The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-02-02
A CATsKiLL BEAR HUNT.

Well, there certainly are none prowl-
in o about the Overlook Mountain house,
nor the Hotel Kaaterskill, nor even in
the vicinity of that romantic crag call
ed Rip Van Wrinkles rock. In fact,
during the weeks ramble which we
took-my friend and 1-among the
backwoods and glens of Slide noun
tain and the Indian Head we failed to
discover traces of either bear or wild
cat.
To say that we saw ''neither hide nor
hair" of them, as the phrase is, would
not be true. There is great, tawny,
grass-eyed, stuffed wildcat at Meade's,
on the Overlook, and in a farmers
house at Big Indian we saw black
bears skin, the original wearer of which
had been killed by the present owner
only few winters ago.
But we found bear stories-plenty OF
them. Whenever we met a native or
old settler of the region we straight
way asked him for bear story, and
he seldom disappointed us. We soon
had quite a collection, the gem of
which is the one am going to tell you
now. 1t has never before been told in
print. am sure, for we had it from the
iips of the hero himself-an Italian
laborer who, having originally come
into the Catskills to work on one OF
the railroads, had finally made his
home here.
Seated on raft at the edge of the
pond where we were fishing he related
his story in broken English, which L
will endeavor to mend-not in the hope
of making it funnier, but simply to rem
der it more Ineligible.
His name was Nanni (short for Gio-
yanni) Rucco. 1t seems that in Italy.
where Nanni was born and grew up,
he had been kind of Snowman. He
used to travel among the Apennine
villages with performing bear. which
he had taught to wrestle so skillfully
that the huge animal, tightly muzzled
and with claws blunted, would ''throW
all corners who ventured to measure
their strength with him. Then his
master would try bout, and always
came off victorious, but this was due
to a secret understanding with the
bear. who. at given signal, would
fall to the ground and pretend to be
overcome, This was done so naturally
and so regularly that after a while
Nauni came to believe himself really
moro than match for the beast, and
the faithful creature never undeceived
him.
The fame of Nanni and his wrestling
bear spread far and wide. One day an
agent came along and engaged him
, for foreign tour to extend as far az
America. This began very successful
ly, and no doubt Nanni would have
made his fortune in America had not
his indispensable partner, the bear
sickened and died shortly after theil
arrival in New York.
His master mourned him like child
Such another animal was not to bt
found for love or money, and pool
ENanni's occupation was gone. Dis
heartened and without resources, h,
finally engaged himself, with i number
of his fellow countrymen, to work OF
the railroads. This employment in th'
course of time. brought him to th'
Catskill mountains.
When the line of the Ulster and Del
aware railroad was first surveyed thu
region through which it passes hat
much more the air of forest primeva
than it possesses to-day. The princi
pal ''old settlers" then were the bear
and panthers and wildcats, with her
and there rattlesnake. There wa
good sport in the mountains at tina
period.
One day a good-sized bear. closel
pursued by two hunters, came tearin
through the underbrush close by tn
place where Nanni and his companion
were at work. 1t vas wild spot ovel
looking that stupendous ravine wher
the snowy veil of the kaaterskU fall
hangs gracefully down the black wal
of wet rocks.
Head him Off" cried the hunters.
But Il e Italian laborers were to
: frightened to dispute the passage {
! the painting animal. The mere sigh
of them, however, caused him to slact
en- his pace and look about him, h
red tongue hanging out of his ope
mouth, and his mischievous little eye
flashing with rage and defiance.
Before him were the Italians, benin
him the hunters. On one side was tn
preeipice, and opposite stood Nam
and he was not the man to run ava,
If lie trembled, it was from excit,
ment and emotion-not from feal
The sight of the free. full-grown bes
at bay. and rearing threateningly o
I his hind legs, caused flood of reco
leetions to rush through Nanni's mint
Inspired by the thought of his tt
umphant wrestling days, he had bu
one idea, and that was to get a goo
''side-hold" of the bear, throw him o
his back, and capture him.
''Stop-a! stop-aw he screamed, me
tioning back the hunters who ha
raised their guns to fire. ''I'll CATCH
him for you,"
To the speechless amaZement of h
comrades he rushed forward and graz
pied with the infuriated bear, throw
ing one arm around the plump. hair
body, and with the other hand clutcl
ing the shaggy throat.
The struggle was terrific while
lasted, and by no means one-sided
Bruin snapped with his jaws, and slal
i.ped out wildly with his huge paw:
tearing great strips from Nanni's clotl
ing at each blow. He did not seem /
be at all particular whether bits G
skin and flesh came with the cloth @
not. Then the two fell and rolled
the dust. The spectators cried:
They'll go over. as sure as"
o0lOI0 tuc SSuI0uC6 WAS OuI VI buOl
mouths. crash! went man and bea
over the precipice together. The otl
els heard the cracking of the branehe
as they fell and were lost to sight i
the dense foliage that clothed tn
mOuntain-side.
Horror-stricken. the men scramble
down the rocks as best they could b
roundabout ways to pick up poor MAJ
mis- mangled body.
Mangled, indeed, he was when the
found him, but not killed. He and I'll
bear had providentially tumbled int
a thicket of huckleberry bushes on
ledge half way down the ravine. Brui
had made off, leaving Nanni stunned
bleeding, and highly indignant.
Data bear no good-a." he said, i
a feeble but protesting tone to his re:
cuers. "He not know-a how to wre
tie. He not wrestle fair.
This is not fable, but it has mo-
al: Don't expect good behavior frol
others, according to your own ideas
proper conduct, when you pay no r
gard to theirs.
A Woman's Man, Not Revolutions