Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-09-28
A HUNTERS STORIES.
Some Adventures in the Woods of
Pennsylvania.
Queer Experiences with Bears. Panthers
and Dcer-Thc wild Cat-NoveI
Capture of n Swarm
of Bees.

Seated on the shady porch of the ole
Brick Horn Tavern on the Drinker turn
pike, in Clifton Township, Uncle Jacol
Grcss, the most noted hunter in the Po
como regions, talked entertainingly I,
the san reporter the other day. III,
was in excellent health and spirits
and these are some of the interesting
wildwood anecdotes that he related
1.-The experienced woodsman sees &
good many strange things in the for.
ests, and some that are funny rs well as
strange, in the course of year. II his
sight is kcen--and he has no business
to be tramping around where danger
Gus animals are roaming at will unless
it is-he will witness things that seem
impossible TO men who have had no eX-
pelicnce in the backwoods. Once in
awhile have met persons who acted as
If tDey doubted certain actual facts of n
thrilling nature that had come under
my observation in the woods; but my
old acquaintanccs know very woll that
] have never been in the habit of telling
things that never happened, and l
haven't the knack of making up stories
II | wanted to. The most exciting
scene ever witnessed in the forest took
place about seven miles below here,
on the Lehigh river. 1t was nearly
fifty years ago, and there were good
many panthcrs in tho region mt that
time. | had never encountered one,
though, and, to tell the truth, l wasn't
any ways anxious to meet one, either.
1T was in the month of June, and ]
was walking near the west bank of the
Lehigh with my rifle on my shoulder.
The river along there was not more
than rod and a half wide, but in depth
it was up to Il mans chin. Pretty soon
j came to an open spot and sat down
on log. hadn't been there u minute
whcr ! saw bear plunge out of the
thichet with n panther whelp in its
mouth. The bear was making for the
river and the whclp was whining. Be
fore it lad taken three steps after !
caught s'ght of it there was an un-
ear'hly scream n little ways back in
the woods. IL was tie terrible yell ol
II she panther, and :. made me shudder.
The bear knew what the noise meant,
for he dropped tie whclp instantly,
ac,ed as though he was terrified, and
dashed toward tho water. Another
scream sounded through the woods, and
the bear plunged into the stream and
swan to the opposite bank, where he
rose up on his launches, placed his
buc't against tree, and faced the spo,
whore was.
''lle had hardly stationed himself
there when a she panther sprang out ol
the underground with cry OF alarm
thot almost paralyzed the bear. She
diJ not stop TO look after her whelp,
though it lay quiverlng and whimper.
ing within plain sight, but she lcapcd
into The water, gave another scream,
an sNam for the opposite shore. The
bear evidently realized t%at he had goi
20 face a deadly foe, and that it would
be useless for him TO try to run away,
ior he stood with his back against the
tree. did not shoot at the panther
then, because i wanted TO see how she
YVES going TO tackle the bear. She was
in dreadful rage. and, instead oi
shaking the water out OF her hair, aS
animals generally do when they leave q
st,eam, she pounced upon the bear like
lightning, planting hcr right claw In
his left shoulder, ara her left claw in
his right shoulder. and seized him by
the chops with her teeth. Then she
bean to tear ut his belly with her hind
feet, ripping grest Sits into the hide
and in minute or so she had torn the
bears entrails out ard left him wallow'
ing and groaning where he had fallen
The maddened panther had done hel
work in such hurry that the slow beal
really had no chance TO defend himself
While the bear was tumbling about OF
the ground she few,at him again, ant
then she swan back, grabbed the whell
by the neck and started for her nest
had got over being excited by tina
time, and shot the panther and killet
her whelp. The bear was dead and
left him there, for his skin was goo,
for nothing.
"0n Ash Mill Creek, u year or TIVE
nfler that. eaw bear and panthe
hGys spat that amifed me. The bea
was qtauaing aa n big tree that ha'