Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-06
KNOXVILLE posT.oFFICE HOURS.
TREED BY A BEAR.
A story of the Kennebec wiIderne,

n
What am about 10 relate 1 heard from
the lips of the hero of the affair in the
winter of 1901, seventy years ago. An
old man, as 1 now am, of eighty-two, ma
turally loves to dwell upon the legends of
his Younger days, especially such as are
true, and truth is sometimes stranger than
fiction.
Major Dennis Getchell was an early set
tier in Sidney, then a part of VassalborO'.
He settled on the west side of the Kenne-
bee, nearly opposite VassalborO' Corner.
Attic time of the affair alluded to, Major
Getchell was confined to his home by a
cancer, and sent his son Remington, a
stout young fellow of sixteen, to the West
Pond settlement for DR.. Williams, who
happened to be visiting there The dis
lance was about five miles through the
woods. He went through, having with
him a well-trained dog, did his message,
and after resting and taking some refresh
ments, was about to set out on his jour
ney home.
When he entered the woods the sun was
about an hour high. He had not proceed
ed far when he saw his dog pursuing
cub. He thought at first he would help
him capture the cub and carry him home
with him but he Immediately thought of
the old bear, and, expecting she would be
upon him in minute, he sprang to the
nearest tree, which was a slim Norway
pine, running up between forty and fifty
feet without limb, but the lean, sparing-
ly-fed boys of that day could climb trees
much better than the fulfilled lads OF the
present. When he had got about eight or
ten feet he saw the bear coming after him.
He called out to his dog which had made
furious attack upon the bear behind.
She, fearing for her cub, Immediately
L. l., IL, L. o{f Il
around for considerable time. Reming-
ton, in the mean time, eXerted himself to
the utmost. She came back to the tree
again, but the faithful dog was at her heals.
She then turned and chased him off as be-
FORE
This was again repeated, which gave
Remington time to reach the first limb;
be got hold of it and drew himself on to
it much exhausted, end stood upon it with
his arms around the tree.
After awhile the bear, either disregard
ing the dog, or perhaps having disabled or
killed it in the fight, began to ascend. 1t
was now that Remington began to give
himself up for lost. The poor fellow had
no means of defending himself, and could
see no prospect but that of being dragged
down from that fearful height, and torn
in pieces by the Infatuated beast.
Up came the fiend, steadily advancing,
intent upon her trembling victim, like
stanch murderer steadytO his purpose. ''She
soon reached him, and reached forward
with open jaws and glaring eyeballs to
seize him by the foot. He drew it back,
and with a conYulsion-a superhuman
effort-he dealt it heavy and rapid blows
upon the neck and head. This was a re-
ception she was not prepared for, and she
was obliged to take it quietly, not having
the use of her fore-paws. A bear without
the use of these weapons is quite harm
less, unless she can get hold with her
teeth. Her hold was Immediately broken,
and she lost her balance and fell. This
could hardly have been caused by the
force of the blows, considering the strength
of the bears grasp.
It is the first impulse of bear, when at
tackled or resisted, to strike with his fore
paws. Prompted by this instinct, she had
probably let go her hold upon the tree to
strike at Getchell, still retaing feeble
hold by her hind legs; but here instinct
for once proved a failure, for being directly
underneath him, she naturally swayed
herself back to bring her paws to bear, and
the blow coming at the same instant, she
let go, the recoil quickening her move
ment, and she lost her equilibrium,
Turning a somersault head down, tail
up, her bearship, in accordance with the
law of gravitation, soon landed on terra
trina at distance of about forty feet in
perpendicular line from where she started.
She sat upon her launches for some time,
looking up the tree, as though considering
what to do next. She was not probably
pleased with her aerial excursion, and upon
mature reflection thought she would not
climb that unlucky tree again, but finally
assembled another near by and sat upon the
tree looking at Getchell, crashing her
teeth and growing.
/ Z 1t was now growing dark Remington
had been crying an hour for help, but no
help came. He had heard men chopping
half mile off, but the wind being con-
trary they could not hear him. AS the