The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-07
AMMONIA SAVED HIM.
A PENNSYLVANIA DOCTORS ExPE.
RIENCE WITH WOLVES.

Lost In a wilderness, He Had to Abandon
His Horse and For Forty eight Hours
Carried on q Contest With His Life rs
the Stake.
The following is true wolf story
written from data furnished by DR..
Thornton Of Lewisburg, Pa, whose fa.
Their figures as the hero:
ABOUT the year 1915 wolves were
abundant in Tomhickon valley, between
Catawissa and Hazleton. When the
Catawissa railroad, part of the Phil
adelphia and Reading, was being built,
DIR. Thomas A. II. Thornton, practic.
ing physician, one cold autumn night
was called out of bed to visit patient
about 90 miles from his home. At that
time there were no regular roads as we
now have In their place the traveller
used narrow paths or trails. DR.. Thorn
ton in his anxiety to reach the bedside
of the sufferer attempted to make
short cut. He lost his way and for
week wandered through the wilderness
and, having no gun, was obliged to
subsist on roots and herbs. The doctor
was ON horseback and after wandering
aimlessly about the painless forests for
four or five days got into large swamp,
where the horse stepped into quag-
mire from which his owner was unable
to extricate him, and the animal had
| to be abandoned, imbedded as he was
almost to his belly in the soft and DOGGY
bed. The doctor removed the saddle
bags containing his supply of medicine,
etc. threw them over his shoulders and
started off.
Several hours after the doctor got
out of the swamp where he had aban-
doned his horse he was Mortified to see
| that he was being followed by band
| of five or six wolves At first they kept
at respectful distance when stones
were thrown at them, but finally, as II
| they appreciated the helpless condition
| of their intended victim, and as dark
ness came on. the hungry, bloodthirsty
| band became holder and holder. They
! circled around the terrified and jaded
| man and, closing in, started to attack
| him ON all sides. One more vicious and
| impulsive than the others made spring
| at the Doctors throat, but well direct
| ed blow from club temporarily dis
| abled the animal and caused his raven
| GUS companions to discontinue at that
| time their premeditated and combined
attack.
1.-THE doctor. by this thrilling episode
and the frightened condition Of the
wolves, succeeded in going perhaps a
mile unmolested when, to his great
horror, he found the whole pack, led by
| the vicious brute he believed he had
manned with his club, hot on his trail
The stunning blow administered to the
leader of the bowling band seemed to
have only intensified the brute's cour-
age and thirst for blood. The man.
weakened by long exposure and loss OF
food, realized that he would soon be torn
to pieces if he did not adopt some new
means of defense.
Fortunately, as the animals began
closing around him for another on
slaught, he reached high rock and
mounted on its top, where giant tree
served to protect him from falling back
ward. He reached this eminence in time
to provide him self with some stones and
two or three good clubs before his pur-
suers started to attack him. He stood
back to the tree, and as the animals at
tempted to come up he drove them back
with his primitive weapons. A large
stone hurled with great force and &C
curacy broke the head of one of the as.
sailants, and this gave the doctor q
breathing spell.
"The man, however, realized that he
must soon quit his refuge, and, remem-
bering that he had in his saddlebags q
large bottle full Of ammonia, he deter.
mined to employ it as a final resort to
save his life. He quickly removed one
of his green baize leggings, tied it Sc
ourely to stick, and after saturatine
the logging with ammonia he boldly
started down the rocky promontory to-
ward the wolves. The cunning animals,
apparently aware that he could be more
easily overpowered on level ground,
separated, skunk of and permitted him
i TO proceed several hundred yards before
] they renewed the pursuit. They did not