The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-12-24

dispose OF the lands in the township
bearing his name for some years, and
each Of the adjoining townships had,
by 1918, gained good many settlers
who cleared the numerous tracts OF
land. riinckley was still an unbroken
virgin forest of the heaviest timber,
and became harbor for large game
which devasted the surrounding settle
ments. It was not unusual for a
settler TO lose his entire fock of sheep
in single night, even tho penned with
in the shadow of his buildings. Finally
late in the fall of 1918, quite num-
Der of meetings were held in the town
ships surrounding Hincliley, to make
arrangements for war of extermina-
ton upon the bears and wolves. Com
mittees were appointed and the var
ious committees met for consultation,
and made arrangements for a grand
hunt, which should embrace the entire
township of Hinckley and the forest
lands adjacent thereto. Four captains
were appointed, one of whom had com
mand of the entire battalion. Sur
veyors blazed line of trees upon a
circle half a mile around the center of
the township. The program, which
was advertised in various ways so
that it became fully known for twenty
miles in every direction around Hinck-
ley, was as follows: The drive was to
take place on December "a. Able
bodied men and large boys joining in
the hunt were to assemble as follows:
Those from Cleveland, Newburg and
Royalton and adjacent neighborhoods,
on the north line Of the township of
Hinckley. Those from Brecksville,
Richfeld and adjacent neighborhoods,
on the east line. Those from Bath,
Granger and adjacent neighborhoods,
on the south line. Those from Me-
dina, Brunswick, Liverpool and ada
cent neighborhoods, on the west line.
All were instructed to be on the spots
at sunrise.
AS the last war with Great Britain
had closed only three years before,
there were plenty of officers who un-
derstood the handling of such bodies
of men. Most families also had SER
vicable muskets, such as the laws of
their respective states had required
each able7bodied man between the age
of eighteen and forty-fve to own. But
still there were not sufficient firearms
to go round. Bayonets were mounted
and some carried axes and others
butcher knife. 1t should be under
stood that the virgin forests of that
region were of large timber, few with
limbs nearer than 30 feet from the
ground, and as there was but little
underbrush in the forest, it was prac-
ticable to drive a team with sled,
whenever there were no streams to in
terfere. Many of those from dis
tance came on sleds, and some reached
the ground on the evening of Decem-
Der %. Nearly 600 men and large
boys were on the lines at sunrise,
eager for start, for few deer and
turkeys had been killed before reach
ing the lines, and many mad been driv-
en- in. 1883 |
!
Soon after sunrise the commanding
officer gave the word. The words were
loudly repeated around the lines to the
right ana came round to the starting
point in just forty seconds, showing a
good organization. Many of the
boys and some of the men were pro-
vided with horns and most of them
with sonorous voices. The signal to
start was by the horns, shouts, etc.
The captains and their assistants on
each line kept their lines properly
space dend each line made it's share !
of noise. In few moments deer be-
gan to show themselves along the line |
but were quickly fired on. Many es-
capped, but about 100 had been killed |
before the half-mile limit had been
reached. ...~ !
BY previous arrangement general |
halt was made at the line of biazed |
trees, half mile from the center of |
the township. There was oc :asional-
ly a large fallen tree, the top ofl
which afforded hiding places for the
BEARS and the deer. All such within
the circle were subsequently, found TO