Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-03-15
ATHRILLlNG ADVENTURE.
The Story of a Hunters Fight With n Fami-
ly Of Bears in Pennsylvania.


"Jim' Jacobs, an aged Seneca In
dian now living ON the Cattaraugus
reservation in New York, has hunted
every winter in the Pennsylvania will
derness for the past sixty years. The
following is an account of one of his
most thrilling adventures:
Where Bradford now stands-a city
of $4,000 inhabitants-were a few lum-
bermen's houses, in the very heart Of
the wilderness. The scene of Jim
Jacobs adventure was only few
miles distant. He had been hunting,
with very little success, for several
days, when, near the headwaters Of
Sugar creek, he came upon signs of
bear. A snow-storm, which promised
to be heavy one, had begun at about
the same time. Being well acquainted
with the habits of bears. the Indian
knew that this storm would drive
them into the first places of shelter
which the rocks and ravines of that
part of the county would afford them.
He felt instinctiyely that he would be
sure to find at least one bear safely
slowed away on the south side of
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
Ihis 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 a gnarled
growth Of dwarf evergreens extended
for nearly a mile. The ledge was
broken into wide seams in places, and
in others shelving rocks protruded and
formed cayerns or cavities that extend
ed back in the ledge from ten to twen-
ty feet. By the time the Indian and
his dog had 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 mouths
of the caverns were here and there al
most closed by the snow. At the
mouth of one Of these, however, ia
cobs discovered the inevitable indica-
ton that bear had sought refuge
within-the presence of a small de-
preston in the snow, as if it were
being melted from the under side. This
the Indian knew was caused by the
breath of one or more bears lying in
side with their noses toward the open
ing.
Jacobs knew that no bear would
make its appearance on the outside
until the storm was over, and the
snow was SO binding that he con-
cluded it would be better to wait until
it had ceased falling before making an
attack. Jacobs sought the summit OF
the ledge, where he made snug place
for himself and dog by roofing over
with hemlock boughs large creyice
between two huge rocks and closing
up the front of the opening in the
same way. 1t continued showing the
remainder of the day, and at the end
Of the next day showed no sign of
ceasing. The position chosen by ia
cobs FOR his shelter, he now began to
see, had such surroundings that if
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 to seek another
place would be attended with greater
peril than it would be to take the
chances in getting out after the snow
ceased falling. Late in the night of
the second day the wind commenced
blowing gale, and continued blowing
all night and the greater part of next
day. When it ceased Jacobs made up
his mind that the storm had also
ceased, and that he must lose no time
in finding way out of his position,
for he was shut in by drift the depth
and extent of which he had no means
Of knowing. Fortunately, the position
of the rocks around him had confined
the drifting snow to the inclosure thus
formed, and Jacobs emerged into the
open space beyond after tunneling
about forty feet. The wind hadswept
the snow almost clean from the slope
Of the ridge and in patches from the
foot Of the ledge. Jacobs had good
view of the cave where the bear had
taken shelter, and was preparing to go
down, smoke the game out, and kill it,
when he was attracted by the yelping
of his dog, which had been running
about after emerging from the snow
tunnel.
The Indian hurried to the spot and
there discovered a large she-bear
standing on her launches, defending
two cubs from the dog. She was furi-
GUS with rage. Jacobs stepped around
from behind clump Of dwarf cedars
in order to get better sight of the
bear, and in doingso stepped on small
stone that was hidden under the snow.
n1L1 rto.,n +,,rrod and tha -I.,1l.a., e.1I