Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-14
Facts About Bears.
A Rsac ordinarily More Dansercu
 than a V0odchuchs

A Reac ':rd1mar1iy no More Dansorcus
 than a woodchuck.
 From the Forest and streaml
 rise for few remarks on the bear. have known bruin for the past forty years. I have met him on the trail in northern Michi gan, Pennsylvania and the north woods I have seen him in Wisconsin and MinnsSota.
 Ordinarily bruin is about as dangerous a raccoon of the festive woodchuck But it does happen that the mother of any mammal will ignore danger to herself in defence of her young. Almost any animal will go wild and reckless of danger in defence of her young, and the bear is wonderful on muscle. Consequently, when she bears turns on her tormentors it is we'll to keep back about eighty-ive and a half feet. She doesn't want to hurt any ybody. She only wants to get her babes away from that fearful biped with the Derby hat and a dead rabbit cut on his hair. If you humor her you are safe enough. If you want to put your hounds on her, making the escape of her cubs doubtful well, ''you takes your cholce," if you drive her to des- peration and she has the grit to stand by her cubs, "better you stand leedle back. I have bagged good deal of bear meat I ! have been twice on a lone cruise in the north woods. saw several bears there-all intent 1 on their own affairs.
 1 So slight was the danger from wild animals l there, and so childish seemed the immense ornaments of the average tourist, that came ! to leave, not only my rife, but my revolver ! behind. And found the eight ounce roo and the pocket hatchet all sufficient for de ! fence against wild beasts. All the same z she bear with cubs may be dangerous. | will give three instances that l voucl for:
 Forty years ago "Jim Steele" with re | cord of seven panthers twenty -one bears anc ] I,3OO deer, resided at the mouth of 'Asopl Run" He sent his son, aged 14, up thu l creek for the cows one evening. The bo, came back frightened and crying, saying thu 1 big bear had chased and nearly caught him ! Old Jim was disgusted at tho boys coward ice. Leaving his rifle he went back with thu
 boy, and at the mouth of the Kennedy Ru,
 the boy commenced to say, 'It was jus
 here,' when an immense bear jumped iron
 under the bank, reared on her hind legs
 and, showing all the teeth she had, growing
 snarling and threatening, made at the party
 Old Jim took it in at once. Jump on my
 back" he yelled to the youngster, which tn
 boy did at once; and yelling, backing an'
 fourishing knife, all the weapon he had
 old Jim and the boy got away. Then the.
 saw the mother bear cross the ''riff1e" on thu
 creek and scatter up the mountain side to b
 seen no more of men forever.
 l Thirty-two years ago Harry Ellis" borl
 and bred on Pine Creek, guided party t.
 the huckleberry hills of the Barrens. Whil ] prospecting for the best berrying grounds b l was suddenly confronted by an immens
 bear, which arose from behind a large falle trunk, and, rearing on her hind legs, mad
 directly at him, roaring grunting, snarlin
 and showing her best array of teeth. Harr
 seized and fourished pine knot, whoopin
 and yelling at the top of his voice, as he ra
 backward at his best pace for few rod only when the bear turned and quickly cor
 veyed her two cubs out of danger.
 On the same range of hills I once wer
 huckleberrying with Farmer T., his vii
 and daughter, on invitation. Our rig WE } a two horse farm wagon, the bottom of tn l wagon packed with inverted tubs and bucl
 cts. Distance to the ground twenty or miles.
 By dint of starting at O.. m., and abusin l the horses to unwonted speed, we were on tt 3 ground at II a. m, among berries so plent | that the ground was absolutely hidden. was short job to pick bushel of berries c 5 such ground but had been there befor r and I thought I knew of place, about thre t ! quarters of mile westward, where the be F ries were equally plenty, but larger. So
 took large tin pail and started. Half WI . to the ground there is gulch to be crosse d and this gulch was badly blocked with fall' 7 \ timber When near the bottom I halted