RQGUB RIVER COURIER, GRANTS PASS, OREGON, OCTOBER 30, 1908.
A
(Copyright, 1A93, by O, P. Putnatn'i Bonn.
PublUhed under arrangement with O. P.
I'utnam'a Bona, New York and London.
N tbe United States the
peccary 1 only found lu
the m utliLTiinioKt corner
of Texus. In April. lS'JJ.
I made n fl.vbiK vlalt to
the ranch country of this
region, murting from the
towu of L'valdo with u Texnn friend,
Mr. John Moore. Sly trip beliiR very
hurried, I hud but a couple of day to
devote to huntltiK.
Our flrat baltliiK-pluce huh at a
ranch ou the Frio; a low, woodeu
building, of many rooms, with open
gullerb- between tbem, and verandas
round about. The country was In
some rcHpects like, In others strange
ly unlike, the northern pluins with
which I was so well acquainted. It
was for the most part covered with a
scattered growth of tough, stunted
meBijulte trees, not dense enough to
be called a foreot, and yet sufOclently
close to cut off the view. It was very
dry, even as compared with the north
ern pluins. The bed of the Frio was
Oiled with coarse gravel, and for the
most part dry as a bone on the sur
face, the water seeping through un
derneath, and only appearing la occa
sional deep holes. These deep boles or
ponds never full, even after year's
drouth; they were filled with fish. One
lay quite near the ranch bouse, under
a bold rocky bluff; at Its edge grew
giant cypress trees.
There bud been many peccaries, or,
as the Mexicans and cowpunchers of
tbe border usually call them, Javallnaa,
round this ranch a few years before
the date of my visit. Until 1880, or
thereabouts, these little wild bogs
were not much molested, and abound
ed in tbe dense chaparral around the
lower Rio Grande. In that year, bow
aver, It was suddeuly discovered that
their hides bad a market value, being
worth four bits that Is, half a dollar
piece; and many Mexicans and not a
few shiftless Texana went into the
business of bunting them as a means
of livelihood. They were mora easily
killed than deer, and, as a result they
were speedily exterminated In many
localities where tbey bad formerly
been numerous, and even where tbey
were loft were to be found only In
greatly diminished numbers. On this
particular Frio ranch tbe last little
band had been killed nearly year be
fore. There were three of tbem, a
boar and two sows, and a couple of
tbe cowboys stumbled on them early
one morning while out with a dog.
After half a mile's chase the three
peccaries ran into a bollow pecan tree,
and one of the cowboys, dismounting.
Improvised a lance by tying hla knife
to the end of a pole, and killed them
all.
Many anecdotes were related to me
of what they bad done In tbe old
days when they were pleutlful on the
ranch.
I spent two days huutlug round this
ranch, but saw no peccary slgu what-
Sou' no jHvtury tir, oltAouub doer uw
ever, although deer were quite plenti
ful. Havlug atitUtM myself that there
were no Javallnaa left on the Frio
ranch, and being nearly at the eml of
my holiday, 1 was about to abaudou
the effort to net any, when a pawing
cowman happened to mention the fact
that some were still to be found on
the Nueces Itlver thirty miles or there
about to the southward. Thither I
determined to go, and next morning
Moore and 1 started In a buggy drawn
by a redoubtable horse, named Jhu
Swinger, which we wtre allowed to
Xm because he bucked so under the
addle that uolxHly on the much could
ride him. We drove six or seven hours
crotho Jr.v- ter!cs plains.
ill?
t V N
HUNTING
THE
PECCARY
BY
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
In the valley or the Nueces Itself
the brush grew thick. There were
treat groves of pecan trees, and ever
green llve-onks stood In many places,
long, wlnd-Khaken tufts of gray moss
hanging from their limbs. Many of
the trees In the wet spots were of
giant slxe, and the whole landscape
was semi-tropical In character.
High on a bluff shoulder overlooking
the course of the river was perched
the runcb house, toward which we
were bending our steps; and here we
were received with the hearty hospi
tality characteristic of the ranch coun
try everywhere. The son of the ranch
man, a tail, well-built young fellow,
told me at once that there were pec
carles in the neighborhood, and that
be had himself shot one but two or
three days before, and volunteered to
lend us horses and pilot us to the
game ou the morrow, with the help
of bis two dogs. The last were big
black curs with, as we were assured,
"considerable hound" In them. One
wm at tbe time staying at the ranch
bouse, tbe other was four or five miles
off with a Mexican goat-herder, and
It was arranged that early In the
morning we Bhould ride down to the
lutter place, taking the first dog with
us and procuring his companion wben
we reached the goat-herder's bouse.
We srarted after breakfast, riding
powerful cow-ponies, well trained to
gallop at full speed th.ough the dense
chaparral. The big black bound
slouched at our heels. We rode down
the banks of the Nueces, crossing and
recrosslng the stream. Here and
there were long, deep pools In the bed
of the river, where rushes and lilies
grew and huge mailed girlish swam
slowly Just beneath the surface of the
water. Once my two companions
stopped to pnll a mired cow out of a
slough, hauling with ropea from their
saddle horns. In places there were
half-dry pools, out of tbe regular cur
rent of the river, the water green and
fetid. The trees were very tall and
large. The streamers of pale gray
moss hung thickly from the branches
of the live-oaks, and when many trees
thus draped stood close together tbey
bore a strangely mournful and deso
late look.
We finally found the queer Uttle hut
of the Mexican goat-herder In the
midst of a grove of giant pecans. On
the walls were nailed the skins of
different beasts, raccoons, wildcats,
and tbe tree-civet, with Its tinged tall.
The Mexican's brown wife and chil
dren were In tbe hut, but tbe man
himself and tbe goats were off in the
forest, and It took na three or four
hours' search before we found hlin.
Then it was uearly noon, and we
lunched In hla hut, a square building
of split logs, with bare earth floor, and
roof of clap-boards and bark. Our
lunch consisted of goat's meat and pan
de mals. The Mexican, a broad-chested
man with stolid Indian face, was
evidently quite a sportsmau, and bad
two or three half-starved bounds, be
sides the funny hairless Uttle bouse
dogs, of which Mexicans seem so
fond.
Having borrowed the Javallna hound
of which we were in search, we rode
off lu quest of our game, the two dogs
trotting gayly ahead. The one which
hud been living at the ranch had evi
dently fared well, and was very fat;
the other was Utile else but skin and
Ikiiib, but as alert and knowing as any
New York street-boy, with the same
nlr of disreputable capacity. It was
this hound which always did most In
finding the Javitllims and bringing
them to bay, his companion's chief
use being to muke a noise and lend
the moral support of his presence.
We rodo away from the river on the
dry uplands, where the timber, though
thick, was small, consisting almost ex
clusively of the thorny mosqultes.
Mixed among them were prickly pears,
standing as high as our heads on
horseback, and Spanish bayonets, look
ing lu the distance like small palms;
and there were mauy other kinds of
cactus, all with poisonous thorns. Two
or three times the dogs got on an old
trail and rushed off giving tongue,
whereat we galloped madly after them,
ducking und dodging through and
among the clusters of spine-bearing
trees and cactus, not without getting
a considerable number of thorns In our
hands and legs. It was very dry and
hot. Where the javallnas live la
droves lu the river bottoms they often
drink at the pools; but when some dis
tance from water they seem to live
quite comfortably on the prickly pear,
slaking itir thirst by eating Its hard.
Juicy lihre.
At last, a fur several false alarms,
and gallops which led to nothing, when
It lncked but an hour of sundown we
struck a band of five of the little wild
hogs. They were runnlug off through
the uicsqulte with a peculiar hopping
or bounding motion, and we all, dogs
and men, tore after them Instantly.
l'ooeuries are very fast for a few
hundred yards, but speevllly tire, lose
their wind, and come to bay. Almost
liuii'iHllatoly on of these, a sow, as It
turned out, wheeled and charged at
Moore as ho passed. Moore never see
ing her, but keeping on after another.
The sow then stopped and stood still,
chattering her teeth savagely, and I
Jumped off my horse and dropped her
dead with a shot In tbe spine, over
the shoulders. Moore meanwhile had
dashed off after his pig In on direc
tion, and killed the little beast with a
shot from the saddle when It had
come to bay, turning and going
straight at him. Two of tbe peccaries
got off; the remaining one, a rather
large bonr, was followed by the two
dogs, and as soon as 1 had killed the
sow I leaped again on my horse and
made after tbem. guided by the yelp
ing and baying. In less than a quar
ter of a mile they were on his
haunches, and he wheeled and stood
under a bush, charging at them whet?
they came uear him, and once catch
ing one, Inflicting un ugly cut. All the
while bis teeth kept goliig like casta
nets, with a rapid champing sound. 1
ran close up and killed him by a shot
through the backbone where it Joined
the neck. His tusks were fine.
The few minutes' chase on horse
back was great fun. and there was a
certain excitement hi seeing the tierce
Uttle creatures come to bay; but tbe
true way to kill these peccaries would
be with the spear. They could often
be speared on horseback, and where
this was Impossible, by using dogs to
bring them to bay they could readily
be killed on foot; though, ns they are
'
Propped her dead with a shot in the
spins.
very active, absolutely fearlesB, and
Inflict a most formidable bite, it would
usually be safest to have two men go
at one together. I'ecearles are not dif
ficult beasts to kill, because their abort
wind and their pugnacity make them
come to bay before bounds so quickly.
Two or three good dogs can bring to
a halt a herd of considerable size.
They then all stand in a bunch, or
else with their sterns against a bank,
chattering their teeth at their antag
onists. Wheti angry and at bay, they
get their legs close together, their
shoulders high, and their bristles all
ruffled and look the very Incarnation
of anger, and they fight with reckless
Indifference to the very last Hunters
usually treat them with a certain
omotint of cautlou; but, as a matter of
fact, I know of but one case where a
mau was hurt by them. He had shot j
at and wounded one, was charged
both by It und by Its two companions,
and started to climb a tree; but as he.
drew himself from the ground, one
sprang ut lilui and bit him through the
calf, inflicting a very severe wound.
I have known of several cases of j
horses lielng cut. however, and dogs I
aro very commonly killed. Indeed, a !
dog new to the business Is almost cer
tain to got very badly scarred, and no
dog that hunts steadily can escape
without tome Injury. If It runs In
right at tbe heads of the animals, the
probabilities are that It will get killed;
and. as a rule, even two good-sized
hounds cHnnot kill a peccary, though
It Is no larger than either of them.
However, a wary, resolute, hard-bltlng
dog of good size speedily guts accus
tomed to the chase, and can kill a
peccary single-handed, seizing It from
behind and worrying it to death, or
watching Its chance and grabbing It by
the back of the neck where It Joins the
head.
I'ecearles have delicately moulded
short legs, and their feet are small,
the tracks looking peculiarly dainty lu
consequence. Hence, they do not swim
well, though they take to the water If
necessary. They feed on roots, prick
ly Hars, nuts. Insects, lizards, etc.
They usually keep entirely separate
from the droves of half-wild swine
that are so often found In the same
neighborhoods; but In one case, on this
very ranch where 1 was staying, a pec
cary deliberately Joined a party of
nine pigs and associated with them.
Wben the owner of the pigs came up
to them one day the peccary mani
fested great suspicion at his presence,
and flually sidled close up and threat-
enod to attack him. so that he had to
i shoot It.
I The ranchman's sou told me that
he bin! never but ouce had a pev-
rary assail him unprovoked, and even
j In this case It was his dog that was the
j object of attack, the ;e'c;ir rr:!n -i
out as It followed him home one even
. Ing throu:-h the chaparral. Eve
! around this ranch the peccaries bad
I very greatly decreased In uuc.i1.ts. and
the survivors were learnlug somecau-
tion. In the old davs tr had been no
uncommon thing fr a big band to at
tack entirely of their own accord, and
keep n hunter up a tree for hours at
a time
T i -J-v
R. S. Wilson, the ttate agent for
the Tourist Auto Co. and A. B. C r
nell, the Oregon Life Insurance Corn
pan v's agent, made a business trip to
Meaford lost week. They were aocom
paniea by Mrs. Cornell. The trip to
Medford was made in Mr. Wilson's
auto and the return by train.
SIMPLE MIXTURE SAID
TO RELIEVE VICTIMS
Druggists Here In Town Say They
Can Supply the Ingredients or
Make Up the Mixture.
Get from any prescription pharma
cist the following :
Fluid Extract Dandelion, one-half
onuce; Compound Syrup Sarsaparilla,
three ounces.
Shake well in a bottle and take a
teaspoonful dose after each meal and
at bedtime.
The above is considered as the most
certain prescription ever written to
relieve Backache, Kidney Trooble,
Weak Bladder and all forms of Urinary
ditncnlties. ThiB mixture arts prompt
ly on the eliminative tisanes of the
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strain the nrio acid and other waste
matter from the blood which caoses
Rheumatism.
Some persous who suffer with the
afflictions may not feel iuclined to
place much confidence in this simple
mixture, yet those who have tried it
Bay the results are simply surprising,
the relief being much confidence in
this simple mixture, yet thote who
have tried it say the results are simply
surprising, the relief being effected
without the slightest injury to the
stomach or other organs.
Mix someand give It a trial. It
certainly comes highly recommeuded.
It is the prescription of an eminent
authority, whose entire reputation, it
is said, was established by it.
A druggist here at home, when
asked, stated that he could either sup
ply tbe ingredients or mix the pre
scription for oar readers, also recom
mends it as harmless. 10-30-St.
Kodol will without any doubt help
anyone who has stomach disorders
or stomach trouble. Take Kodol
today and continue it for the short
time that is necessary to give you com
plete relief. Kodol is sold by Model
Drug Store.
Jliamherlnin's Cough Remedy tlin
Most Popular Because It
Is the Bern.
"1 have sold I'IihiiiIh rlinn's Cough Item--sly
for the ihi4 eiiilil veurs nil. I Hud it to lie
one of the liet selling medicines on the mar
ket, ror Indues ninl young children there
is nothing Letter in the line of rough svrups,"
nsys Paul Allen, Plain llraling, I.' This
remedy not only cures the roiighs, colds and
croup so common among yoiingcliildren, hut
is pleasant and anfo for them to lake. For
sale hv M. Clemen.
"Tour
REMARKABLE event in the history of automobiledom was the tour of
more than thirty Tourist cars from Los Angeles to San Francisco and return,
August 12th to 22d, 1908, carrying 94 men. women and children.
This tour differs radically from any previous automobile run in that practically
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simplicity and ease of operation, and proving forcibly that the Tourist is an owner's
car so simple in operation and mechanism as to enable the novice to negotiate the
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This more-than-a-thousand-mile-run was successfully accomplished without mishap
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The Type "K" Toarinj Cat.
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lu coiutTuctioa u tl Terr acme of amnffio .1 V.
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ire-paueoger ramorabla tonnean, a
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SALEM, OREGON
IRRIGATED'
Best irrigated small farm in Jackson County
for $2500. 40 acres in tract. 30 acres under
ditch. 20 acres under cultivation. Come and
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ARE YOU LOOKING
For bargains in furniture? If so, come and see my new stock
and get my prices. My car of new Couches, Beds, in fact anything
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buy your
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of the Tourist"
that powerful, irardy IT
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I X