Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-18
A BEAR ABANDONS HER CUBS.
Not That She Loved her Offspring
Less. but That She Loved Rum

Not She AoNeu
Less, but That She Loved Rum
More.
From all accounts the larger por-
ton Of the population of the Pine
Mountain region, in Delaware coun-
ty, is at present in earnest pursuit of
the mother of two bear cubs about
the size of small puppies, which fell
into the hands of two trout fishermen
on Saturday last. TIE fishermen had
seated themselves in the shelter of a
rock to smoke their pipes and take a
drink. One of them, Jack Trumbell,
in sighting over the bottle, which was
aimed at an angle of forty-five degrees
toward hill opposite him, discovered
that it had drawn bead" on two baby
bears. They were rolling and tumbl-
ing over one another in play on the
upper side of an old log. Trumbull
lowered the bottle at once, laid 1t on
the ground and started up the hill to-
ward the cubs. His companion, a
man by the naae of Herbutt, follow
him. The little bears showed no dis
position to resist capture, and the
men each took one up in his arms.
The fishermen turned to go back after
their fishing tackle and bottle, but
changed their minds before they had
taken a step. On the other side of
the hollow. about three hundred
yards away, and coming directly
and rapidly toward the spot where
they had sat down to refresh them
selves, was an old bear. 1t was
plainly the mother of the cubs, and
Trumbell and Herbutt started for the
nearest clearing with their booty.
They expected to he followed close by
the old bear, but they reached Ium-
Der cabin nearly two miles distant
without having seen any signs of her.
An hour afterward, while they were
awaiting the arrival of a messenger
who had been sent after arms and
munition, with which the fishermen
intended to return in search of the
old bear, a boy. without any hat, and
very much excited, came running
into.the cabin.
There's big bear up the creek, y
he exclaimed, ''and if it amt drunk
us crazy | was fshin' down the
creek, and iist as I worked myself
round the edge of the big rock at the
lower end of the dark hole, / came
square on to the bear. II was rollin'
round on the ground, and kickin'
about an kind O. growlin', but not
like as if it was mad. Fust thought
it had been shot an had got away an
was layin' there givin' his dyin' kicks.
Then l looked agin an see two fish
poles broke into dozan pieces, an a
fish line was wound all round the
bear | was jist goin' to make a
break for t'other side o the creek to
git away fore the beard see me, but
iist then il did see me, and riz up an
came right fur me, a sparrin' away
jlst like I've seen drunken raftmen q
dain'. Ididn't wait no longer, aut
iist pulled across that brook am made
for here"
The messenger came in a few nln-
utes later, aEl T-onbull and Herbutt
started back with shotguns loaded
with buckshot after the bear. When
they reached the spot the bear was
gone. Two hours had passed since
the boy had seen her. The bottle
was found near where it had been left.
1t vas empty. This was explanation
enough to the hunters why the bear
had not followed them. Unable to
resist the temptation of strong drink,
it had tarried with the bottle and
drained it. When the boy came upon
the bear it was drunk. Shehad anus
ed herself by breaking the fshpole
into bits. While under the influence
of liquor sne had forgotten all about
her cubs. and when the.effects had
passed off she knew that it was toe
late to be of any service to them, and
at once bethought herself of her own
safety. 50 we'll did she look out for
herself that, althoEgh about twenty
men and boys have been securing the
| country ever since, they have not dis
covered ene trace of her 1t is sup
posed that she elUded her pursuers in
one of those dense swamps around
the headwaters of the Delaware Riy-
er.
Four years ago two men named
| David Rosenthier and Ed Lindsley
captured three cubs on Pine Noun
tain. near where the above two were
| found. A hunt for days for the old
bears was kept up but they were
never found. The two cubs captured
on Saturday are still at the cabin,
where they play about as contentedly
as two kittens-