Evening journal., 1900-03-20
WOLVES IN DENVER.
a Citizen Of That Town chases in
Buggy Two Of the Beasts.

wolf hunt was one Of the incidents OF
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
Cclfax 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 a Colfax avenue car.
AS he noared the point on the track
where 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 a delusion It 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
were forgotten as he looked about for
q 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
were loping smoothly toward the more
| or less open prairie TO the east
The excited Sprigg. all his hunting
| blood aboll, set after the escaping
beasts of prey. They hung together
and we're headed IN the direction of
| sD:iggs residence so the pursuer
| Lurcd TO reach home in time to get
bis gun for a shot al one of them.
Sprigg and the wolves had gone but
a short distance when a boy In a light
/ vehicle drove across the path OF tho
hunter
"Hi boy, jump down for a second.
SLOW you something here, painted
sprlgg, as he caught the bit and stop.
| pod ihe horse.
without thought the boy alighted.
nnl in g. jihy Sprigg had subsidized
bis horse and buggy and was in the
driving seat.
Wolves" he yelled at the paralyzed
boy waving his hand wildly you
Etay 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
Sprlggs keen eyes were still on them
when he reached home and shouted
Gimme my guns. quick"
one or the household handed him
the only loaded weapons on the prem
lses-a No. II Parkers shotgun and !
t2-calib.e revolver
Then Sprigg urged on his borrowed
nag after the disappearing wolves
lie took no account of the numerou.
Irrigation bitches that crossed hi.
way, but drove pell-mell over every
obstacle. Fortunately for him and the
morse the wolves avoided bitches ant
other perpendicular barriers, keepini
10 the level and open country. Their
must have been q hunter strain in tn
blood Of Sprigg's steed. for IT begal
70 gain ca the wolves, and finally. al
ter run Of nobody knows how man
miles, the editor concluded that h
was within range.
/ He opened fire with the shotgun o
the hindmost wolf. and delightedl
saw the beast stumble, rise again
and then go on with the most percent
lble limp. The horse lifted to a spurt
and Sprigg made ready for anothe
shot. He was now sure Of the wound
I'd wolf, so the second shot was aimeI
nj its mate. Sprigg thinks he wound
ed this wolf, too, but not seriou
enough to bag It, so he turned all hi
attention to the other one. Upon get
ting close enough to the lame wolf h
jumped from the buggy, dropped oi
one knee and brought down the quar-
ny with a pistol ballet
After finishing the wolf, the trium
phant editor remembered the waitin
boy and his own neglected pastepo
and shears. He returned the rig q
the boy, rewarded him for his unwii
ting assistance in the mornings chas
and, after leaving the dead wolf a
home, caught his downtown car.
Editor Sprigg had the fresh pelt c
the wolf on exhibition He prizes
above any souvenir of the chase tina
q ever fell to his lot, because of tn
queer circumstances surrounding il
taking. Il is Spriggs opinion that III
two wolves were returning from
nights poachins among the sma
game in City Pas when he ran acros
them. He can tklnk of no suficier
cause to accoc0t cor their being dri'
en- into the city TO. forage There ha
been far too little c1ow to drive theI
ont of their usual haunts.
From another s0N.gce it was learne
p that newly made wolf dens had bee
noticed recently a short distance bl
yond City Park. 1t is possible that
colony of wolves, driven from som
( wilder neighborhood by scalp hunter
: eager for bounty money, has settle
{ in the locality. A regular round-u
r hunt for the pests is already discusso
. -DenYer Republican.
, Franklin's Last Words.