The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-08
THAT BIG MOOSE.
Hunters Tell Their Stories and Sci
entIsts Wonder.

ocFtTdl weeks ago tne IitESs puDushed an
account Of the killing Of monster moose In
the Rangeley region. The story came to the
attention Of officers Of the Department Of
Agriculture in Washington, and the follow
ing letter was sent TO the PRESS:
DIVISION OF ECONOMIC ORSITHoLo0Yl
AND MAmMALOGY, OF THE
- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. \
WAsHTSGToS, ID. O., Oct. 20, 1886.
TO the Editor Of the Press
Dear Slr:-I notice In the daily papers clip
ping from the Portland PRESS 3" stating that "a
mammoth moose" has recently been kiiisd hi the
Rangeley Lake region. For years have been
collecting reliable measurements Of large moose,
but the biggest "bul" have recorded Is much
smaller than the size mentioned In certain early
accounts OF the animal Hence, am particularly
Size Of this monster The height al the s. shouI %
der Is the most valuable single measurement. DO
you happen to know II accurate measurements
were takenY III so, can you put US In co-respOn-
denee with the person who made them9
Very respectfully,
A letter was at once sent to Mr.. f. e.
Thomas, who shot the moose, stating that
accurate measurements were desired. This
reply has been received, giving not emily the
height Of the monster, but a hunters graphic
description of the chase
To the Editor cfthe Press;
the On MOOSE Sss tSat Sa 'f so ana Se SsshI par
eulars In regard TO him. After the fishing
Reindeer and started down the lake, then up the
stream 10 Little kennebag0, and made my head
the sportsmen that visit the Kennebago Lake..
then padded up and down the stream very care
fully the first two days. / shot partridges that
this small game" and stopped firing. On the after.
noon Of the second day met iuy game as l was
slowly padding my way down the kennebag0
About three-fOurths OF mile down the stream |
heard something walking In the water, and to my
great ere surprise . large COW moose walked out on
her In second, but before had time to pull the
trigger better specimen made its appearance
from the same quarters and the bearer Of splendid
set OF antlers was then my mark; the first bullet
struck his neck but missed the bone by One-half
inch. This was unexpected, and as he turned his
head slowly around and began TO think Of the way
70 go put bullet through his heart. That nm
lshed him. He went about four rods and fell
went TO the wounded moose IS he lay thrashing In
the water, and waited for him to be quiet enough
TO use the knife; Then to my surprise the old
within six rods Of me. She was not half so pretty
as the one that lay In the water The long bristles
porcuplne, and her nose turned up In a rather
ridiculous manner. / swung my hat and shouted
so lond that think you editors might have heard
me II you had been out In the open air. The
Maine law gives man but one moose year and
nnes him one hundred dollars for every other one
% Killed the same year But the COW left and was
glad. camped that night with him, and the
haul him out Of the stream; He stood eighteen
and one half hands high (slx feet and two lnehes)
and weighed $50 pounds. Z. Z. THOMAS.
Captain Thomas, however, has rival whe
has also shot a very large moose. This Is
letter received from Councilman Elwyn w.
Loyejoy Of Lowell, Mass.
LOWELL, Mass, Nov. 1, 1886.
a - fHo ISraea
In your issue Of the PRESS Oct. Esd, 1886 you
have an item "Maine's Jumbo Moose Killed"
undue praise has been accorded tie shooter Of me
moose by your article; and for that reason only, 1
am Inclined TO write you. send you this slip
1886, which describes the animal which 1 shot:
Mr.. Love10y and his guide occupied crows
nes fss nn 10 tb,s Tree Tour days until after
appeared below about IL O'Clock In the forenoon,
October 7tb. A shot from Mr.. LoyeIoy's Winch
mortal wound, but three other outlets were put
into him before he fell with crash into the un-
h MI noteloy u Jssw ms Rhe across
niicent animal, veritable monarch Of the forest,
was secured. The task Of dressing him. however.
was no slnecure. The animal was one Of the larg-
est ever killed In the Parmaehenee region, and
weighed between 1900 and 1900 pounds.
The head OF the moose, which was uninjured In
killing him, was preserved intact, and Is an UNI
usually handsome one. The spread OF the ant
lers Is less than sometimes found on a moose Of
symmetrical and perfectly developed. Their
spread IS 80 inches. The head weighs 30 pounds
divested Of flesh"
had as guide, Aldana Brooks, Of Upton, Me.
Any person desiring to know more about il, can
write him or John Danferth, Camp Caribou, Me-.
an old guide and hunter, known personally by
many hunters, and by reputation to an i brought
the head TO Lowell, and have II mounted now. I
came out from Parmacheenee via Magallsway
river, Upton and Bethel, thence by the Grand
Trunk and Boston and Maine railroads, and many
hundreds OF people saw the head OF my moose
while In transit 10 Lowell. None competent to
judge set his weight under 1900, and most Of the
guides estimated him more. DanfOrth said, mot
Tess than 1900 pounds" Who do you think has
got "Jumbo?" l shot mine Oct 7th. 1886, about
ten miles from Parmacheenee Lake.
Respectfully yours,
ELwYN w. LOvEJoY.