Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-11-06
HOW A BEAR WAS KILLED.
A Farmer and His Friends Pursue
Rruin 10 Death-A Scared Communi-
New York Times.

correspondent OF Inc Times from
Corning, n. Y, about dusk, Charles
Saber, living on what is known as
the Agard farm, near Conesus Center,
Livingston county, was doing his
chores about tie house when he dis
covered what he thought was a large
black hog in the garden eating some
apples which had fallen from one of
the trees. Sa5er picked up a stone
and went toward the animal to drive
1t out of the garden. 1t turned toward
h.is as he approached, and began to
show Lis teeth and fercely growled.
Then the farmer saw that the intruder
was bear. He dropped the stone he
carried and took himself off as rapidly
as he could. He dld not look back to
see what the bear did, but made ais
way to the nearest neighbours, mile
away. The locality is near the thick
ly wooded and wild stretch of country
bordering the west shore of Hemlock
lake. When S8oer returned with
two men with guns the bear had dis
appeared. Tae farmers story was
doubted by his neighbors, as no bear
had been seen or heard of in that
vicinity for several years. The next
night, about $50, S@Ser appeared at
the house of one of his neighbors
again, bareheaded and greatly excit-
ed. He declared that the bear was
in his garden again eating up all his
fruit and vegetables Men with guns
hurried back with S@ber. bat there
was no bear to be seen. His family,
who had barricaded themselves Ia the
house, had seen the bear this second
time and substantiated Se5er's state
ments. 1t was determined, therefore,
to set a watch the next night and
capture the bear if it appeared again.
Twenty men assembled at S9ber's the
following night, all armed, and with
several dogs. Among those present
was Dr. Boone, Of Springwater He
and one or two other distinguished
parties were given quarters in S@ber's
house. They were posted at win
dOws overlooking the garden where
the bear was alleged TO come and
feed, with their guns resting on the
window-sills in readiness. The other
men were Ia ambush behiad the barn,
fences, and outbuildings. About 9
o'clock DR.. Boone saw from his loop
hole something stealing from the
thick brush on the outskirts of the
garden, and as it drew near and
mounted the fence he saw that it WAS
the bear. He sent rifle ball at It,
and instantly there were flashes of
light from all around the premises,
and balls and buckshot ratified an the
fences and buildings. The bear APP
parently escaped every shot, for 1t
quickly remounted the fence and dis
appeared in the brush. Only one of
the dogs present could be induced to
take the track of bruin, and twenty
hunters followed it as il went yeiping
into the brush on the trail. If there
had been any doubt as to the animal
the crowd was chasing beng bear IT
was set at est in few ml2 utes after
the dog led the way into the woods,
for there was soon heard the sound
of a fierce combat, much sRariing,
growing, and yelping. The struggle
was brief and then all WAS quiet. The
hunters followed the trail no further,
but beat a hasty retreat from the
brush. The next day forty armed
men started to hunt bruln down.
They found the mangled remains of
the dog where the struggle had been
heard the night before, and although
the woods were searched and beaten
for miles no sign of the bear could
be found. The hunt was kept up by
scattering parties for several days
with no better success, and then the
search for the Gear was given up.
On Friday last Dan Roerman, of
of Wyoming county, and Selah
Graves, of Monroe county, who were
camping in the woods on the west
shore Of Hemlock lake, returned from
a days fishing. AS they approached
their cabin they heard commotlon
inside. Boerman looked in at the
door, and, to lis establishment, saw a
big bear scattering provisions and
things promiscuously about. Boerman
carried a double barreled shotgun,
loaded with duckshot, and he fired
both barrels into the bear. Bruin
came rushing from the cabin pellmell,
anu ALMOST pStL DOCiludii bClNAC Ai~
could jump out of the way. The bear
took course directly for the lake and
on the way met Graves, who had tar
Iied behind for some purpose. Boer-
man had apparently not been seen by
the bear at the cabin, and when it
met Graves directly in its path it
stopped aud prepared for a fight.
Graves shouted to Boerman to come
to his help, and at the same time let
the bear have a load OF dUckshot from
ms gun. The bear pressed him so
closely, however, that he was unable
TO shoot again, and Returned and fled
toward the cabin. The bear followed
him. but when Boerman on run met
the two bruin turned and made
eff into the woods. The men had
heard weird and shadowy stories
about the bear that had been seen in
the Conesus Centre neighborhood q
couple of months ago, but had put but
little faith in them Their few min.
utes' experience Friday afternoon,
however, satisfied them that there
was something very tangible in the
Suhiect and they made up their minds