Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-12-18
Caught in a Bear Trap--A Terrible
Experience.


miles from town, relate the following
remarkable incident. On last Thursday
afternoon, about three o'clock, two of
the party were on the trail of a deer,
which led them into remote ravine In
the Businesses of the mountain into
which they had not before ventured.
The snow being about two feet deep and
the walking very heavy, they became
discouraged, and losing all hope of over.
taking the deer, which they had wounded,
they abandoned the pursuit. On their
return one of them discharged his gun at
hare, and soon after faint hallOo was
| heard at some distance to the right, as if
| from some one in distress. Uncertain
whether they were not mistaken, and had
not been deceived by the whistling of
the wind, they shouted aloud, when the
cry was repeated.
| AS night would soon come on, they
held consultation, and were about pro-
ceeding to their camp, three or four
miles away, concluding that the noise
was made by wandering Indians or came
from a party of wood-choppers. They
started on, but soon prolonged and
mournful howl was borne down the
wind and again reached their ears. They
stared at each other moment, and then
! by simultaneous impulse turned in
the direction from which the sound pro-
ceeded. They went on for some dis.
tance, houndering through the snow
down q precipitous descent which led
them into gloomy canon.
| AS they drew nearer the voice of a hu-
man being could be distinctly heard call
ing for relief. They answered that aid
was approaching. The mans yells of
misery changed to cries of joy, and they
could hear him, at intervals, shouting
For Gods sake, don't go away and leave
mew "Come and get me outr Al am
caught and starvingr' Still they could
see nothing But, guided by the mans
cries and cheering him with hopeful
answers as they advanced they pushed
| forward and at last discerned what
seemed to he a small cabin built of logs,
without windows or doors.
The snow had drifted against the side
of the hut nearly as high as the roof,
and as they could see no entrance they
went around to the other side. As soon
as the occupant saw them he uttered ex-
carnations of the greatest JOY and ex-
| planned his situation in few words, by
stating that he had built bear-trap and
caught himself in it five days before.
The door was made of heavy logs and
was so arranged as to slip down into its
place from above They tried to lift it
up, but failed. Finally, by means of a
stick of timber which lay near by, they
pried it up sufficiently for the prisoner
to crawl beneath.
He appeared more dead than alive, but
| by judicious use of flask of brandy
they were able to get him into their
camp about dark, where their compan.
| ions had blazing fire awaiting their re-
turn. The half-famished man ate rave.
nously. He was supplied with plen-
ty of hot coffee, and smoked a
pipe, after which his strength
somewhat revived, and he gave
the following account of how he got into
! the situation in which he was found: He
said his name was Thomas Way, and
that he had been engaged in chopping
wood in the mountains during last sum
mer. Since the first snowfall, about a
month ago, he had frequently noticed the
tracks of bears among the pine trees,
and had often tried to get a shot at them
but without success. At last the idea
struck him to build a pen such as he had
often seen grizzly bears caught in in
Lake County, Cal, where he used tc
live.
He explained that the bear trap is
made by building small square house
of heavy hewed logs and covering it witt
a strong roof The door is of heavy logs
also, and slides up and down in grooves
When it is up there is an open entrance
about five feet high and four feet wide
A sheep is killed and hung up inside o
the pen attached to rope, which is con
nected with trigger, so that when bea
enters and seizes the mutton the doc
falls and he is Gagged
Way went to work and completed hi
trap to his satisfaction, and intended t.
bait it the same night. Having u curios
ity to see how it would work he went il
and pulled the rope slightly, when th'
door fell down. He attempted to rails,
it, but was hOrror-stricken and his hal
stood on end when he found that he wa
unable to bulge it an inch He WORKED
and struggled, but the heavy weight re
fused to move. The pen worked onl,
too successfully, and he was caught il
his own trap. He yelled, shouted, calle'
for help, but, knowing that he was mile
from human habitation, and in say
age locality where few persons eve
ventured, he sat down in blank despair
He spent that night in agony, and go
but little sleep. 1t commenced to snow
but fortunately he had heavy blanket
overcoat which kept him comparativel
comfortable The next morning h
commenced shouting again until hi
throat was sore, but was only answere
/ by the bowling of the tempest. He ha
set his gun against stump outside, an
/ longed to get at it that he might fire
| off and attract somebody's attention
He soon began to get hungry His thirs
) he quenched by thrusting his han
through the chinks between the logs an
} raking up snow and eating it.
4 Thus day after day elapsed, durin
, which his mental sufferings were teri
} BILE. 81 tell you, men," said he, "
. thought of everything l had done in a
3 my life from the time was boy 81
years old" At last a brilliant idea struc
: him. He had matches and would bur
I his way out. With the heel of his boo
| had accumulated a quantity of dust an
f splinters, which he would light with
D match and blow the fire with his HI
!, until he had burned hole large enoug
, to crawl out. All the day previous
5 hat on which he was found he was thU
/ employed, but on trial the scheme wou
I not work The wood refused to bul
n and he again lay down to die. That dG
e passed, and the next day he had abal
h doned all hope and was calculating no
r long it would take a strong, healthy mi
= to die of starvation. He was in a sta
of abject stupor when he heard the r
port of gun. He was in doubt wheth
a it was not the effect of his own madden'
z Imagination, but he hallooed with all b
4 might and kept on shouting When !
i cries were answered he was almost del
n ious with joy. AS the voices approach,
v his visions of approaching death fl
+ away and the realities of life came ba,
!. like a food. He was profuse in his grl
n itude to his deliverers, but declared
d intention of getting out of the Sier
v Nevadas as soon as possible and aba
;s doning bear hunting, He said that
n had had most too close call and did,
nj want any more of it in his. The ne
"a morning he left for the camp of sol
,s wood. choppers, who were no doubt al
loss to account for his long absence
Virginia CITY (NeU,) Chronicle
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is Subterranean Fishes.