THE FORESTS OF OREGON 



have no liking for man either as meat or as 

 society; and while some may be curious at 

 tunes to see what manner of creature he is, 

 most of them have learned to shun people as 

 deadly enemies. They have been poisoned, 

 trapped, and shot at until they have become 

 shy, and it is no longer easy to make their 

 acquaintance. Indeed, since the settlement 

 of the country, notwithstanding far the greater 

 portion is yet wild, it is difficult to find any of 

 the larger animals that once were numerous 

 and comparatively familiar, such as the bear, 

 wolf, panther, lynx, deer, elk, and antelope. 



As early as 1843, while the settlers num- 

 bered only a few thousands, and before any 

 sort of government had been organized, they 

 came together and held what they called "a 

 wolf meeting," at which a committee was 

 appointed to devise means for the destruc- 

 tion of wild animals destructive to tame ones, 

 which committee in due time begged to report 

 as follows: 



It being admitted by all that bears, wolves, pan- 

 thers, etc., are destructive to the useful animals 

 owned by the settlers of this colony, your commit- 

 tee would submit the following resolutions as the 

 sense of this meeting, by which the community may 

 be governed in carrying on a defensive and destruc- 

 tive war on all such animals: 

 313 



