WOLF DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 81 



a man by the name of Mr. Whittaker, and Mr. Short. 

 The fur-buyers that came through here in my boyhood 

 days were Dr. Neigus, Samuel Major, Mr. Jenkins, 

 L. Y. Miller, Emory Swetland, Henry Hobby and 

 J. M. Mcllhenny. I think it is about thirty-four or 

 thirty-five years since we last saw any of the above- 

 named gentlemen. Wonder if any of them are still 

 alive?" 



As to the varied causes of the disappearance of 

 wolves in McKean County, j\Ir. Dickinson adds: 



"During the time from 1840 to 1860 there were 

 probably 1,000 deer killed annually in McKean Coun- 

 ty. Eighty per cent, of this number were killed in No- 

 vember and December of each year. All the internal 

 organs and most of the heads were left in the woods, 

 while half of the hunters left most of the fore parts of 

 the deer they killed, only carrying out just what their 

 own family could use. This left a great abundance of 

 food for wolves, wild cats and foxes to feed on during 

 the rest of the winter and early spring months. This 

 awful slaughter of deer reduced their number to such 

 an extent that during the sixties some of the old hunt- 

 ers predicted that the deer family would become extinct 

 before 1900. They did not realize that taking the 

 supply of food from the wolf was sure to be a great 

 factor in exterminating the wolf family. Many of 

 them during the hard winters starved to death ; others 

 were so hungry they would kill and devour a porcu- 

 pine and get so full of quills or spines it caused their 

 death ; while others would kill the weaker members of 



