The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-10
Fighting Family OF Bears in the
Wilds of Pennsylvania.

Although now over 80 ears of age.
slim" Jacobs, Seneca Indian living
on the Cattaraugus Reservation. near
Salamanca, N. Y, has returned from
his annual encampmentin the Penn
sylvania wilderness, where he has
roamed every winter for sixty. years
hunting bear and deer. He is known
all through this region as the "Bear-
Killer" and if local tradition and the
word of Jacobs are to be trusted. he
has not only trapped and shothun-
dreds of bears and deer, but he has
been the hero of many hand-to-hand
fights with, Bruin, and is covered
with scars received from the teeth
and claws of these .infuriated brutes
brought to bay. The old Indian leaves
his home ON reservation evarF
November, and 1t is rarely that he is
seen again until the end of March.
He returned earlier than usual this
year, owing to scarcity of hisfavor-
ties since the beginning of the present
month. He brought in from the
woods only five bear-skins this seas
on, and only twelve deer-skins. The
bear he killed in Forest county and
the deer in Forest, Elk and Potter
counties. He covers a wide area in
his hunting, and in former years
ranged as far east as the Susquehanna.
and even to the head waters of the
Delaware. Jacobs is typical Indian.
He is extremely taciturn, and is best
pleased when he is alone. His hair
is as black as coal, in spite of his great
age, and falls about his shoulders.
His form is still erect and powerful.
The deepest snow or most rigorous
weather seems to have no terrors tor
him. His hunting garb is pictures
denomination of Indian and "white
man." and he attracts much attention
from strangers.
He had been hunting, with very
little success, for several days, when,
near the head waters of Sugar Creek
he came upon signs of bear. A snow
storm, which promised to be heavy
one, had begun at the same time.
Being well acquainted with the hab-
its of bears, the Indian knew that
this storm would drive them into the
first places of shelter which the rocks
and rayines of that part of the coun-
ty would afford them. He felt in
stinctiyely that ..he would be sure to
find at least one bear safely slowed
away on the south side of the high
and somewhat steep ridge, two miles
from where he discovered the first
signs of the animals, and he deter
mined to take up position there, so
that he might be in readiness to meet
his game at the earliest opportunity.
With provisions sufficient for himself
and dog for two days, he started for
the rocky ridge. Along the south
side of the ridge ledge of rocks
twenty feet high and crowned with
gnarled growth of dwarf evergreens
extended for nearly mile. The ledge
was broken into wide seams in places
and in others shelving rocks protru-
ded and formed caverns or cavities
that extended back in the ledge from
10 to 20 feet. By the time the Indian
and his dog reached this part of the
ridge the snow had fallen to a great
depth, and was still falling heavily.
The seams in the ledge and the mouth
of the caverns were here and there
almost closed by the snow. At the
mouth of one of these, however,
Jacobs discovered the inevitable in
dication that a bear had sought ref
uge within-the presence of small
depression in the snow, as if twere
being melted from the under side.
This the Indian knew was caused by
the breath of one or more bears lying
inside with their noses toward the
opening.
Jacobs knew that no bear would
make its appearance on the outside
until the storm was over, and the
snow so binding that he concluded
it would be better to wait until it had
ceased falling before making an at
tack. Jacobs sought the summit of
the ledge. where he made snug place
Of shelter for himself and dog by roof
ing over with hemlock Doughs large
crevace between two huge rocks, and
closing up the front of the OPEN
ing in the same way. 1t continued
showing the remainder of the day.
and at the end of the next day show
ed no signs of ceasing. The position
chosen by Jacobs for his shelter, he
now began to see, had such position
that if a wind should arise and the
snow be drifted, he would be closed
in behind fortress of snow many
feet thick and high. The snow was
already heaped up high around the
rocks, but he feared that an attempt
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