The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-02
PEDDLER ATTACKED BY WOLVES
HE SUBDUED THEM WITH
MUSICAL SELECTIONS.
Gave a Concert With a Gramophone
Which Had Decided Effect on
the Beasts.

LOSC III the pine forest IN the WlldS OF
tine interior of Lake county, miles from
shelter, with the north wind blowing
a furious gale, increasing the intense
cold, with a pack of hungry wolves in
hot pursuit, and nothing but sure
death to consle him, was the sad pre-
dicament in which a lone peddler was
placed wnile making tour of the lum-
Der camps in the vicinity.
In some localities of northern Min.
nesota this winter, the wolves nave
been driven desperate by hunger, in
duced by their inability to kill the
usual number of deer, because of the
deep snow, which had formed by little
crust on account of the continuous cold
weather, and hence they have been un-
able to run down game. When they
are supplied with food they are rath-
er particular in it's quality. When
famisned, a lean lumber jack, a tena-
cious explorer or fought trapper is
good enough.
The following story, told by the prin-
cipal personally, in it's details outclass-
es any of it's predecessors, being de-
void of tree climbing and like details,
and indicates how modern inventions
are superceding old methods.
olxob ho CT
years has been doing an itinerant bus
mess in the lumber camps, selling
watches, jewelry, trinkets, etc, to the
inmates, was the hero of the adven-
ture. In the afternoon of a day in
when he left a camp in which he had
been plying his trade, to walk to an
other camp several miles distant, he
was told of the possible dangers in
store for him in venturing on a jour-
ney so close to nightfall. But, being
brave and having an eye for a brisk
business before him at the next camp,
he sailed forth. His effects he hauled
on little toboggan. He missed the
trail and night caught him nopelessly
lost, although at the time he did not
appreciate his position, believing he
would soon reach his destination.
anxious he heard the omnibus and also
startling cali of a wolf, which was i'm
mediately answered and soon on all
sides could be heard the cries of the
chase. He quicked his pace, and, while
debating whether to climb a tree or
to build fire, he came to a clearing,
with a settlers shack in the center.
On reaching it he found that the doors
and windows had disappeared. At
the edge of the clearing he could see
skulking forms, momentarily halted by
the caution with which these animals
approach the open.
The shack appeared to him more of
a trap than a succor, when a happy
thought intruded itself into his bewii-
derment. On his toboggan he had
gramophone, carried to amuse the
camp inmates at night and thus popu-
larize himself. He recalled the charm
with which music is said to charm
the savage beast He quickly pushed
a delapidated table left in the shack
to the door, grabbed the machine,
placed in on it, got it in working or
der, slipped in record, and just as
the first of the pack reached the door
it commenced rollicking minsrelsy
melody. The effect was magical. With
the first whirr of the machine the as
tonished leader jumped into the air as
if shot, and retreated to safe distance,
and the balance of the pack dropped
on their launches with establishment.
Sekah run the record through
couple of times and then changed it
quickly to one of the marine band. The
pack grew uneasy, but were neld as if
from the shadows, and in a short time
there was an audience, the like of
which no other musician ever enter
tanned. He estimated that there were
80 odd wolves in the pack. He gave
them everything from "Whistling
Mike to Italian opera, or from coon
breakdown to a bugle call. One re-
cord would produce a chorus of bowls,
the next their would indicate their
pleasure by playful antics and sawed
off yelps. Again they would crouch as
in terror, and the next sit on their
launches and listen with dignified at
tention. At times, when he attempted
a momentary iay-off, the advanced to
the door with threatening mein, every
hair on their backs bristling, and their
great fangs laid bare. Ragtime was
received with dignified solemnity, and
church music produced the most ridic-
ulous capers. For several hours they
kept Sekah busy. He finally tried one
of Bryan's 16-to-1 speeches, when
they skunk away in the brush, and
soon the only evidence of their having
o+@,oIaS The &c; uoS the