USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 66
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Of Ferns there are eighteen species, representing twelve genera. About 1,000 taken.
The above represents my own work.
B. SHIMEK.
NATIVE ANIMALS.
[Points gathered from old hunters and early settlers.]
QUADRUPEDS.
Bears .- Very few bears have been killed in this county; one was a stray fellow, who wandered along down the river, was chased by men and dogs, and was finally overtaken and pitchforked to death near where the county fair ground is now located. (See Charles Pratt's Big Grove bear story, further on.)
Catamount .- This animal is a variety of wild-cat, with a longer tail and more slender body and finer fur than the common wild-cat, the latter being rather "chunky" in form and bob-tailed. Other names for the catamount are, " North American tiger," " American panther," [errone- ously pronounced painter by many persons], and cougar. The true pan- ther is only found in Asia and Africa. The puma or cougar is a South American species, and not found further north than Texas. The cata- mount [mountain cat] is the true "boss feline " or great native cat of all our north middle States.
Deer .- The common red or white-tailed deer was quite abundant in the
*Mr. Shimek's collection of Johnson county mollusks in the University museum shows an immense amount of industry and untiring zeal in his favorite pursuit. Many of the specimens are almost microscopic ; and he discovered some species still living which sci- entists had before supposed to be now extinct. The zoological work of this native John- son county boy is referred to with special pride and satisfaction by both President Pickard and Prof. Calvin. It is also a credit to the whole Bohemian people, of whom he is so worthy a representative .- EDITOR.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
early day, but there does not appear to have been any other animal of the ungulate family, except elk occasionally; no buffalo or antelopes here after the time when white men first settled within the bounds of Johnson county Mr. R. B. Groff of Marengo relates that he visited Iowa City in 1845; went with Abraham Bowman to visit his son Francis up in the North Bend settlement. On the way up Mr. Bowman shot an enormously big spotted rattlesnake. They got a forked stick and clamped the snake's neck in it so as to examine the peculiar structure of its mouth, or more especially of its teeth and poison fangs. And while they were thus intently engaged at this study of Odo-toxicoophidiology, Mr. Groff says, "I looked up, and some distance from us saw a herd of deer prancing, play- ing and sporting." Mr. Groff bought an eighty acre claim from Frank Bowman for $25; lived on it for about two years, then sold it to Nicholas Zeller, who lives there yet.
Gopher .- There is the common striped gopher, which is such a pest to farmers. And also the "pocket gopher " or pouched rat; the geomys bursarius of Zoology.
Otter .- The trapping of beaver, mink, muskrat and otter, was one of the standard sources of revenue among those of the early settlers who had a special taste for such pursuits or special skill in their prosecution. There was always a ready and good market for the skins of these fur- bearing animals.
Skunk .- Sometimes called pole-cat; plenty of them.
Squirrel .- Several varieties. There were the black and the gray tim- ber squirrel, the fox squirrel [called pine squirrel by some], and the flying squirrel. Also the striped, the gray and the chipmunk varieties of ground squirrel.
Weasel .- White and brown varieties. Some say these are two distinct varieties, while others maintain that the same animal may be a white weasel at one time of year and a brown weasel at another time. Old trappers generally stick to it that there are two species; but science is against them.
Wild Cat .-- See "Catamount;" the common bob-tailed wild-cat and the catamount were both here.
Wolf .-- The gray timber wolf [sometimes called white, and sometimes yellow wolf,] and the common prairie wolf, and the black wolf, were found in this county.
Black Bees-were native in this county; and the occasional discovery of a "bee tree" was an event of note among the early settlers whose sweetening was generally far to fetch. The Italian bees have been intro- duced and crossed with the blacks until there is rarely a swarm of the pure native black bees left.
A BEAR HUNT.
Mr. Charles Pratt of Solon, relates: In 1843 Mr. H. H. Kerr and a man
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
named Farr were out after a load of wood, on section 31 in Cedar town- ship -- just over the line from section 36 of Big Grove township. A large blackbear came in sight. They had neither dog nor gun along so they unhitched their horses from the wagon, mounted them, and took after the bear to raise the neighbors who had dogs and guns. They drove the bear near where Mrs. Fanny Pratt lived. A. W. Pratt saw and heard them coming; and thinking it was a wolf they were chasing, he ran with his dog over to head them and hid in the hazel brush to give his dog the advantage of a sudden dash and surprise on the supposed wolf. But when he saw a big black bear come along near him, he ran back to the house where his brother Charlie was-and with his eyes shining like peeled onions, and himself half out of breath, he said, "IT'S A BEAR !! " Charles quickly mounted a horse and galloped off to head the bear so it would go into the woods and climb a tree. When he rode up to the animal trying to turn it toward the woods, it rose on its hind feet and grabbed the horse's throat with one paw and shoulder with the other, its claws cutting deep gashes in the horse and scratching Mr. Pratt's foot a little. The horse reared and plunged, and then jumped clear over the bear, while the latter turned and went past Mr. Cannon's house through the grove north, but it wouldn't take a tree as they wanted it should. About forty rods north of Cannon's house they got it surrounded, having been by this time joined in the exciting chase by Harvey Lyman with an ax, and Robert Orr with a pitchfork. Then Mr. Isaac Stewart and Sabina Stiles came up with guns, and both shot it. The bear fell, but Mr. Lyman thinking it hardly dead yet, ran up to finish it with his ax and struck it a blow, when the beast suddenly grabbed him in its paws and hugged and bit him terribly about the shoulders, arms and legs. Mr. Orr than ran up with his pitch- fork and pitched it off from Lyman; and by this time Mr. Stewart had got his gun loaded again and gave his black majesty a finishing shot. The bear was very poor, yet it weighed when dressed 200 pounds, and was the largest one ever seen in the county. Mr. Lyman was laid up several months by his injuries. He said: "It's lots of fun to hunt a bear; but when the bear begins to hunt you, it isn't funny at all."
Of those who took part in this lively adventure, A. W. Pratt now [1882] lives in Iowa City, and H. H. Kerr a few miles west of the city.
A WOLF STORY.
Mr. M. W. Cook, of Oxford township furnishes the following graphic and interesting sketch of a wolf that made himself famous in Johnson county :
"It was known far and wide as "the big white wolf," and made its appearance first about 1850, and was seen from time to time for several years in the eastern and southern parts of the township and in various other localities. It was seen by many persons, and many more desired to see the wonderful creature.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
From the description given by those who saw it, it was known to be an animal of the "wolf" kind, though unlike anything ever seen by any per- son in this vicinity. Such was its strength that it would and did carry off full grown sheep with perfect ease, and of all the numerous dogs which attacked it none could make any impression upon it, but were handled as a mastiff handles a terrier.
Many attempts were made to kill or capture the beast, but he was exceedingly wary so that few persons ever got within gun-shot of him. He was caught in a trap by Jonathan Talbott, and carried the trap many miles, but finally escaped, losing a toe, as was discovered by his tracks when he next appeared in this locality, which was not for several months. Poison was tried freely upon him, but the dose which would "lay out" a "coyote," would have no effect upon him. At last, however, he was brought to bay and disposed of by John E. Douglass, now a resident of Oxford, and J. J. Shepardson, now living in Clear Creek township. He was caught in two traps, they being fastened together by a log-chain to which was attached a heavy "blacksmith's sledge." The traps were set for him near the Douglass place, and as soon as it was ascertained that they "had him" they started in pursuit with four good dogs, which finally succeeded in stopping him till the men came up, when they had reached a point on Clear Creek nearly south of the present site of Oxford, a dis- tance of more than three miles. Here they had him in the water and the fight raged furiously, the men being unable to "get in a shot" without danger of killing a dog. As fast as the animal would try to climb the bank the dogs would pull him back, when the fight would be renewed in the water, till the dogs were beaten off and the wolf would again attempt to escape. Finally Shepardson went down into the water to see what aid he could give the dogs, and just at that time the wolf became disengaged from the trap and started up the. bank, and escape seemed certain; but Joe. was equal to the occasion, seizing the animal by the tail and reaching forward he gave him several vigorous stabs with his pocket knife, which ended his career. His size exceeded the apparently exaggerated reports given by those who had seen him alive, being four feet and three inches high, though rather short in proportion. His weight was proportionate to his size, but not definitely known. The hair, which was white, tipped with steel gray, was from four to five inches in length and as thick as the wool on a sheep. His legs were of the size of a muscular man's arm and his paws like those of a lion. That the skin was not saved and properly mounted is much to be regretted.
BOUNTY FOR WOLF SCALPS.
The first action of the county in regard to the destruction of pestifer- ous wild beasts was on January 3, 1841, thus:
"The board now present having taken into consideration the propriety of offering a reward for wolf scalps, do agree and determine that from
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
and after this date they will pay one dollar for each scalp over six months old, and fifty cents for each scalp under that age, and no more, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated."
The first man named to whom bounty was paid under this order was on July 5, 1841, when "David Wray was allowed one dollar for a wolf scalp over six months old." But on April Sth before this, it is noted that nine dollars were paid as bounty for wolf scalps, without mentioning to whom it was paid.
January 3, 1882, the county beard paid the county on twenty-eight wolf scalps. The parties who brought the scalps on this day, were: Joseph Stover, 3; Jacob Stover, 11; John Gardner, 2; George Wein, 2; Arthur Russell, 1; Pleasant Harris, 6; Martin Harless, 3. They were all from full grown wolves, or over six months old, and drew $1 each as bounty, or a total of $28.
. A WOLF HARVEST.
At the January session of the County Board, January 6 to 10, 1845, the following payments were made by the county for wolf scalps:
Orlow Webster, two gray and four prairie wolf scalps, $8; Orley Hull, two whelp wolf scalps, $1; Wm. Dupont, one scalp, $1; James Cham- berlain, one; A. P. Kitchen, two; Wm. Fry, one; Charles Jones, one; Wilson Blain, one; John L. Gordon one; John Bucking- ham, two; Allen Russell, one; George W. Hawkins, one; P. C. Brown, one; James McCray, one; Samuel Shelliday, one; Jere- miah Stover, five; Marshall Fry, three prairie and one gray wolf scalps, $5; John Hamilton, one; David Smith, one; S. W. Hartsock, two; Nel- son H. Dowd, one; Stephen Chase, three; John Stover, one; James Douglass, two; Samuel Lingle, one; John Fry, two; Mathew Teneick, two; Wm. Hench, one; John C. Lee, two; Jonathan Tabot, eight; Wm. Jones, two; Charles Jones, one; Archibald Shaw, one; Allen Baxter, three; Charles Jones, again, one; Jacob Earhart, two; Wm. Brisbine, one; Abel Stevens, one; A. D. Stephen, three; James Seahorn, three prairie and one black wolf scalps, $3; David Crosier, one; John Smith, one; Samuel Laughrey, one; C. Rand, one; John Shaff, two; George W. Kitchen, two; Moses S. Emmet, one; D. A. Shafer, one; Evan Dol- larhide, two; Ewen Davis, one; Philip Clark, two; Josiah Morrow, two; Oliver Thomas, two.
This was the biggest grist of wolf scalps ever brought to the county mill at one time, and shows that the lupine crop must have been a big one hat year. 'It was decidedly a "wolfish" session of the county board, and tany man who hadn't a wolf scalp was out of fashion.
In 1848 it was Resolved, that any person in this county who shall exter- minate a wolf, lynx or wild cat, be allowed three dollars for each scalp.
During the year 1849, the county paid $225.50 for wolf scalps, which shows that these beasts of prey were still pretty numerous at that time.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
June 7, 1877, it was ordered that the bounty should be raised to $4 for full grown wolf scalps, and $2 for whelps.
The county treasurer's report in June, 1882, showed $186 paid as wolf bounty since the preceding January 1; and $1 paid for a wild cat.
June 7, 1867, an order was adopted that the county would pay a bounty of fifteen cents each for the scalps of all gophers killed within Johnson county.
Samuel Hess and M. W. Davis furnish the following list, by their com- mon names, of the
Large Water-birds .- White swan, pelican, wild goose, sand-hill crane bittern, blue heron.
Smaller Water-birds .- Black and brown loon, caw, mud-hen, teal, mal- lard duck, pin-tail duck, wood duck, redhead duck, spoonbill duck, butter- ball duck, widgeon duck, canvas-back duck, fish duck, dipper, blue-winged and green-winged teal, killdeer or plover, Wilson's snipe, jack-snipe, yel- low-legged snipe, tip-up snipe, stilt sand-piper, marsh tern, sea gulls.
English Sparrows .- Somebody introduced the pestiferous English spar- row at Iowa City. Whoever it was, he ought to read Secretary Shaf- fer's report on this bird to the State Agricultural Society (printed report, 1880, pp. 12 to 17), and then go out and scrape himself for a Job's fool. Mr. Shaffer cites about sixty different writers on the subject, and fully ninety per cent. of them condemn the introduction of the bird into this country as a piece of most luckless enterprise and unwisdom.
Toads and Frogs .- The common warty toad is found in fields and gar- dens. He lives entirely on slugs, worms and insects that are injurious to the farmer; and farm children should be taught never to kill a toad.
Of frogs there are more varieties. We have the big old bull-gerum that sings in a deep bass voice, "Old Hodge-got drunk-got drunk-got drunk-Old Hodge-got drunk-ker chunk-gewunk-Old Hodge- got drunk"-and so on to the end of the chapter. Then there is the sleek, smooth-legged, Frenchman's frog, the hind legs of which form such a rare dish among the Parisian epicures. It is the most ;delicate and deli- cious meat in the world. We also have the delicately spotted spring frog -or leopard frog-the same kind about which the nursery song says: "There was a frog lived in a well. * *- And a mouse lived in a mill. The frog he would a wooing go"-and finally married the mouse's sister . That's the chap. Then we have the sucker-footed or tree frog as another variety.
Snakes .- The "massasauga," or prairie rattlesnake. This is a smaller sort of rattlesnake, and will rear up half his length then strike to bite, even when lying straight, and its rattle is so small and faint that it scarcely amounts practically to a warning. The name "massasauga" was given to it by the Indians; but whether they got it from some French or Span-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ish word, or originated it themselves, nobody knows; neither is it known why it was so named.
Yellow Rattlesnake .- This is the big deadly fellow that is got up for business. It is found only in wooded land or rocky places. It usually lies coiled up, and when anything approaches, it sounds its rattle vigor- ously, then throws its head forward by a muscular propulsion from all along its length, so that a large one can spring a distance of ten feet or more and strike deadly fangs into its foe. But when not coiled it has little or no power to rear its head and strike, and can only bite what gets near its head.
Bull or Blow Snake .- This is a blustering and frightful snake, from the fact that it grows large and will rear up and blow or hiss like a goose. It is distinctively a prairie snake. M. W. Davis has one at his drug store in Iowa City, which he stuffed about twenty years ago, and which measures six and a half feet long-supposed to be the longest snake ever killed in Johnson county. Don't know who killed it.
Garter Snake .- Two or three varieties.
Green or Grass Snake .- This creature seems to change color, within certain limits, and takes on the line of the foliage where he happens to lie in wait for the bugs and worms or their larvæ, which form his food. It will change from a deep, rich grassy green color to almost brown, and hence is seldom seen or noticed by man. Its apparent change of color is only from the different light or shade that falls upon it, the same as change- able silk goods.
Glass Snake .- This is peculiar in that it is so deficient in muscular tena- city that when struck a smart blow in one place it will break into three or four pieces, the same as a glass rod would. They are not numerous. This is properly a legless lizard. It has rudimentary legs and feet under the skin.
Water Snake-[sometimes called pilot snake.] This is the one that is sometimes seen swimming with its body all under water, and head above. When on land it usually lies coiled up not far from the water's edge, and has probably in this way been mistaken for the copperhead snake; this latter species is not found in Johnson county, although some says it is.
THE IOWA GAME LAW.
The following are the main points of the game law of Iowa, as now in force, 1882:
SECTION 2. It shall be unlawful for any persons within this State to shoot or kill any pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, between the first day of December, and the fifteenth day of August next following; any wood- cock between the first day of January, and the tenth day of July; any ruffed grouse or pheasant, wild turkey or quail, between the first of Jan- uary and the first day of October; any wild duck, goose or brant between the first day of May and the fifteenth day of August; or any wild deer, elk or fawn between the first day of January and the first day of Sep- tember.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
SEC. 3. At shall be unlawful for any person, at any time, or at any place, within this State, to shoot or kill for traffic any pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, woodcock, quail, ruffed grouse or pheasant; or for any one person to shoot or kill during any one day, more than twenty-five of either kind of said named birds; or for any one person, firm or corpora- tion, to have more than twenty-five of either kind of said named birds in his or their possession at any one time, unless lawfully received for trans- portation; or to catch or take, or attempt to catch or take, with any trap, snare or net, any of the birds or animals named in section two (2) of this act, or in any manner wilfully to destroy the eggs or nests of any of the birds hereby intended to be protected from destruction.
SEC. 4. It shall be unlawful for any person to kill, trap or ensnare, any beaver, mink, otter, or muskrat, between the first day of April and the first day of November, except where such killing, trapping, or snaring may be for the protection of private property.
SEC. 5. It shall be unlawful for any person, company or corporation, to buy or sell, or have in possession any of the birds or animals named in section two (2) of this act during the period when the killing of such bird or animal is prohibited by said section two (2) except during the first five days of such prohibited period; and the having in possession by any per- son, company or corporation, of any such birds or animals during such prohibited period except during the first five days thereof, shall be deemed prima facie evidence of a violation of this act.
GAME AND FISH INTERESTS.
Sometime in 1860 the Uudubon Club of Johnson county was organized, partly to enjoy the sports and recreation of gun and rod; but chiefly to enforce the laws for preventing a wanton destruction and extermination of the game animals and birds of the country. The principal members of this club were: Walter Curtis, C. F. Lovelace, T. M. Vanbury, W. D. Berryhill, Harry Sperry, and John Seydel-the latter being secretary But the interest soon waned, and the organization practically died out. In July, 1867, we find the name of H. W. Baldwin as president and G. W. Koontz, secretary.
April 16, 1880, the Johnson County Game and Fish Association was organized, to enforce the State laws for preventing the extermination of wild game and the food varieties of fish. The officers elected were: J. J. Holmes, president; C. P. Bacon, secretary. Forty-five members were enrolled. The new state law aimed to preserve our native food fishes from extermination by giving them passageway up and down the rivers as their habits require, and prohibiting their being taken in their breeding season, or with seines or drag nets, or at dams where they would be accumulated in large numbers by this obstruction to their migratory movements. The law required fish ways to be put into all dams of a cer- tain height-beyond what the fish could pass over during high water. The dam at Coralville was the only one on the Iowa river requiring a fish way, under the law. This club tried to have the owners of that dam put in a fishway; but they flatly refused, claiming that the law was uncon- stitutional, and vowing that they would resist and fight it through all the
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
courts in the land before they would obey it. The law made it the duty of the county board of supervisors to see that its requirements were obeyed, but was miserably lame and deficient in providing ways and means whereby they could enforce the authority given them. They were like three brigadier generals ordered to capture a belligerent fort, without arms, ammunition, subsistence or soldiers to back them. What! couldn't three brigadiers capture one fort? Well, hardly. And no more could three county supervisors, armed only with words, coerce a weathly, power- ful and defiant milldam company. Good lawyers differed as to the prob- able result of a legal contest over the matter; and the supervisors did not feel justified in taking steps which would involve the county as a party litigant in so doubtful a case-but preferred waiting till the law should be either repealed, or amended so as to provide adequate means and methods for its enforcement. And so it stands to this day.
The Game and Fish Association employed a man for some time as a special policeman to watch the river and prevent people from fishing with drag nets, or with hooks or dip-nets close to the dam, contrary to the law Thereupon the spirits of our icthyophagous ancestors suddenly took possession of the people all along the river; men dragged the river by. night, hauling fish away by cart loads; and they dipped and angled on the breast of the dam above, or at its edge below, as if possessed with some kind of reckless infatuation to set the law and its supporters at defi- ance. The writer hereof has seen drag nets swept along the shallows, raking out hundreds of minnows at a haul, when perhaps a dozen would be picked up for bait, and the rest left to perish on the dry sand bars, instead of serving as food for the larger kinds. And thus the lawless ignoramuses go on " killing the goose that laid the golden egg" by need- lessly exterminating those kinds of fish which are valuable for food. The Game and Fish Association still holds a nominal existence, but the law is so lame in executive detail that they can do nothing; and so the matter stands, the law is practically a dead letter, and the river almost a dead fisher.
But there is another cause at work toward destroying the fish supply. Old settlers say the Iowa river used to be a clear stream, except during high water, but now it is always muddy or slimy, and stones or boulders lying in the water that used to be clean are now found to be invested with a coating of nasty, slimy sediment from the unclean water. In explana- tion of this change it is said the plowing and cultivation of the land causes more loose soil and vegetable debris to be washed into the river than could be washed in from the native prairie sod; also, nearly every small stream flowing into the river is now utilized as a hog-wallow, or else a hot-day resort for cattle, and the continual filth from these sources passes into the river and contaminates its waters so that those kinds of fish which require
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