The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-14

But, unfortunately for them, each place had already it's full quota of dogs, and upon their repeated visit to any farm the farmer was on the watch for them, and sent them scurrying with a shower of stones. Once one was caught in a trap and whipped soundly with a strap before it was allowed to skulk away, howlinng. With mankind against them, the two dogs began hiding in the thick cts by day and emerging only at night, when there would be fewer attacks up- on them as they skirmished for food. Gradually the dogs grew wilder and were seen less often. But the residents knew that they were still in the neigh borhood,, for evidence of their noctur- nal visits was often found next morn ing. The meat, hung in the open air, higher than dog would be supposed to go after it. would disappear, The pans of milk left in the porches would be Tapped dry. Then the meat was hung in a stout, ventilated box and the milk was kept in the cellar. The chickens which roasted low would disappear in the night with farewell squaWk. Then the hen-house was patched up and the chickens were carefully shut in at night. % 4,t y.g ~
 With the farmhouse and barn-yard offering forage no longer, the wild dogs, which had now increased in numbers by additions and propagation, went .af- ter larger game. First the lamb fold suffered. Sheep herders on the range would be awakened at night by a bleat- ing in the pen and would arrive only in time to catch a glimpse of a seurry- ing form in the dark carrying off a lamb. Sometimes the herders' dogs would attack and fight the intruders, but they were no match for. dogs that were hungry and had become all but wolves, and they were bitten and torn. After one or two encounters, the herd- ing dogs became as much in fear of the wild dogs as were the sheep.
 Ready shotguns firing yolleys into the night made the attacks upon the folds less frequent, and then the f1ocks of full-grown sheep which spent the night in the open began to suffer. Next 1t was the calves which were killed and partially devoured, as if partners were pulling them down. One after noon a ranchman sat in his saddle on the ridge too far away to lend any as- sistance, and watched half a dozen of the fierce wild dogs spring from cover and attack COW in pasture. With horns and feet the COW beat off several of them, but the struggle was unequal, and finally, with two savage brutes clinging to her throat, the, COW sank down and was soon dead. The ranch man put spurs to his horse and reached the field in time to empty his revolver at the dogs and wound one, but they had torn the carcass past usage as hu- man food.
 Many farmers and stocknen have lost one or more from their herds. The remains of dead dog or two which had met a terrible death showed that the pack of brutes often gave more than a fair exchange to the herd for their dinner. Hunters in the Marin hills have for months moved cautiously through the brush in quest of peculiar game. It was wild dog. that they sought though not for table purposes. Several have been slain in different localities, but the pack of dogs, which have be- come as wild and as savage as were ever their ancestors, are really increas- ing. Other stray dogs take up with them readily and grow wild in an am azingly short time. So great has the pest become that an appeal has been made to the recent session of the Legislature, and the result is that a law was passed which makes it unlaw- full for any man to allow his dogs to run about where there are iocks and herds, and penalties are prescribed for such as do not heed. When stray dogs do damage now the new law provides that wherever the owner of the sheep or cattle can show injury he can collect heavy money damages from the own CT of the dogs or the one-tine owner who allowed them to become wild.
 The law may save other localities, but from reports the sheep and cattle men of Marin have a problem before them whose solution will require much pa tience and work and lots of powder and lead.--San Francisco Chronicle.