Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-08
From theSt. Paul Pioneer.
BEAR STORY
The Way Mighty Hunter Proceeded
10 Capture n BruIn, and the Way
Bruin Proceeded TO Capture the
Hunter

A portly black bear has for dav or two
been disportine himself in the woods near
Hinckley, much to the discomfort of the
residents thereabouts, whose fears of the
animal prevented them from pursuing
their avocaticn of gathering in their crop
of blueberries and wild plums. Now, the
Hinckleyites are not sportsmen, and least
of all bear-hunters. They can eat bear
meat with a relish, and the young men love
to saturate their hair with bears oil when
they go to see their girls; but they don't
like to gather bears oil and bear steaks as
well as blueberries and plums. So, after a
council of war, they concluded to telegraph
to a mighty hunter of black bears, who re-
sides about eight miles, west of St Paul, to
come up Immediately and take in that bear.
He went on the first train, and his appear
snce justified the confidence reposed in his
powers. As he stepped from the cars he at
once inquired, "where is your bear?" He
was informed that the last seen of the
beast was mp two or three miles near the
railroad track, and thither the hunter pro-
ceeded alone. Armed with gun in leath-
er case, a revolver or two swung at his side
bowie-knife hung to his belt, and little
Ratchet also in neat case dangling from
his waist-band, with three dogs mixed up
with his feet, and dressed with buckskin
leggins, beaded moccasins, and with a gen
eral appearance of Davy Crockett or Dan
iel Boone got up in his Sunday best, our
mighty hunter started up the track in pur-
suit of the noble game. A crowd of spec
tators stood on the railroad platform and
gazed with admiration on the departing
bear-slayer, as he maiestically stalked away
in pursuit of his bruin. The gallant hun
ter had, however, proceeded no further
than a mile when he was seen coming down
the track towards Hinckley at rate that
would have shamed hand-car, his accou-
trements rattling and dangling around
him, and the black bear after him! The
fact transpired that the hunter had sudden
ly come upon the bear, and as his gun was
buckled in his case and unloaded at that,
he had no other alternative but to get back
as soon as possible and start again under
more favorable auspices.
Well, our hunter took little rest, and
then loading up his gun and revolvers, and
calling his dogs, he started again. This
time he disappeared in the distance, dark
ness came on, and the expectation of the
Hinckleyites was on tip-toe, while women
and children spoke in tremulous whispers
about possible conflict in the darkness
between the man and the bear. The male
residents of the town had assembled around
round table in bar-room, and between
drinks, discussed the great topic of the
hour. Before they were ready to exchange
the excitement or the tavern for the COM
forts of home, they were startled with a
night shrek and a moment later our brave
hunter, all torn, bleeding and bedraggled,
his hat lost, his new leggins in tatters, and
his nice moccasins worn out-eame dash,
| ing into the room, painting, breathless, ex
hausted. As soon as he had become suffi
GENTLY recovered, his recovery being has
tened by copious draughts of the antidott
| of rattlesnake bites, the hunter proceeded
to tell his terrible story. He said he gol
on the trail of the bear, which he followed
for some distance, but towards night thC
tracks got too fresh for comfort, so he con
cluded to go into quarters for the night
especially as he doubted his ability to find
his way home in the darkness. Calling hi
dogs around him, and selecting a good
camp ground, the hunter proceeded TX
make himself comfortable. But his repost
was Of short duration, for the solemn 81
lence was soon broken by an unearthl1
roar and crashing of the bushes in his i'm
mediate vicinity, and the general din wa
| SOOA lLSACooC0 IuO nOMlo VI OLe VI Ill
own dogs. OF course that was no place 70
a civilized hunter, and so he dug out for
place Of safety. He ran, fell, struggled il
the mire and the brush, every sound con
vincing him that the bear was behind him
| just ready to tear him into fesh-coloreC
ribbons. And thus the belated sportsman
spent several hours in his desperate effort
to escape his threatened danger, when b
fortunately struck the railroad track, afte
which his course was clear, and he arrived
at Hinckley in safety, in the sad plight in
dicated above. The bear hunt was over
and before daylight the hunter had takel
the down train and is now probably safe a
home-a few miles above st. Paul. Tn
truth of the nights adventure was partial
| ly corroborated the next day, when tn
hunters dog came into Hinckley in even
worse condition than his MASTER for b
had a leg broken, one ear torn off, and hi
face badly mangled, showing that at leas
he had staid long enough to discover tina
there really was live bear around ther
ready to fe interviewed by a courageou
and experienced sportsman.