Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26
A Maine Bear Hunter.
AMID HIS BEAR TRAPS he DESCRIBES H

AMID HIS BEAR TRAPS he DESCRIBES HIS
PURSUIT.
From the Lewiston (Me) Journal
found myself hObnObblng with bear hunter
In the midst Of his traps the other day. The
hunter was Enoch r. Knapp, who lives on Bear
river, In the town of Newry. Bear river is a
small stream that runs down from a spur of the
White Mountain chain and emptes into the
AndroscOggin at Newry. The bear hunters
house is neat cottage at the base ofBear noun
winds among steep hills and thiekly WOODED oSed
mountains till 1t seems to lose ITSELF and to lose
you in the bargain.
This mountain has long been known as q
favorite resort for BEARS The farmers in the
vicinity do not try to keep mahy sheep. One
OF them went up on the mountain with yoke
OF oxen to haul out some timber not long ago,
"A very large and hungry bear appeared on the
scene and rushed at the cattle with mouth open
started on wild gallop down the steep noun
tain The farmers Judgment was as good as
his eattles. He had nothing with which to de-
wise way Of escape. He did an amusing but
brilliant thing. Running between the oxen he
caught hold OF the ring in the yoke and dangled
there until the oxen had carried him to the
foot of the mountain and out of the reach of the
bear. The old GROWER jumped and snarled
but could not reach the man between them
hanging on for dear life.
MI Knapp has a blacksmtth's shop opposite
his house, where he makes bear traps and shoes
horses. His traps are ingeniously made of iron
and steel, and one of them looks like two stout
wagon =, springs With pair OF Jaws in the middle
steel teeth riveted into them When the laws
are opened and caught under the stout steel
machine. The object of the bear hunter is to
induce the bear to step his fore foot that
The IN tHs make tbs hingg
OF trap a bear-killer as well as a bear catcher
Said Mr knann 81 nSnallv mi q o,,hh
In the woods of old stumps and decayed
branches. | sorter pile 'em up around, you
go in after he sees the consarn and his curiosity
Is excited. catch some suckers or other kind
OF fish in the river and hang 'em up in the
cubby. Then try to fix the trap so that the
bear will have to step on the trencher if be gets
the fish. A bear never steps on a log in his
trap on the tother side Of log or branch. 50 he
Will be pretty sure to step over the log and into
the trap. knowing old bear won't go into one
an old sheep-thief in this way and not getting
him, have caught the old fellow by hanging q
string OF fish In careless way on a tree. as it
left there accidentally by some sportsman. and
putting the trap underneath. Sometimes find
a track where a bear has a habit of fordinp a
brook. l take away the stone in the brook
which the bear steps on when he crosses and
put the trap in Its place. When the bear feels
after the old and familiar stone his forepaw is
smell trap, SO we have to kill the smell. We
do that by daubing it over with lard and bees
wax l have IL traps, and visit em twice q
paw. He don't live more than "a hours after
the jaw closes on him, as general thing. In
warm weather the pelt would soon spoil III did
not get 1t pretty quick after the critter died.
The fur Is in the best condition when the bears
are housing late in the fall. Then it is as nice
for my pelts. The bears spend the winter in
the lodges about here or under the stumps,
Since we had that hurricane that blew down so
many trees there have been lot of COW places
for bears around here"
The skin Of o bear, caught the day before.
trapper. VIVA