East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-01-06
County is Center Of Greatest
Hydroohobia Excitement
Oregon Has Ever Seen.
EXPERTS BEING SENT TO
HELP FIGHT SCOURGE
Unusual Precautions Being Taken by
People Who Are Now Thoroughly
I'm Fear-Shccpmcn Have Suffered
Great Harm from Mad Coyotes
Predatory Animals Getting Wary as
Result of Systematic Warfare.

''Wallowa county is the center Of
the greatest hydrophobia scare the
state has ever had" said DR.. w. H.
Lytle state veterinarian, yesterday. to
a representative of the Journal in
Portland DIR. Lytle has just returned
from the infected district. where with
the MD of local authorities extraordi-
nary quarantine regulations were es-
tabllshed. What is known as "Order
dog, cat or wild animal from the coun-
ty. Ordinances were passed In Wal
Iowa, Enterprise. Lostine and Jseph,
the county's four principal towns, re-
qulring that all dogs must be kept
locked up when not actually in use
herdIng sheep. This is to keep mad
coyotes from getting near them.
Pamphlets telling the nature of ra-
bies and its menaces have been print
ed and circulated throughout the
county.
The government bureau of animal
industry has prepared TO send two
trained veterinarians ana one patho-
logist to Wallowa county to help the
people exterminate animals with the
hydrophobia taint
According to j. n. Dobbin, vice
president of the State Woolgrowers'
association who lives in Wallowa
county. the sheepmen have suffered
great harm by reason or mad coyotes.
One of Mr. Dobbin's dogs were bitten
and went mad Other dogs have gone
mad through coyoe bites and many
hundreds of sheep have been bitten.
Sheep that contract rabies die in
convulsions. The money loss amounts
to thousands of dollars.
The head of dog that had rabies
was received by Professor Pernot, state
bacteriologist, yesterday, from DR..
Gilmore. county physician in Wallowa.
Professor Pernot opened the brain to
make chemical examination for
germs of rabies, or Negri bodies
which when found will be injected in
to rabbits.
A rabbit which had been injected
with germs Of rabies produced in an
other rabbit, which in turn had been
injected with Negri bodies from dogs
killed in Wallowa county, went mad
in Professor Pernot's office yester-
day. Professor Pernot had made a
second injection that he might be
absolutely sure the disease was really
hydrophobia. The dogs from which
the germs were taken were bitten by
the same coyote that bit Johnnie Bos-
ely, boy who was recently given
Pasteur treatment by DR.. C. S. White,
state health officer. Luther John
son, second victim OF mad dog bite
In Wallowa county. is now in Port
land receiving Pasteur treatment. The
dog that bit Johnson had been bitten
by coyote.
Coyotes are getting very wary in
Wallowa county" said DR.. Lytle yes
terday. 81 rode so miles on horse
back and saw only one. Coyotes are
killed on sight. More than one sys-
tematic hunt for them has been or
ganized. The state and county pay a
bounty of $3.50 each for the scalp
The sheepmen pay as muh more and
about 50 is realized from the hide.
An effort Is being made to double the
state and county bounty and the sheep
men say that IL the state and county
do not agree to pay SO scalp, they
will themselves double the amount.
"But in spite of all the hunting and
the price paid for scalps, there are
still many coyotes in Wallowa county.
They are not seen in the daytime, but
come out at night. They gather ar
ound the towns and howl mournfully
but If anyone comes out to hunt them
they scatter"