The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-31
NUMBER 80.
4 MIGHTY MIN.
ritz HfRcUIEAN HUNTER OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN PLAINS.

remarkable as it is romantic. He is a lu.-
blooded Cherokee, and according to his
own assertions Is over 100 years old. lis
name is John Mehuo, and he was born in
the county of jefferson, VI ssiSsippi, hrie
his tribe resided over n century ago, aud
from which region they were transported
to the Indian Ter itory. John, "a the
uBig Indian" as he is familiaily termed,
is an extraordinary person IN appearance,
being six feet four inches in height, weigh
ing about leO pounds, and in spite Of his
age is erect and comparatively robust. Ills
hair is now perfectly snow white; he has
but a few teeth left, and within the last
two or three years he has grown somewhat
bald. lie is a fisherman and frog huu'er
by profession, and has a wife about siNtv
! years Of age, a French woman, who does
not speak English. His first wife WAS an
! Indian half breed, by whom he had tao
| children, beth living in the vicinity of Ca
hokia, aud hunters and sportsmen by vo-
| cation.
| At the age Of seventeen Meehoo had al
ready become noted for his physical strength
and great powers of endurance. UnfuIiu-
/ nately he became involved in quarrel with
! the chief of the Cherokees, MaLauatal, aud
| slew him. Meehoo, while making an effort
| to flee, was apprehended by his tribe, and,
| after trial according to the forms common
| TO the CEerokees. he was condemned to be
burnt at the stake, but during his short
confinement, preparatory TO his undergoing
this terrible penalty, he escaped. he went
I 70 the northern part of the territory Oi
Mississippi, where he Joined the Cnicka-
saws. Here, too, his belignerent DISPOSE
I tiOn broke out again, and he killed two Of
the Choc aw chiefs and made captive
woman of the tribe with whom he fled.
His life since then has been series Of
wandering fiOm one state to another
From Mississippi he proceeded to Louisi-
aua. from thence to Texas. aud from Texas
to Missouri, and for the last fifty years he
has been living ia the vicinity Of st. Louis,
; where be has followed the precariUus ayO-
cation of frog hunting. He has always
. / been famed for his remarkable strength.
, During his earlier life he vas able 10 lift
900 pounds dead level. On one oc-
casion he carr led upon his broad shoulders
! a barre of pork weighing 800 pounds, from
the landing at East st. Louis, to his then
, home below Cohokia, a distance Of six
miles Several years ago he lived IN the
, old town of kaskaskia, IA Illinois, where
he was employed in the Touring MILL
. RemaI kable stories are told of theiwOnd sr-
/, ful feats of muscular rtrength performed
: | by him. Ii is said shat lie was n the habit
7 OF placing Upon bis shoulders two bags Of
: wheat weighing 900 pounds each, aud car
ryiug them mp a light of stairs, This Ia
: bOr he would perform for hours, never
. seeming to tire.
While roaming through The woods 0ne
7 day his dogs, which were following hIm,
! i bayed a huge stag la the bed Of a died
{ | creek. Mehoo was unaTmed, and after
= ( several ineffrc:ual efforts TO club the deer
! ! with such 5ludgeunS as be could pick up be
J. seized the iuGuuated beast by the autlers
! and by main strength, hurled him over his
> / head, breaking the animals neck.
= Mehoo at one time was probably the
" mishtiest hunter that roRmed the willis uf
{ the American bottom. Forty and fifty
u years ago bears were plentiful In the thick
u I # ltp % = the
!. cas- ern shore of the Mississippi, and bear
= hunting was MehoD's favorito sport
= lie slill carries upon him tlse marks Of
. more than one terrible contest with savage
bruin. To reporter who visited him ou
Thursday last, lac gave recital Of re-
is markable struggle lie had with a bear in
e the winter Of 1929, while hunting through
lc the Dry Creek bottom. about seven miles
: south of where Ccuireyille station Is novy
20 | situated. II was the oath day Of De
5 csmber, and a light snow covered the
ie / ground. MeehnO had gone out for tile
ID purpose Of hunting lid hogs and ha6 with
a. him one dog that was trained for that Pc
" cular spuIt. While travers ng she bottom
es he was suddenly confronted by hinge
s. black bear. The dog rushed at him, but
e the hear at one blow of his powerful paw
lj stretched the poor brute dead, and AT the
as distance of thirty feet bTuiu poised himsel
re ou his hind legs If throwing down the
D. gaun:le Of battle. MehoO immediately
$ pulled down upon him with his rife, bul
Is to his dsmay the powder refused TO 60 off
a The cap exploded with a lord nuise. Il
nr was Immediately replaced by a fresh one
IN but before Meehoo could lire a second tim,
: the bear was upon him, aud IN such clOst
II proximity That II vas impossible for hin
e. even TO use the rifle club. The mar
So and beast closed IN terrific struggle. the
M bear in his Characteristic game Of hugging
8, the desperate Indian struggling To draw
n his knife from his belt. Meehoo laughing
ly said 10 the reporter Il tell you, my son
lie hing that b gave me was the worst
ever had in my life At first thought my
y very ribs WIRE hrulycn. aud I felI as If mr.
: entire body WAS mashed 10 a plete Jelly
!" My breath was entirely taken away, and
i for a moment I was iirely exhausted
- but, realizing the desiU.aie nature Of my
= situation. ] made a Struggle TO free my
= right ann and sUc,crded IN drawing my
p knife. Before ] could Use 10 The bear hug
o ge1 me again. bat | managed 10 get
'e small cut in upuu his fore shoulder. The
y animal rel, "a d me aud began to snap al
me with his teeth, ard struck me with hi,
= fore paw. One blow felled me to The
y ground and almost stunned me into insen-
.! sbiliiy. By the time | ioSe the bear wa;
IL upon me, but had my knife in time and
- gave him a thrust that made him grow
u with anger aud how will pain
y The old mau then proceeded 10 relate {,
= the reporter the several details of the figh
'i and ITS result. The contest lasted ter
~ minutes, the bear getting III blow upor
I" blow. knocking his antagonist down, bn
's never succeeding in getting Ia q hug up0l
" him. Ia tie meanifrle MeehOo used hi
'io knife in savage desperation. though for
hong time uuHhe to touch a vital part o
the monster. Finally be managed TO stal
;lr the bear in The heart and Kill him.
-, MehoO now owns forty acres Of land ant
- lives with his Squaw in a very primiiiv
- cabin. He Is an inoffensive old mau now
/ anu C'u'i'i'eS - ms s-a''s 4E"C'lio'Ss thoies
he ing ho One'-O D. L0"'S A0e''t''g 0st-
Dur -
ut TIE ben becomes rooster when Z
sun goes down.