Putnam patriot., 1920-08-06


 ''Pomfret Wolf Hunt" as related in Miss Ellen D. Larned's history of Windham county, (1sSo) may be of interest at this time. On August l1th a tablet is to be unveiled at the his- oric Wolf Den to mark the spot where General Israel Putnam killed the wolf that was destroying the farmers sheep.
 Evolves had ahounded in every Windham county town at their first settlement but had gradually disap- peared with advancing civilization. Two Indians, Tom and Jeremy, had routed them from Plainfeld and Kill lingly. Woodstock's last reported wolf was shot by Pembasais in 1732. Ashford succubmed in 1735. leaving Pomfret in sole possession of the field. A craggy, precipitous hill-range, with jagged rocks and tangled forests, south of the Mashmoquet, and be- tween the Newichewana and Black wells brook, was her favorite place of residence.
 For years this creature ranged and ravaged the county, including the richest farmers of Pomfret and Mort lake. Little children were scared by her out of sleep and senses, boys and girls feared to go to school or drive the cows home; and lonely women at night trembled for absent husbands and children. She evaded traps and outwitted dogs and made herself, in the words of the biographer. 'an intol- erable nuisance
 Israel Putnam's farm was only seperated by deep, narrow valley from her favorite hillside. On the farm was grown corn, grain, fruit. etc. and many valuable cattle and sheep were raised One morning some TO sheep and goats were reported killed, besides many lambs and kids torn and wounded, Putnam was greatly exas- perated by this loss and butchery. From his boyhood he had been distin- pufshed for courage and reckless dar- inp. He wss a bold rider and a practi- cal and successful hunter. He had bloodhound of superior strength and sagacity, and with five of his neigh bors he agreed te hunt the 'pernicions animal continuously by turns until they had caught and killed her.
 ''The final hunt is believed to havt occurred in the winter of 7742-43. A light snow fall the night preceding en abIed the watehful hunters to trace , the wolf to her lair in Pumfret. Int report of their success Tn tracking tn, enemy had preceded them, and mer , and boys with dogs and guns hurried out to ion the hunters and join in tho pursuit and capture. The track Ice , around into that fastness never be fore penetrated by "a white man. Johr Sharpe. a lad of IT, grandson of thu first William Sharpe of Mashamoquet ran. boy-like, in advance of the others following the trail up the icy craig a' 1t wound on between overhanginl rocks, gnarled stumps and fallen tree trunks, to small opening among tho granite boulderx of the hillside, to th' ' mouth of an apparently narrow cay' : or passage tunnelling far down int iase depths of the earth.
 - A joyful shout from the lad an nounced the discovery of the wolf Hiding place. The news soon spread through the countryside, bringinI n1ore actors and spectators to tn scene. Great was the interest and ex citement. The wolf was trapped, bu .slow could she be taken? The day wa spent in fruitless effort to force he
 from her position. Hounds were sen
 in but came back cowed and wounded Straw and birthstone were burned I : the caverri's mouth without effect. ' does not appear that Putnam ha
 ioied in the hunt. He lived in Mor'
 lake and was not connected with an
 of Ponnfret's old families, but as h had superior bloodhound he was,
 this moment of despondency, remen
 tsered and summoned to the rescue
 But this obscure young farmer 4 r743 had every distinguishing chara' \ teristic of the brave old Put of '7' \ A crisis always brought him at one to the front Emergency and per { preved him a leader. With dog an gun he instantly obeyed the sun \ mons. His arrival changed the aspe' [ of the whole affair. Doubt and fes vanished before his earnestness an I mpetuosity. Not a moment was to Il lost. The wolf must be rounted { Il once, whatever the hazard. If st Il would not come to them they must 2 To her. The passage must be storme
 and the citidel carried. If dogs an ! negro. declined the hazardous service : Putnam himself was ready for the or
 set Remonstrances and represents
 tions of danger were unheeded. ID
 vesting himself of coat and waistcoa' with a rope fastened around his bod
 and a blazing torch in his hand. h slowly erawled down the black, ice covered passage, mansion of hor ror,' unvisited before but by mon sters of the forest and at it's farthes extremity he discerned the glarinI eyeballs of his terrified adversary