Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-04-30
FRIENDLESS COYOTE.
TRICKS OF HIS ENEMIES TO MAKE
MONEY OUT OF HIM.

County That Paid Bounty Twelve Times
on the Same Set of scalps-In Spite of
Wholesale Killing, the Pest ,es Not
Appear to Decrease.
The one friendless hunted Ishmaelite
of the plains, against whom is every
mans hand is the prairie wolf-the
coyote. If he is adapted to any sphere
OF usefulness on earth, nobody has yet
been shrewd enough to find it OUT if he
has ever done a respectable deed, it has
not yet come to light. The jack rabbit
will at least furnish the basis for a
savory stew in case of need, the buffalo
was valued for its hide, the rattles of
the rattlesnake are worth preserving for
curiosities, but there is yet to be dis
covered method of utilizing any por-
tion of the coyote from his snarliug
mouth to his ragged tail-except as
fertilizer. The short grass country is
his home, the high prairies where the
gray, hairlike vegetation that is called
pasture blends with the dirty coat of
the vandal. Through it he sneaks and
runs, now gaunt figure Oh the horizon,
now an ungainly shape near at hand.
He is without acquaintance with any
thing that is alive, usually solitary, al
ways with criminal aspect, as if he
had just done something to be ashamed
OF or was contemplating deed of the
sort at the earliest opportunity
Once the coyote had the 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 it's 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 a very unpopular im-
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 and made the travel
er afraid-all without any equivalent
i'll service. Furthermore, he is essen
TALLY coward. The men of the from
tier have sort of respect for the brave
creature that defies them or for the
cunning one that outwits them, but
they can never forgive the trembling
one that is alarmed at 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
i'll ending the life of a wolf trotting
along the hedgerow, there is 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
to protect the f1ocks 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 l, 500 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 purported to be. The people of
western county found once that they
were being taxed very heavily for the
payment of this sort of expense and
that certain hunters were buying new
farms out of the proceeds of their Prov
ess on the plains. An examination fol-
lowed, and it was found that there was
in existence an endless chain in compar
lson 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 convenient opening in the wall,
and through this the scalps were pulled
i'll the night, to be presented at the
counter i'll the morning for another
bounty of $3 each. 1t was estimated that
the county had paid for one set of soalps
not less than IL 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
once-jumping the county for safer
climes.
Another curious circumstance was
noticed by the officers of two counties
adjoining in central Kansas. The officers
OF one were paying out money every
day for wolf scalps while the others sell
dom had any demands for the reward.
Each OF the hunters was compelled to
swear that he had killed the wolf inside
the boundaries of the county where the
scalp was presented, and there was no
reason for doubling the truth of the tes-
timony. But what could be the reason
OF the disparity in the claims? One day
settlers son was questioned:
"Where did you kill this wolff"
Down near the edge of the county,"
Are coyotes very thick there?''
"Well, rather, though not SO thick as
they are farther south"
"Over i'll 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 for
scalps and this pays So. So we drive
them over the line before we shoot
them.
The county officers at once readjusted
the scale of rewards.-Chicago Times.
Herald.
Knightly lances were from IL to 20
feet long, tlse heads 4 to inches broad