Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-16
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
NInGeru NEOuMtaimeer.

The king of these ':latter day" baekwoodS
men lives in an almost inaccessible hollow, not
far from the top Of the Blue Ridge, and his
nearest neighbor lives several miles away. Ills
lor cabin is probably after the samr model as
rhat first occupied hy Daniel Boone on his re-
moval to the wilds Of Kentucky lio has a
family, and pack of vicious looking dogs, and
i is no sander to say that his contempt for
labor and the conyentionalites Of refined So
,iety is eauaed only by his love tor, the chase
and his cordiality to his visitors. NO matter
who finds the way to his humble abode--and 1t
is proper to say that very lew ever oo-tHe
propretor is lavish in his arrangements 1or inc
comfort of the guest, and is always ready 70
speak of his adventures, which; strangely
enough arc rarely narrated IN detai lest S1sii:-
bndv should accuse him of exaggeratlon: 1t Is
not necessary to print the name Of this hunter,
f,r III who read this in Bedford, Rotetourt,
Rockbridee and Amherst counties, know who
!, meant. His name, however, has appeared
IN New York literary paper and also IN
R,,tnn daily, so there can be no harm III say
;pg that his ncighbors call him Arch. 4
lie is probably the only man living who Is
.hia to travel over the cliffs and crags of the
mountains as rapidly as q dog Or bear; but this
h.. has never failed to accomplish when he nm
Iertook it, and whenever the bear came to
halt to fight the dogs, Arch was on hand with
his enormous rife, ready to fire the fatal shot.
Some years ago, man residing at the base
Of the mountains, Il few miles from Arch's ca
hin, got an idea into his head that the bear
hunter was overratc0,. and that he could 40
equally as well, with good dogsa as Arch could do.
He argued himself into the belief that 1t was
his duty to coup and give the hunter lesson IN
this sport, and early one morning, armed with
:, fine silver mounted rifle. and powder and
lead enough to kill all the bears in the Stlte,
he presented himself at the door of tile back
woodsman's cabin. and bantered that worthy
tor bear hunt.
What dive know bout bars asked Arch,
who was industriously moulding bullets in a
broken ladle and scarcely looked at his visitor
"A good deal, guess was the answer; Il
claim to be crack shot, and have as fine a
rifle as anybody.
nothiu' bout it! That thing, wouldn't Kill a
wild cat. Besides its bad day for bars, and
YOU can't keep up with me, no how
This was spoken in the most comtemptuous
manner possible, and ':riled' his visitor SO
much, that be was tempted to "chaw up poor
Arch without ceremony.
.'All right" he answered Il didn't believe
you would haut with me, for fear might get
the best of you
"Neighbor, - said Arch, pouring the newly
nodded bullets into his pouch, and seating hlm-
self upon bench, II don't want to hunt With
YOU; cause keeps UP with my dogs, when
they stops to bay the bar. I'm thar ready to
shoot; ef you start with me you'll git lost, sure
as shootin'. But I'm gwine. anyhow; so come
on.
Arch called up his dogs, about a dozen IN
number, and they sailed forth. Before pro-
ceeding two miles, the dogs "struck trail,
Il quarter of a mile in advance OF the hunters.
At the first yelp of the hounds, Arch sprang
forward as nimbly rs an Indian, and his com
pauion afterwards said the ground seemed to
Slide from under his feet like it was creased.
He kept in sight of the flying hunter for few
hundred yards, and stopped to rest. He had
rested but few minutes when he heard the
report of Arch rife, on ridge more than a
mile away, and he set out to find the lace
But when he reached the spot, he found that
Arch had skinned the bear, and was quietly
resting from his laborS. Our friend babe
Arch good day, and struck 4 bee line for home,
broken down and Il wiser man.
During the late war; Arch was a conScrIpt
in the Confederate service; but he had not
much stomach for the pomp and circumstance
Ot war, ana mauc repcatcu Dut llultleSS appl-
cations for furlough. Finally his Captain de-
manded to know why he was so anxious to get
home. Arch replied that he had already killed
one hundred and ninety-nnc bears, and was
particularly anxious to git one more. If he
could seculc furlough for 4 few days, to ell
able him to make his number Of bears two
hundred, he would checrfully return to duty.
The furlough was refused, and Arch delibe::
ratcly deserted, came home, rubbed up his old
rifle, killed his two hundredth bear, and Went
back to the tented field. He reported to his
commanding officer immediately ON his arrival,
presented him with hunk" of the bears
meat, and requested that sentry might show
him to the guard house But his services
were needed at the front, and he was never
punished for the desertion. He rarely hunts
row for there are no bears in the mountains,
but he is as tond rs ever Of relating his scrapes
with Bruiu. .-LmchJmg Republicans.