Evening journal., 1900-03-10
WOLVES IN DENVER.
A Citizen Of That Town chases in a
Buggy Two Of the Beasts.


current life yesterday within the mu-
nicipal limits of Denver The hunter
in the strange chase was Norris
Sprigg, editor Of Mecca, a weekly
newspaper published in this city. Two
large and lively prairie wolves, which
he flushed on the car tracks near the
Colfax avenue entrance to City Park.
were Nimrod Sprigg's quarry.
Sprigg resides on Park Hill, just be-
yond the easternmost bounds OF the
park He left home for his Office
about 1880 o'clock in the morning. in
tending to take q Colfax avenue car.
As no neared the point on the track
where a stop Is made for the accom-.
modation Of visitors TO the park the
editor was startled by seeing two big,
lean wolves trotting between the rails
toward him.
At first he believed himself the vic.
tim of q delusion. Il was too late IN
the city's growth. he thought. to hear
the VOLTS lone howl IN the streets of
Denver. But just then the pair Of
wolves halted and howled as one wolf,
and Sprigg concluded they were real.
He Is an old hunter and Office duties
So ere forgotten as he looked about for
a stone or other available weapon
with which TO attack the wolves. But
while he was engaged in the quest
his game had taken to the park and
wore loping smoothly toward the more
OF less open prairie to the east.
The excited Sprigg. all his hunting
blood abOil SCI after tle escaping
beasts Of prey. They hung together
and were headed Ia the direction Of
Spriggs residence. so the pursuor
bored to reach home in time TO get
bis Gun for a shot 40 one of them.
Spngg and the wolves had gone but
g Snort distance when boy in a light
vehicle drove across the Path OF the
hunter
III. boy. jump down for a second.
Show yoI something here" painted
Srrigg, as he caught the bit and stop
red tho horse
Without thought tae boy alighled.
9nd ia iliy Sprisg had subsidized
llis horse and buggy and was in the
driving seat.
Wolves" he yencd at the paralyzed
boy, waving his hand wildly. "You
stay here. Be back in ten minutes"
And then he cut by the shortest
route toward his dwelling.
The wolves were in sight all the
time on the nearly level prairie. and
Sprisg's keen eyes were still on them
when he reached home and shouted:
Gimme my guns, Quicki"
One Of the household handed him
the only loaded weapons on the prem
.ses--a No - Parker's shotgun and a
s2calibre revolver
Then Sprigg urged on his borrowed
nag after the disappearing wolves.
he took no account of the numerous
irrigation bitches that crossed his
way but drove pell-mell over every
obstacle. Fortunately for him and the
horse tho wolves avoided ditches and
other perpendicular barriers. keeping
TO the level and open country. Thore
mrsi have been q hunter strain In the
blood OF Sprigg's seed, for it began
10 gain on the wolves. and finally. az
ter run of nobody knows how many
miles. the editor concluded that hs
was within range.
He opened fire with the shotgun OF
the hindmost wolf. and delightedl,
saw the beast stumble rise again
and then go on with the most percept
ible limp. The horse lifted to a spurt
and Sprigg made ready for another
} shot. He was now sure Of the wound
ed wolf, so the second shot was aimed
Mt its mate Sprigg thinks he wound
ed this wolf, too, but not serious
enough to bag II, 50 ne turned all his
attention to the other one. Upon get
ting close enough TO the lame wolf h,
Jumped from the buggy dropped OF
one knee and brought down the quar-
~ with a pistol bullet
After finishing the wolf, the trium
} phant editor remembered the waitini
boy and his own neglected pastepo
7 and shears. He returned the rig Il
the boy, rewarded him for his unwit
: ting assistance in the mornings chasl
! and, after leaving the dead wolf q
2 home, caught his downtown car.
Editor Sprigg had the fresh pelt o
the wolf on exhibition. He prizes /
: above any souvenir of the chase tha
+ ever fell TO his lot because of tn
! queer circumstances surrounding it
J taking. II is Sprigg's opinion that tn
, two wolves We're returning from
nights pOachinf among the smal
game in City Pas when he ran acros
e them. He can think of no suficien
: cause to accoCot s'or their being dri,
j en- into the city TO, forage There ha
5 been far too little -1ow to drive ther
+ out of their usual haunts.
From another soNrce IL was learne
+ that newly made wolf dens had bee
+ noticed recently a short distance b,
e yond City Park. 1t is possible that
( colony of wolves, driven from som
wilder neighborhood by scalp hunter
I eager for bounty money, has settle
e in the locality. A regular ROUNDUP
a hunt for the pests is already discussel
e Denver Republican.