The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1886-07-02
Hugh Loves Bear Fight.


have heard the story related
western hoax took place near
this place between Hugh Love and a
mammoth she bear during the early
spring ef 1881. which Is well re.
membered by the pioneers of this sec
ton, This conflict ruined for ever the
The constitution aud health Of Mr.
Love. who was at that time. one Of the
hardest Of frontiersmen that ever
penetrated the western wiids. The
santa Fe New Mexican relates the
story as given hy MI. Love a short time
before his death:
Hugh Love died at st. Vincent's hos.
pital recently. OF blood poisoning caus-
ed by an affection Of the kidneys He
was about forty-eight years Of age; was
born IN Philadelphia. served many
years as a member OF the st. Louis
Metropolitan police force and coming
to New Mexico about six years ago set
tied in the Black Range mountains.
where he became mine prospector,
and won fame as one Of the most sue
cessful bear hunters en- the frontier.
About year ago he fell sick and came
TO Santa Fe for treatment by the good
Sisters of Charity at ST. Vincent's. Few
reople knew him by name. but no fire.
quenter Of the public plaza could for
get his odd appearance. He looked
like typical euoch arden, aud went
about never uttering : word. with a
tender look in his big gray eyes, aud n
calm. resined, pitiful expression of
couutenence that at once elected sym.
pathy and created interest.
His experience is one instance was
probably never eguaIled.by any front
iersman. lie told the story to New
Mexican scribe short time before bis
death. and he told The truth, for he
barred the terrible wounds ON his shoul-
der aud exposed LIs wasted legs and
crippl 4 afms ana hands 10 max,
good all he said. ut was in the Black
Range, west of Chloride, In the
spring Of 1881" said Love, that
got these bruises. Captain Jack
Crawford, jim Biain and the other
boys in the range well remember 1t. |
was picking up aolt along the side Of
the mountain one day, ard for good
and sufficient reasons laid my Win
chester against scrub oak and tool
off my cartridge belt containg six
shooter aud howie-knife and hung it
on limb. Here | lett my shooting.
ing irons and stepped toward clear
ing about twenty PAGES distant. About
three minutes later | heard mighty
crash above me. unG Locking around
saw a she bear darting toward me, hcl
mouth wide open and her ears laid ila,
against her head. nrst thoaght
would pray. hut didn't have time foI
tlat. aud as the brute pOunced upon
mo struck her square on the most
with Ay fist. She raised on hpl
launches to claw me but | grapple,
her with death grip around the grit
land in auO,nsr moment we were roll
Ing over, down the steep mountain
side, accompanied 10y great mass o
sliding rock, the bear on top one IN
stapt and ! on top the next. Fort!
feet down we dumped over ten foo
precip.ce and fell so hard that it brok'
our clasp. Then the bear again raiseC
on her hauuches and | snatched M
mar gled left hand from Der jaws an,
scrambled to my feet quicker than
xpt cted ever again to do. She cam,
for me again and ] met her with an
other blow square on the nose whicl
felled her among the rocks. Again sh,
came at me ana this time she sent M
, lie earth, or rat er to rocks. witt
my left shoulder horribly lacerated.
recovered and again knocked her dowi
with my fist. We fought six round
in this manner; the bear knocked III
down three times and | had an equa
+. number Of points against tbs brute
4 Most bear hunters say thai mel
can't knock "A bear down; know bet
ter. The end Of u bears nose is like
/. hog's-it can't stand punishment
Well, at the end of the sixth round
: bad the bear down with her head TO
ward the foot of the mountain, aud
thought TO snatch held of her tail aH'
dump her over the narrow ledge amiI
the loose rock, where she couldn't re
a foot hold and would slide away fron