The Republican journal., 1871-08-03

What | am about to relate i heard from
the lips of the hero of the affair in the
winter of 1901, 20 years ago. An old
man, Us now am, of 81, naturally loves
to dwell upon the legends Of lis younger
days, especially such as are true, and
truth is sometimes stranger that fiction.
Major Dennis Getchell was an early set
tier in Sidney, then part of Nassalboro.
He settled on the west side of the Kcnnc-
bee, nearly opposite Nassalboro Corner.
AT the time Of the affair alluded to, Major
Getchcll was confined to his home by q
cancer, snd sent his son Remington. Il
stout young fellow Of sixteen, to the West
Pond settlement for DR.. Williams, who
happened to be visiting there. The dis
tance was about five miles through the
woods. lie went through, having with
him we'll trained dog, did his message,
and after resting and taking some refresh
mcntS, was about to set ont on his Journey
home.
When he entered the woods the sun was
about an hour high. lie had not proceed
ed lar when he saw his dog pursuing Il
cub. He thought at first he would help
him capture the cub and carry it home
with HIM, but he Immediately thought of
the old bear, and expecting that she would
be upon him in a minute, he sprang to the
nearest tree, which was slim Norway
pine, running up between forty and fifty
feet, without 4 llmb-thc lean sparingly
fed boys of that day could limb trees
much better than the full fed lads Of the
present. When he had got up about
eight or ten feet he saw the bear coming
after him. He called out to his dog which
made Il furious attack upon the bear be-
hind. She fearing for her cub, immcdi-
atcly turned back and chased the dog of
and around for a considerable time. Rem
in@ton in the meantime exerted himself
to the utmost. She came back to the tree
again but the faithful dog was at her
heels. She then turned and chased him
off rs before
This was again repeated, which gave
Remington time to reach the first limb :;
he cot hold Of it and drew himself on TO
it much exhausted, and stood upon it with
his arms around the tree
After awhile the bear. either Disregard
inc the dog, or perhaps had been disabled
Or killed in the fight, began to ascend. 1t
was now that Remington began to give
himself over for lost. The poor fellow
, lu ~ li',''l7 o, ~ uoici'tIi alI's4'i, gnu
1,alrr,nI ,-,l FAX, that fon,.f,l
.1' H.: III - ~
f1p cnnn ,ho fio,,l
intent upon her TREMBLING victim. s.lke y
staunch murderer steady to his purpose y
She soon reached him. ana reached for
ward with oDcn laws and olarin9 eycballs
to siezc him by the foot. lie drew II bacl,
and with u conyulsion-a superbuman cf-
fort-hc dealt with it heavy and rapid
blows upon her neck and head. This was
4 reception She was not prepared for. and
she was obliged to take 1t quietly, not
having the use of her fore paws. 4 bear
without the use Of these weapons is quite
harmless, unless She can oct 4 hold With
her teeth. Her hold was Immediately
broken, and she lost her balance and fell.
This could hardly have been caused bv
the force of the blows, considering the
strength OF q bears grasp.
1t Is the first impulse Of bear. when
attacked or resisted. to strike with his
fore paws. Prompted by this instinct, she
had probably let 90 her hold upon the
tree to strike al Getchell. still retaininn \
feeble hold by her hind Ices; but here in
stinct for once proved a failure. for beinr
directly underneath him, she naturally
swayed herself back to BRING her paws to
bear. and the blow coming at the same in
stant, She let 90, the recoil which quick
enod her movement and she LOST ber
eoniibrium.
Turnin~ a somcrsault. head down tail
M. her bearship, in accordance with thc
law Of grlvit:.tion, soon landed on tcy1u
ft1au at distance of about 40 feet in a
line from where she started
She sat upon her launches for some fine.
looking up at the tree. as thouoh consid-
orinn What to do next She WIS not mo-
habiv HIGHLY pleased with her aerial OK
cnrsion and upon nature rchcction
thonobt she would moi climb that unlucEv
trcc arain. but finally asccndcd another
na,r hy and sat mon a tree loolino nj
II was now GROWING dark. Reminoton
had been CRYING an hour for help. buf no
bcln came. lie had heard men chonnino
half ! mile Off bnt The wind beinr con-
tra,v tbcv could NOT hear him As the
sonnd OF the axes ceased. his hone left
him: but as n kind providence had order
Cd if 4 woman was ont near the cdoc Of
liz woods, looking for her COW hcr hus.
band being absent, and heard Rcminr-
TONS cries. Her husband returned home
after dark and she told him what she had
heard. and earnestly bcsounht him to 90
md rct hclp and ascertain What thc
trouble was. He declined going. saving
that the noise she heard was that of q
screech owl. But she insisted that it was
a human voice, and begged Of him to 90.
AT length. Welding to her entrcaties. he
mounted q horse and rode into the woods
in the direction she had pointed ont. and
soon heard Remineton's voice. Pursuing
in the direction Of The sound, he soon cot
within speaking distance. calling to him
he inquired what was the matter. On be-
ing informed the man replied that he
rather thought he was only frightened
and advised him to come down. At that
the bear hearing the mans voice,
to oroyl f,,.;ouslv which so |