The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-16
WOLVES IN DENVER.
A Citizen Of That Town chases In a
Buggy Two az the Beasts.

buggy TWO AZ the Beasts
An exciting and exceedingly novel
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
Colfax avenue entrance to City Park,
were Nimrod Spriggs quarry.
Sprigg resides on Park Hill, just be.
yond the easternmost bounds of the
park. He left hTme for his Office
about 1880 o'clock In the morning, in
tending to take a Colfax avenue car.
AS he neared the point on the track
where a stop Is made for the accom-
mediation 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. 1t was too late in
the city's growth, he thought, to hear
the VOLTS lone howl in the streets of
ONhNCls DuJ guol lllCu lnC pan vi
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
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 looping smoothly toward the more
or less open prairie to the east.
The excited Sprigg, all his hunting
blood aboil, set after the escaping
| beasts of prey They hung together
and were headed in the direction of
e Sprigg's residence, so the pursuer
hoped to reach home in time to get
his gun for shot at one of them.
Sprigg and the wolves had gone but
short distance when boy in a light
vehicle drove across the path of the
hunter.
Hi, boy, jump down for a second.
Show you something here" painted
Sprigg, as he caught the bit and stop.
ped the horse.
Without thought the boy alighted,
and in jiffy Sprigg had subsidized
his horse and buggy and was in the
driving seat. m 4r
Wolves" he yelled 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
Spriggs keen eyes were still on them
when he reached home and shouted
Gimme my guns, quick!"
One of the household handed him
the only loaded weapons on the prem
ises-a No. IL Parker's shotgun and a
42-calibre 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 the wolves avoided bitches and
other perpendicular barriers, keeping
to the level and open country. There
must have been a hunter strain in the
blood of Sprigg's steed, for it began
to gain on the wolves, and finally af
ter run of nobody knows how many
miles, the editor concluded that he
was within range.
He opened fire with the shotgun on
the hindmost wolf, and delightedly
saw the beast stumble rise again
and then go on with the most percept
ible limp. The horse lifted to spurt
and Sprigg made ready for another
shot. He was now sure of the wound
ed wolf, so the second shot was aimed
at its mate. Sprigg thinks he wound
ed this wolf, too but not serious
enough to bag it, so he 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-
ry with a pistol bullet.
After finishing the wolf, the trium
phant editor remembered the waitins
boy and his own neglected pastepo
and shears. He returned the rig t
the boy, rewarded him for his unwit
ting assistance in the mornings chas,
and, after leaving the dead wolf a
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 th
queer circumstances surrounding it
taking. 1t is Sprigg's opinion that th
two wolves were returning from
nights poaching among the smal
game in City Park when he ran acros
them. He can think of no sufficien
cause to account for their being dli,
en- into the city for forage. There ha
been far too little snow to drive ther
out of their usual haunts.
From another source it was learne
that newly made wolf dens had bee
noticed recently short distance b,
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
hunt for the pests is already discusse,
Denver Republican.