The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-01-07

| DELHI, n. Y, DEC. 30.-Two women,
mother and daughter, named Butler, living
on that spur the Catskils of whic h Mount
Prospect is the termination, recently had
an encounter with bear, in which was man.
ifested a heroism worthy of those early days
in American history when the settlers were
compelled to be continually on the alert
against ferocious beasts and still more feroci-
Gus Indians.
Mrs. Butler is women about thirty-fve,
and her daughter Jennie is sixteen. 1t is
| the custom of the husband and father to be
absent in the woods sometimes two or three
days, leaving his wife and daughter alone
with good watch dog and rifle in the cabin.
He was away on Sunday last About five
O'Clock on that'day the daughter Jennie, was
preparing the evening meal for the hogs
which were squealing in the pen, log en-
closure a short distance from the shouse. A
sudden change in the cries emitted from the
sty, and the furious barking of the dog Joe,
caused both mother and daughter to run to
the door of the cabin and look out. What
was their amazement to see large black
bear with a shoat weighing sixty or seventy
pounds, tucked in under one fore leg and
trying to climb out OF the enclosure The
Buffers had lost three hogs already by the
inroads Of other animals and the women re-
solved to rescue this one if possible. The
dog was making great fuss on the outside
of the pen but was afraid to jump inside
and attack the bear Mrs Butler Sc zed
a heavy maui, usedin driving wedges in logs,
and her laughter snatched the axe from the
woodpile and the two moved at once to the
pen. They both jumped inside the enclosure
emboldened by which the dog also leapcd
over and commenced harassng bruin in tine
rear The women rained blows heavy and
quick on the bear, which presently dropped
the pig, and, turning on the dog, had him
in his embrace, in Il twinkling and crushed
him to death. The efforts of the women to
d spatch the bear were redoubled. The bear
was now raging with fury, and advanced
with his jaws distended upon the girl who
was welding her axe numerically. With
one sweep of his great paw he struck the
weapon from her hands and the next instant
had pressed her into corner ofthepen; but
the terrible blows that were showercd upon
him by Mrs. Butler with the maui forced
aim to leave the girl before doing her any
great injury. He rushed furiously upon
Mrs. Butler, who managed to elude his grasp
and retained possession of her weapon, which
she used to good advantage. She shouted to
| Jennie to hasten to the house and bring the
rifle and shoot the bear, The girl jumped
from the pen, her clothing nearly all torn
from her person, and hurried after the gun.
The blood from the wounds inflicted on the
bear by the axe and maui poured on the
floor of the pen and over the shaggy coat of
the m monster Round and round the enclos-
ure the contest waged until at last the bear
struck the women's weapon with his paw
| and sent it flying out on the ground. He
pressed Mrs. Butter into corner, where
she dropped in a crouching position and
| placed her hands over her eyes expecting to
| be torn to pieces the next instant Just
| then her daughter returned with the rifle
She pushed the barrel through chink in
, the log and fired. The bear staggered an
instant on his launches and fell back dead.
The Dall had entered and passed clear through
his heart, as was afterwards ascertained.
With the removal of the great tension
on her nerves Jennie fell lifeless to the
ground, and it was long time be fore her
mother could summon strength sufficient to
climb out of the pen to her aid. She finally
got her into the cabin, and succeeded in re-
storing her to consciousness. Neither of
the women was hurt to any great extent, the
daughter having the flesh torn under her
arms where the bear seized her, and being
considerably scratched about the body.