The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-08-27

A County That Paid Bounty Twelve Timei
on the Same Set Of sCalps-In Spite Of
Wholesale Killing. the Pest Does 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 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
curlosities, but there is yet to be dis
covered method of utilizing any por-
tion Of the coyote from his snarling
mouth to his ragged tail-except as a
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 snealzs and
runs, now gaunt figure on 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 snarI
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 its place on ev-
cry quarter section there was less room
Tor the wild creatures Of the plains who
had before been undisturbed. Then the
coyote had to go out among men, and he
found that hewas very unpopular i'm
migrant into any of the communities
that be favored with his presence. And
be earned the right to so be considered
honestly. He robbed the sheepfolds,
stole the chickens and made the travel
or afraid-au without any equivalent
in service, Furthermore, he is essen
TALLY coward. The men of the from
tier have sort Of respect for the brave
that def1es them or for the
cunning one that outwits them, but
they can mover forgive the trembling
one that is alarmed at their very ap- |
pearance. So, from the farmers son who |
olazes away with his old shotgun at the |
proving coyote behind the barn to the |
city sportsman who wastes a cartridge
intended for a prairie chicken or duck
in ending the life of a wolf trotting
along the hedgerow, there is ceaseless,
war waged against the
uckless wanderer.
Since the immigration of the wolves
rom the territory into the farming and
itock raising sta;es to the north there
las been more than q desultory war
are. The farmers have banded together
o protect the locks and herds and
rave offered generous bounties for the
calps OF the creatures, a proceeding
nat has resulted in the slaughter of
housandR Yet the supply seems none
ne Iess' and all the sharpshooting ia
nut waste Of powder and balls Year
tter year there are reported from I. 400
Q 1000 sheep killed in Nebraska and
Kansas by wolves, and the hundreds of
ollars spent for bounties have produced
title diminution Of the plague.
sometimes the bounties are not what
ney are purported to be. The people Of
western county found once that thew
ERE being taxed very heavily for the
ayment OF this sort of expense and
nat certain hunters were buying new
arms out of the proceeds of their prov.
IS on the plains An examination fol.
'Wed' and it was found that there was
existence an endless chain in compar
on with which the greenbacks and
old reserve make but feeble showing,
t the rear of the county clerks office. :
here the redeemed scalps were thrown,
as convenient opening in the wall,
Id through this the scalps were pulled
the night, to be presented at the
'uhter IN tho morning for another
'unty of So each. 1t was estimated Chat
70 county had paid for one set Of scalns 7
IT less than 10 times, and the emnti-
'ss OF the treasury was explained. The 1
Oldest part of the happening was that I
@ sohemers saw the investigators At B
g mole and became bounty jumpers at D
ce-Jumping the county for safer i
mes. Z
Another curious circumstances vas p
ticed by the officers of two counties !,
joining in central Kansas. The officers <