Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-09

MS breath.
Alpine in character. which. until recently,
has been almost entirely unknown.
An Unknown Country.
Even the Indians have not penetrated
to these lofty wilds. and the mountain
climbing animals would still have re-
manned undisturbed if the report of mine
discoveries had not attracted prospectors
TO the section. The white goats are
practically the sole possessors Of this
habitation. and the hunter who is anxious
to stalk and kill them can find no better
place in this country in which TO pursue
his search.
The oldest and most experienced sports
men always speak of the hunting of this
game as royal sport. and he is certainly
the nobest game of all the American
big game Like ghost he wanders
about the almost impenetrable mountains
Sometimes you may catch a glimpse of
him through field glasses and II may be
two days before you can edge up close
enough 10 take a shot at him.
He knows the correct range OF a gun
as does no other animal, and he generally
manages to keep well out OF that range.
When he discovers the hunter telling up
the mountains towards him he does NOT
turn and burst away in a panic at top
speed. He fully realizes that you are
, coming, however. and he gaxes steadily
downward at you with a look In which
wisdom, contempt and superiority are
strangely blended.
After looking steadfastly at you until
he decides that you are close enough to
him, he rises turns away. and begins to
ascend the mountain slowly and delber-
ately 1t may be that he win trot, but
ne will not run. and it Is safe 10 lay odds
that he will walk. If you send your dog
after him he will stop and calmly kill
your dog
Although in some respects the white
goat IS a cowardly animal IL is absolute
" as far as dogs are concerned. The
reason is that he has full confidence in
his ability TO put an end to any dog that
ever came in search OF him ard for this
defense nature has provided him with
every advantage, for while the horns are
not long nor extremely thick, they sweep
up to a tapering point that is almost
needlelike in its sharpness.
When a dog attacks MN, therefore, he
simply waits with head lowered. and
when the dog gets close to him he devel-
ops a lightning like speed in the use OF
his head and neck The dog may be
quick and used to big game, but IL Is
more than ten chances to one that Ma
zama will impale him supon those terrible
horns.
From this brief description of the wierd
mountain goat and his peculiar charac-
teristics 1t may seem that 1t is not the
simplest thing in the world to get a shot
at him. but when the chance has come
and the shot has taken effect. 1t is quite
another matter To find your game, unless.
Of course, you have killed him outright.
Among all the animals that inhablt
mountains there are none that possess
greater amount of vitality than the whits
goat. and after he has been shot he will
travel as long as he has a spark OF life
left in his body In this search for
place to die he seems actuated with but
one ambition--to find spot as far out
among the Inaccessible rocks as possible:
and IL he finds that he is being pressed
TOO hard 1t Is not at all unlikely that he
viii throw himself over cliff NH NH
will threw homself over a cut-faced cliff
and dash himself to destruction deliber-
ately committing suicide, as If he knew
that by hat act he robbed the hunter
Of his long-sought trophy.
From all this It. may be understood
that tho stalking OF this ghost OF the
mountains is q sport in which only tried
hunters should engage, for it Is sport
that will try to the utmost limit ones
patience and physical endurance. hardi-
hood daring, quickness and skill. In
fact. as one chroncler Of sporting eX-
pericnces has said: III you have killed
the big horned sheep you may be called
hunter. but many tenderfoot has
killed his sheep. when you have killed
your white goat you viii be a tenderfoot
no more The thirty-thlrd degree IL
yours. II Is tacitly admitted by al who
know the nature Of that quest that you
have been a mountain climber, that you
have not been afraid 10 take risks. that
have endured fatigue and failure and
that you had strength and coolness left
to use your weapon at the end OF the
hardest stalk known IN the pursuit OF
Rocky Mountain game"
1t is this knowledge that makes tho
head OF the white goat the most prized
trophy among American zportsmen to-
day, and yet. in spite Of all these facts.
there is every reason 70 believe that IL
would not take one long to count the
number Of such trophies that have been
taken.