A Great Wolf Hunt

From the Meriden Ledger, December 13, 1901

By “Nimrod” 

Last Thursday witnessed a wolf hunt in our vicinity the like of which has not been seen in many a day — a genuine old fashioned hunt* — with horses and hounds and guns and hunters galore. Lafe Crane, who lives on the old Jim Martin place, reported that a large pack of hungry wolves were roaming about his farm and Upper Muddy [creek], killing dogs, throttling live stock and frightening women and children out of their wits. No sooner was this interesting information received in Meriden than a hunt was planned and the extermination of these ferocious beasts determined on. Word was sent to all the hunters in this and surrounding neighborhoods and truly it was a goodly assemblage that met on Thursday morning armed and loaded for the fray. Bob Wilkerson and Bill Hutchinson put their shooting irons in order, wiping out the rust that had accumulated since the convict hunt. Al Mitchell and Jimmy Boyer double shotted their pieces and skirmished out in advance on foot. Will Seal and Irve McQuilkin moved out to the right flank as far as Chris Martin’s where their horse fell sick and they gave up the fight. Chet Peebler was ready to go but his bird dog was under the porch scratching off fleas and would not come out, so Chet did not get on the firing line. Orb Frost got Charley McCoy’s best running horse in good trim and otherwise assisted in the rear. Ed Reed came up the night before with all but thirteen of his fine collection of dogs and hounds. Among them were the famous Pot hounds, Boozer and Snoozer. These are the two dogs for which Ed traded his last cow — so the wicked Popssay — Word was sent to George O’Brien and it was hoped he would come so as to give a truthful report of the affair afterward; but he had an engagement nursing a case of small-pox (the wild woman) and was unable to be present: hence the meagerness of this brief and bare account. In the absence of George O’Brien, George Richards was asked to report the affair and will probably do so later. Bill Sniggers, the famous hunter of Stink Creek was also unable to come. He was busy rounding up his children from the hazel brush for the winter, but he sent seventeen of his best dogs which partly atoned for his absence. All the dogs were collected the evening before and shut up in a box stall at the Livery Barn. During the night one of Snigger’s setters escaped, gnawed all the leather off a new saddle and ate three boxes of axel grease. His work next day was uncommonly smooth. Early in the morning all the hunters came together for the start. It was deemed necessary to take a plentiful supply of remedies for snake bites. Nowhere are rattlesnakes thicker than on Muddy and at this time of the year they bite viciously. There was a slight hitch in the plans here also as the drug stores have shut down for repairs during Revival. Word was sent to Rock Creek, St. Joe, K.C. and other wholesale points and the deficiency somewhat remedied. When stock was taken just before starting, the list showed three half pints of white horse, seven bottles of Hostler’s Stomach bitters, one jug of hard cider and one quart bottle of that form of liquid damnation known as Hainer’s. The dogs were called together; the ammunition wagons loaded everybody took a good pull and the start was made. Past Rice’s Hill, the Seal School House and the big Rock the party sped without mishap until going down the little bank north of the old Rippetoe’s place, Hink Botts leaned forward from his seat in the surrey to spit. Just then the front wheel ran into a chuck hole, the surrey lurched over and Hink tumbled over on the wheel [and] alighted on his head at one side of the road. He turned over, sat up, a little dazed but a few liberal doses of “polluted” white horse put him on his pins again and the journey continued. On raising the hill along the old Graden place the first wolf was sighted. It had crossed the road going east, and the hounds took up the trail with a chorus of deep howling and bawling. Away they went through the cornfields, across the road near the Hardshell church and then on over the hay fields and out of sight in the direction of George Biggs place.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1988.

Note: The Meriden Ledger ran this story with a “To Be Continued” line, but no subsequent account appears on newspapers.com.

*In The Old Home Place, Jefferson County author Joy Lominska writes, “Red wolves once lived in the area, and the hunts may have actually begun as wolf hunts. However, over time the wolf population declined and the ever-present coyote became more numerous, as well as possibly interbreeding with remaining wolves to create a hybrid. The wolves and wolf hybrids would have been difficult to distinguish from coyotes from a distance. These hunts were still called wolf hunts, even when the target was largely coyotes.”

From the Camp of Oskaloosa Infantry Company

From the Meriden Ledger, June 29, 1916

We called on the Oskaloosa members of the K.N.G.* last Sunday. About fifteen Oskaloosa folks were at the reservation during the day. The Guard was encamped on the government reservation on the Pawnee Flats between Manhattan and Fort Riley.

Up to Sunday afternoon none of the Oskaloosa boys had been examined or mustered into the federal service. Neither had they drilled any since their arrival; the officers saying they thot it would be best if they were allowed a day or two to get used to their new location.

Oskaloosa sent more men to Ft. Riley than any other town with the possible exception of Iola, considering the population. On their arrival there they were combined with the Holton company. The only officer Oskaloosa had was First Lieutenant Quakenbush, Holton’s men holding the other offices. W.R. Jenkins who was First Sergeant of the Oskaloosa Company, was made assistant to the Holton sergeant; and Irwin Dennis was made assistant Quartermaster Sergeant.

Earl Snellgrove was made company barber of Company B, 2 Regiment Infantry; and Ray Haslett company barber of Battery A.

Marvin Snyder passed the examination and was immediately mustered into the Topeka Battery A.

Pup tents, 1917

The boys were required to sleep in their little “dog” tents until Sunday afternoon when they were given the regulation tents and cots. Saturday night they were visited by a heavy rain and electrical storm and were busy most of the night trying to keep dry.

The first night there Henry Williamson left his little tent and returning could not find it, so lay down at the rear of another tent. Later in the evening an officer, passing at the rear of the tents stumbled over Henry.

“What are you doing here,” he asked.

“Oh, I had just been visiting,” Hank replied, “and got lost. So I am sleeping out on the porch.”

“Report at the mess tent in the morning,” was the officer’s order. The next morning Hank peeled potatoes as a reward for going visiting and losing his home.

Rue Jenkins and Irwin Dennis seemed to be the busiest men in the Oskaloosa company. In fact they had been busy since their arrival there; and both looked like miniature “Rip Van Winkles.”

Some of the Oskaloosa boys inquired where were the Winchester men who were so “strong” for an organization of National Guards there. “There is plenty of room for recruits here,” the Oskaloosa boys said, “and Winchester has a chance to get in.”

C.C. Lull, son of Dr. C.W. Lull, of Oskaloosa, was the first man of the Topeka recruits to be sworn into the First Regiment. He is the only Physician with the Topeka company and was given the rank of a First Lieutenant.

Ivan Anderson passed his examination last Sunday morning and was immediately mustered into the hospital corps, under Dr. Carl Phillips of Lawrence.

Arnold Leach was running around camp with his hair clipped close to his head. Some one told Arnold the boys were going home with the Oskaloosa folks and the last we saw of him he was hunting Barber Snellgrove to get his hair back.

Dr. Whitney went out Sunday and tried to enlist as a veterinarian but there were no vacancies at the time and the officer wanted him to enlist as a private. But the Doctor had seen enough to make him change his mind, anyway.

Tag Davis had a swelled upper lip and was lying on a cot in the hospital tent when we found him. Falling asleep sitting on the ground when a base ball some of the adjoining company boys were using hit him in the lip.

George Burnau and Jack Meredith said when they got back home they intended to teach the women of Oskaloosa how to wash their dishes. The boys when they have finished eating fill their pans and cups with dry dirt and rub them until they shine like a silver dollar. No water or soap for them.

The first night out Rue Jenkins said he didn’t sleep a wink. “Just lay there and listened to the remarks of the boys,” he said, “and it was certainly amusing.” Along in the early hours of the morn Charles Evans stuck his head out of his little tent and issued orders to all that he would not stand for any trespassing on his front porch, as he had just given it a new coat of paint, and a little later “called down” some one for spitting on his “piazza.”

There was a large crowd of “sightseers” at the reservation during the day; being probably five hundred autos lined around the roadway. A ten coach special train arrived in the afternoon. Excursions from Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka and other points along the road came in on the train and were unloaded at the reservation.

Company B in Oskaloosa, 1917

Some of the Oskaloosa boys’ relatives sent them “boxes” of fried chicken, cake and other dainties and Rue Jenkins sent back word to his wife that he could eat bread crusts now and that was something he had never before been able to do. John Hofmann sent word to his mother that although he never could eat bacon at home he had eaten it there that morning and after eating his own had asked the rest of the boys for theirs. And so it is with the rest of the boys, they are learning not to be the least bit particular what they eat. It all tastes good in time.

*Kansas National Guard: "Mustered into Federal service 27 June 1916 at Fort Riley, Kansas; mustered out of Federal service 30 October 1916 at Fort Riley, Kansas. Drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917. Consolidated 1 October 1917 with the 2d Infantry Regiment, Kansas National Guard (organized in 1880); consolidated unit concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 137th Infantry and assigned to the 35th Division. Demobilized 9-11 May 1919 at Camp Funston, Kansas." 137th Infantry Regiment (First Kansas)

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 1997.