The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
A MIGHTY MAN.
The urrrulraa Hunter the t4rrat AmrFi-
can Ptuina.

The st. lsOuiS Euoaipg Post says
About three miles down the Illinois
shore, near the little town of Cahokia,
lives very queer Ia lian, who has
history as remarkable as II Is romantic
He is full-blouded Cherokee. and,
according 20 his own assertions, ls over
100 years old. His name is John Nee
hoo, and lao was born III the county Of
Jefferson, Mississippi, where his tribe
resided over century ago. aud from
which region they were transported 10
the Indian Territory. John, or the
big Indian, As he is famiharly term
ed, is an extraordinary person in APP
prarance. being SIX feet four inches IN
height, weighing about 100 pounds, Bnd
IN spite Of his age is erect and compare
tiyey robust. HIS hair is now perfect
ly +, white; he has buta few teeth
left and within the last two or three
years he has grown somewhat bald
He is "a fisherman aud frog hunter by
profession and has a wife about sixty
wears of age. French woman. who
does not speak English. His first wife
was an Indian hall. breed, by whom he
had two children, both living in the
vicinity Of Cahokia, and hunters and
sportsmcn 10y vocation.
At the age oi seventeen Meeho0 had
already become noted for his physical
strength and great powers Of endurance.
/ Unfortunately he became involved Ia IA
quarrel with the chief of the Cherokees,
MahAnatal. and slew him. Meohoo,
while making AN effort to flee, was APP
pretended by his tribe, and. after
I trial according 20 the forms common 20
the Cherukees, he was condemned % be
burnt 40 the stake, but during his short
confinement, preparatory 20 bis under
going this terrible penalty, he escaped.
/ He went 10 the northern part of the
/ territory Of Mississippi, where he Joined
| tho ChickasaWs. Here, too, his belligrr-
/ ent disposition broke out again. amt he
killed two Of the Choctaw chiefs ami
made captive woman II the tribe, with
whom he fed. His life since then has
been series uf wandering from Que
State 30 another From Mississippi he
proceeded a. Louisiana, from thence 10
Texas, and from Texas 10 Missouri, and
+ for the last hfty years he has been lv-
. ing IN the vicinity OF ST. LOUIS, where
. lac has followed the prccarious ayocaiion
Of frog hunting. He has always been
famed for has remarkable strength.
During his earlier liie he WAS able 20
lif, ] 600 pounds on dead level. On
one occasion he carried on his broad
shoulders a barrel Of pork weighing 800
. pounds. from the landing at East ST.
Louis 10 hls then home below CAhokia,
a distance o. sir miles. Several wears
ago he lived in the old town Of kaskas-
kia. IN Illinois, where he vas employed
IA the Touring mill Remarkable
stories are told of the wonderful ieats Of
muscular strength performed by him.
IL is said that be Was IN 20 habit oi
placing upon has shoulders two bags Of
wheat. weighing 200 pounds each, and
carrying them up a flight Of stairs.
This labor he would perform for two
hours, never seeming 30 tire.
While roaming through the woods one
day his dogs, which were following him,
bayei a huge stag IN the bed ui y dricd
creek. Meehoo WAS unArmed, and after
several Intellectual efforts 10 club the
door with such bludgcons as he could
pick mp. he seized the iufuriatci beast
by the antlcrs, and by main strength
hurled him over his head, breaking the
animals neck.
Meehoo at one time was probably the
mighticst hunter that roamed the Ellds
IL the American bottom. Forty and
fifty years ago bears we're plentiful IN
the thick forests Of the swampy regions
skirting the eastern shore % the Miss
I issippi, and bear. ar.huniing was Mechoo's
I favorite sport.
He still carries upon him the marks OF
. more than one terrific contest with say
age bruin. To a reporter who visited
/ him on Thursday last. he gave a recital
/ OF remarkable struggle he had with
| bear in the winter Of 1929. while hunting
/ through the Dry Greek bottom, about
( seven miles south Of where Crntervllle
! station is now situated. II was ON the
I oath dAy of December, and a light snow
I covered the ground. Meehoo had gone
( ont for the purpose of huntinR wild hogs.
and had with him one dog that Was
/ trained for that peculiar sport While
. travcrsing the bottom he WAS suddenly
confronted by a huge black bear. The
{ dog rushed al him, but the bear at one
/ blow Of his powerful paw stretched the
/ poor brute dead, and at the distance of
thirty feet bruin poised himself on his
{ hind legs AS il throwing down the gaunt-
I LET OF battle Mechoo Immediately
/ pulled down upon hin with his rifle, but
/ to his dismay the powder refused to 60
/ of. The cap exploded with loud
noise. IL was Immediately replaced by
/ fresh one. but before Meehoo could
/ fire n second time the bear was upon
/ him, and in such close proximity that
/ il was impossible for him even 30 use
! the rifle as a club. The man and beast
closed in a terrific struggle, the bear IN
I mis- characteristic game of hugglng, the
/ desperate Indian struggling 10 draw has
knife from his belt. Meehoo laughlngly
said 10 the reporter, 81 tell you, my son,
/ the hing that bear gave me was the
worst ever had in my life. At first |
/ thought my very RIBS we're broken, and
/ | felt as il my entire body was mashed
/ 20 n complete Jelly. Ny breath was en-
/ tirely taken away. and for n moment
was entirely exhausted, but realizing
/ the desparate nature Of my situation,
made struggle TO free my right arm and
succeeded in drawing my knife. Before
/ I could use il the bear hugged me again,
but managed to get n small cut IN upon
his shoulder. The animal released me
and began 10 snap at me with his teeth,
and he struck az me with his fore paw.
| One blow felled me 20 the ground and
almost stunned me into insensiblhty.
BY the time | rose the bear was upon
me, but / had my knife in time and gave
him thrust that made him growl with
anger and howl with pain"
The old man then proceeded to relate
10 the reporter the several details of the
fight aud its result The contest lasted
ten minutes, the bear getting IN blow
upon blow, knocking his antagonist
down, but never succeeding IN getting IN
n hug upon him. In the meantime
Meehoo used his knife in savage desper-
alton, though for lolg time unable TO
touch n vital part of the monster. Final
. ly he managed TO stab the bear IN the
heart and kill him.
Meehoo now owns forty acres of land
and lives in n very primitive cabin. He
is an inofTensive old man now, and con-
tinues his daily avocations, molesting no
one
Whisky Drinking in New York.