
 ''The woodchopper routed us out al four o'clock next morning to get out side of some coffee, bacon and tea duck apiece. The old chap made us ca a tremendous breakfast, for as he pu it, If you don't feel fuli you'll never have the sand to hunt lorg in tha brush We were mighty glad after ward that we fed well for when wt struck the brush we found that it tool nearly an hour to go mile.
 "It must have been fully three hour: before we got a sign of a wild hog Jim caught a glimpse of him in bi of clearing. We erawled through tht tangled blackberry vines in front ant got a good view of him. He was ar old boar, just like the pictures yol have seen. Near him were a SOW an( three fairly grown pigs. They were too far off for a good dead shot, so wt moved about to get a little nearer. went to the left and Jim to the right.
 ''The old rascal must have scented us for he lifted his snout and started fol