Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-29
miscellaneous.
Big Came.
THE LAST BEAR OF THE WESTERN CATS
KILL RANGE.

Until within a very few years, bears
have been often seen In the Catskill
mountains near the two heads of the Del
ripe, and corn in the milk. And OCCASION
ally they lost their pelts. for we have
some hunters of the old stock left.
But they are rare visitors now. About
Thanksgiving we had light fall OF snow,
barely enough to make an excuse TO start
sleighs to running.
One crisp morning about that time,
young viii Papino, living two miles east
OF Stamford, and directly under the steep
est part of Old Bear Mountain, now mis-
named Utsayanto. came tearing into town
to tell the sportsmen that a huge black
bear was playing and tumbling about in
the snow near the foot of the mountain.
Just above his fathers house.
Jerusalem, Such hurry and scurry
YOU never saw among the shooters of the
town. had the sciatica and could not
90, so Dell Warner, one of our best shots.
got my As calibre Sharps rifle and jumped
into his cutter with Billy Ives for driver
Billy carried tremendous old Queen
Anne, with "a No. l buckshot to the load.
Erskine Seeley, keen sportsman and
the owner of the best dog in the country,
doubled in with Aruna MAYNARD. and a
Mr.. Green mated with Harvey Wood, an
other of our noted shots, and away they
started after Bruin.
There was not much time lost getting
there, and sure enough when the party
got to Papino's, up the hill nearly half a
mile, near an old hay barn, the monster
was seen.
The shotgun men were not quite so anx-
ious to close up when they saw the huge
black beast slowly walking about near the
edge of the woods; it was debated
whether shotguns were just the thing for
bear hunting. This gave Dell Warner the
start He shouldered the Sharpe. and.
baked by the valiant Ives, started up the
hill.
He got within about four hundred yards,
set his sight for the distance, and as the
bear had stopped playing and seemed to
watch the party, he knelt down, took de-
liberate aim and, to use his own classic
language, "let sliver,''
The bullet struck the snow Just under
Bruen's nose, and must have knocked his
eyes full, for he wheeled around and
around as if pretty mad.
Without rising Warner coolly put in
another 45-lOO-500 cartridge, and. allow
ing for windage, let drive again. This
time Bruin got it hot, and AS all the sports
men were on the run up the hill to join
Warner, yelling at every jump, the bear
limped off toward the woods, turning
once in while as if it thought of fighting
it out instead of retreatng.
Don't let him get away, Dellr' shout
ed Seeley.
mo. for goodness sake no!' cried
Maynard.
mot if Neds rifle is worth a snap!''
said DELL and he got rest over the
shoulder of Billy lives, and as the bear
mounted shelving rock ne fired his last
and fatal shot.
The bear rolled over and over down the
rock, and when it reached the bottom it
was still.
inst then an old settler, Carlos Van
IIousen, who was wood chopping on the
mountain. came tearing down through the
woods with his axe on his shoulder and
fire in his eye. He got to the bear just as
Warner and the rest came up. and his
voice could have been heard a mile when
he yelled:
''What in sheol have you been shooting
my Newfoundland dog for?"
Dell stood like one suddenly struck
with tightening. He looked sadly down
at his prize and asked the old settler If its
life was insured-if it was not, he would
pay for it.
And that is the last bear seen in our
range.