The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-24
NUMBER 10.
Il MIGHTY MIN.
THE HERcUIEAN HUNTER OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN PLAINS.

Oiooued Cherokee, and according to his
T own assertions Is over 100 years old Eis
} name Is John MehOo. and he was f,,rt, il,
the county of Jefferson, VI ssiSSippi. ubris
ms tribe resided over century aca. a,,d
, from "hlch region they were Transported
TO the Indian Territory John. a., lie
Dig Indian, rs he is familially termed.
! = an eN'raordlnary person in appearance.
ee'ng SIX feet four inches in height vyei,b
ing aoont lsO pounds, and in spite of lis
age IS erect and comparatively robust His
mar Is now perfectly snow white: he has
ou' lew teeth left, and within the last
Two OF tniee years he has grown somewhat
u"iu' lie Is a fisherman and frog huu.er
Oy profession; and has a wife about sixtT
years ot age French woman, who does
not speak English. His first wife was sn
lnuian haf-breed, by whom he had tao
childreni both living in the vicinity Of Ca
hokIa, aud hunters and sportsmen bv vo-
| Cation. - "
At the age Of seventeen Meeboo had al
ready become noted for his physical strenrtb
ana great powers of endurance TuEuEu-
hately lie became involved in a Quarrel with
the chief Of the CherOkees Mahauatal. and
| slew MN. Meehoo, while making an effort
| 10 hee' was apprehended by his tribe. and.
after trial according to the forms common
TO The Cherokees, he was condemned To be
/ ourht at the stake, but during his short
conhnement, preparatory to his undergoi,,e,
this terrible penalty, he escaped. He went
70 Ine northern part of the territory Of
't'Ssisslppi' where be Joined the Cnicka-
saws. Here, too, his belignerent disnosi
tion broke out again, and be killed two of
Ihe Choc'aw Chiefs and made captive a
woman of the tribe with whom ne fed
MS lie since then has been a series Of
wandering from one State to auotber-
I rom mississippi he proceeded to Iouisi-
aua, from thence to Texas. aud from Texas
20 Nllssouri, Rnd for the last fifty years he
has been living in the vicinity of st. Topis
where he has followed the precarions a,,,
cation OF frog hunting. lie has ALWAYS
oeeu famed Tor his remarkable strength
Durng his earlier life he vas able TO lift
I'OOO pounds on dead level On one oc-
caslon he carried upon his broad shoulders
a pare OF pork weighing 300 pounds. from
Tue landing at East St Louis TO his tben
nome below Cohokia, a distance of six
mics. Several Yeas ago he lived in the
1lu Town oil haskaskia, IN Illinois, where
ne was employed IN the Touring mill
Remai kable stories are told of tbe,vondsr-
iul leats OF muscular btrength performed
10y him. 1t is said shat lie was m The b,bit
OF placing Upon his shoulders two baps Of
wheat, weighing 800 pounds each, aud car
iying them up Hight of stairs. This Ia
Dor lie would perform for hours, never
seeming TO tire
WINE roaming through the woods one
uay hls dogs, which We're following HIM
Oayed huge stag Ia the bed of a d,ied
cIeek' Mehoo Vas unarmed, aud after
seNeiai lhehrc'ual efforts 10 club the deer
with such 5ludgeUns as he could nick ur, be
SeIzed the infuuated beast bv the a,,.i..,s
ahu Oy main strength, hurled him over his
mead, breaking the animals neck
hehoo AT one time was probably the
n nlShtiest hunter that roamed the wii-s ,f
nc american bottom. Forty and fifty
Years ago bears were plentiful i'm the tbicir
oIests ul The swampy reg ions skirtinp the
sas ern shore of the Mississippi, and bear-
hunting was MehOD's favorito sport
lie SIM carries upon him tie marks of
more than one terrible contest with savaga
81 aulh. 10 reporter who visited him on
nuISIay iHst he gave recital Of a re-
nalhauie struggle lie had with a hear in
ne winter Of 1929, while hunting tbron,b
ne Dfy Creek bottom, about seven mills
onth ot where Ccnirevile station Is no,y
luated II was on the path day of De
1moei, aud light snow covered tba
'ronnd. Meehoo had gone out for tic
urPose oi hunting Wild hogs and ha6 win
nm ore dog that was trained for that No
uiiaI Sp"it. While traverS ing sIe bottor,
e was suddenly confronted bv n b,,,,o
lack bear. The dog rushed at him. bnt
ne near al one blow Of his powerful nav
'ietCheu tue poor brute dead, and ar the
iStance OF thirty feet bIuiu poised bimself
u ms hind legs rs If throwing dow, 49,,
auh,lei OF battle. Mehoo immediatelv
Iieu down upOn him with his rife -
, , MS ulsmay the powder refused to 90 Off
ne cap exploded with a lurd nuise Il
a. immediately replaced by a fresh one
Ut before Meehoo could lire n secont t;,S
ie bear was upon him. and In smell 80
oAIHiity thnt u Was impossible for bir,
zen 10 use the rife as a club. The -,...
" DehSt Closed ia terrific struugle. tbo
7a' ii hIs Characteristic game Of hugejng
{ "eSpelh'e Indian struggling 10 draw
; kniie irom his belt. Neeboo lap,bf
said 10 The reporter 81 tell Won. nv -
{ mug ilat an gave me was the worst I
eI ha1 IN my life. At first Itaougbt M
y IlbS we're broken. and [ felt as If NJ
tire body was mashed To a complete ieIv
breath was entirely taken aEav. ana
4 moment | was entirely exhapst.5
t, realizing the DESPERATE nature ~ ~
uatIoii, mace Struggle to free nv
ht am aud SUcsceded IN drawiDg or,
lie. Before ] could use it the bear bD1-
me again, but / managed to oct a
all cnt IN upon his fore boulder. The
ma Iei' a. q me and began to snap at
with his teeth, ARD struck me witb his
paw. One blow felle6 me TO tbs
,uhd ana almost stunned me into ipseD-
ll'y. ~ the time / rose the bear VS.
'n me, bot / had my knife i'm time an5
e MIN thrust that made him groUI
u anger aud hor with pain .
he old mau then proceeded n, relate
reporter the several details of the 49,
us iesnii. The contest lasted ten
iutcS, lie bear getting III blow upon
", knocking his Antagonist down. b~t
CT succeeding IN getting Ia hug unon
/ Ia the meantime Meehoo use6 rs
lie I'D savage desperation. though for
time nnH5,e 10 touch vital part Of
munster Finally be managed TO stan
bear III the heart and XIII him
lehoo BOW owns forty acres Of land s,5
; WIN his Squaw in a very primitive
H. tie Is an inoffensive old mau now
continues his Gaily avocations. modest
no one--Sf- Louis EDeaiRg Post.
he hen becomes rooster when the