Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-16
A Monster Moose.

In the year 1917 there was a famous
herd of moose living in the woods around
the head Of PAnse Bay, which, even
then, we're noted for their great size,
beauty and exceeding aeetness Of feet.
/ This latter fact was we'll known and at
tested by many ambitious hunters who
sought to add a moose to the list of their
trophies. How many days and nights,
and how many scores of miles were
tramped through the woods, all in vain,
it is useless to recount. But finally the
day Of triumph and slaughter came ; the
unfortunate herd were entrapped and all
killed except one old leader stag, who
broke away, and by dint Of great strength
and endurance eluded his pursuers. For
a year or two nothing was seen or heard
of aim, but finally there came rumors Of
gigantic moose roaming in the woods
around the head Of Torch Lake. Once
or twice year, for several years, some
Indian or adventurous hunter would
meet him, but the old fellow would be
crashing through the bushes away out Of
sight before the hunter would recover
from his surprise. Once a determined
party hunted for him three days from
the head of Torch Lake, which appears
to have been his favorite stamping
ground, westward toward Lake Superior,
then back again and off to the eastward,
until they finally gave up the chase. An
other time he came cut in Beesley's
clearing on Torch Lake, but he quickly
disappeared upon seenting a human
being. This winter some Indians ap-
| peared determined to catch him, and,
finding his track, gave him several lively
chases, but until week ago he always
escaped. Then a halfbreed, Peter
Marksman, got after him, and, there
being a thick crust on the snow, the man
could move about easily, while the sharp
hoofs of the veteran moose broke through
at every leap. Peter finally overlook
him, several miles northwest Of the Cal
umet mine, and quickly closed his career
with a rifle ball. He skinned him, cut
up the flesh, brought it to town, and
found a ready sale for most of it at fifty
cents pound, realizing over three hun
dred dollars. The head was cut off and
brought in, and has been exhibited to
most of our people during the past few
days. 1t now belongs to Harry Beesley,
| G. E., who will prepare it for preserya-
tion in the rooms of the Historical So
ciety. The head alone gives token that
the entire animal must have been of such
lmOnstrous size as to recall the days OF
the ichthyaosaurus, megatherium, ptyra-
daetyl, etc, when monsters occupied
both the land and the water. Beside
this head, those of an OK or 4 horse looks
small and Insignificant. 1t measured
thirty three inches from the tip of the
nose to the crown of the head between
the antlers. The nose is of decided
"Roman" style, and measured twenty
eight inches around. The nOstrils, dis
tended, each measured four inches in
diameter, and large hand could be
pushed up into them over foot The
| front of the under jaw has eight large
cutting teeth, which bite against a
tough, semi-horny pad in the upper jaw
which has no cutting teeth. AT the
time he was killed, he was busy strip.
ping bark from a small, soft sappling
The head, cut off entirely from the neck
and minus the tongue, weighs seventy
eight pounds 1t is great pity the en-
tire animal could not have been pre-
served. Unfortunately it was killed a
the season of the year when the head is
shorn of its greatest beauty-the enOr
nous branching antlers. The new ono
just rising out of the head, is still en-
cased in the skin, only making protuber
ances Of four or five inches.