The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-11-04
"REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD
SETTLER.

Mr.. S. FoLJAMBE-Sir: May be it
will not be amiss to let the rising gen
Grafton know something of the early
days, and l will give you history of
the big hunt that took place here in
December, 1919. The township OF
Streetsboro' was not settled for many
years after those around it. twas all
owned by Titus Street, from whom it
was named, and who drew it as a
member of the Connecticut Land Com
pany in 1893, containing 10000 acres,
being No. in the ninth range. 1t
was famous place for bears, wolves,
wild cats, woolly nigs, deer and other
smaller animals. The bears killed our
hogs, and the wolves our sheep and
calves, and sometimes our yearlings.
We could risk nothing unless our eyes
were on it most of the time. The set
tiers in the townships around Streets
boro-Hudson on the west, Franklin
on the south, Shalersville ON the east,
and Aurora on the north-determined
to have big drive, surround the
township and kill off the wild ami
mails.
A committee was appointed to ar
range matters, who marked off thirty
or forty acres little south of the CEN
ter, where the old saw-mill stood, in
to which the game was to be driven.
The men from each township were to
be on the line of the township of
Streetsboro', next to them at ten
o'clock in the morning. The swamps
were frozen, and there was about
three inches of snow and good day
for the hunt. Most Of the regular
hunters were opposed to the hnnt, for
game was all their dependence for
meat, and I was one of them. 1 start
ed out early with my dog, to be on
hand when the game started. L took
a position on dry piece of ground, a
little south of the center and sat down
ON a log. I soon heard crushing
noise in hollow about forty rods off,
and walked to large wildwood tree !;
looking up l saw the head of a huge
bear sticking out of hole in the tree.
1 drew my rifle on his eye. When it
cracked he fell back into the tree with
wonderful kicking and smashing,
but was soon still. l saw where three
more bears had left the tree, and sent
nv dog after them. In about half a
mile he overlook and ran all of. them
up tree. When / got sight of them
the old ohsewas about forty feet from
the ground, on the side of the tree.
I took to tree to shoot her, but be-
fore l got there she came down and
took to boxing the dog, and finally to
hugging him, as though she loved him.
I ran up to within about two rods
but could not fire without hitting the
dog. She would hug him and~ther
ease up, and every time he would
work from under her. The dog go
loose and caiIse running toward me
. and the bear, whirling around, saw mt
and made as straight for me as a BET
line. When she was about eight fee
from me fired, and, happening to hi
her right, she dropped. was littl
scared, land ran back to load my gun
The dog was worrying her, when she
got up and knocked him away. Sh'
went about fifteen feet to big tre
and set herself down between its larg
roots, her back to the tree. There sh
sat like aperson in an arm chair t
keep off the dog. By the time go
my gun loaded she tainted, tumble
over and gave up the ghost. She wa
the most frightful looking animal
ever saw, as she come at me, he
bristles sticking forward, her eyes lik
balls of fire and her nose turned u
showing her teeth furiously. Will
we were i'll the tusslc the other tw
came down the tree and ran off. 81
the dog after them and in about mil
he treed one of them which l she
and carried back to the old one. The
I began to hear the horns and bells
different directions and to see the det
bounding along ahead of the men
the lines. When they came up fe
into the ranks and marched up to Il
ring or slaughter pen. When it w
closed up there was the greatest sig
I ever saw. There were over Oh
hundred deer and large number
bears and wolves. AS they ran aroul
the ring the guns cracked like. a bs
tie. The deer came around in gre
f1ocks like storm. It was splend
sight to sec so many deer with the
big antlers. The hunters got toget
er and when the droves came aroul
would make gap in the lines and
them out. They ran out in lar
flocks and then the gap would
closed to keep in the bears and wolv
The firing was kept up till we thoue
all were dead but one. He was wouT
ed and came hopping around the I'll
eight. or ten rods from the line, evel
body hollering "Wolf wolf, woI
and firing a perfect storm of bullt
He was shot down before he reacf
us. Philip Willard, of Rootstov
and Samuel Curtis, of Hudson, w
standing together and both fired at
wolf. He fell and Willard ran nE
scalp the wolf; Curtis claimed
scaln as his and took hold of the W.
They pulled and hauled the "
around a. while, then dropped him
went at each other with their fist
They were of about the same size
we'll matched. They made the oil
flow pretty freely, but after a II
mil willard outwinded Curtis
got the better of him. When t
got up to look for the wolf he