Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-10-10
HUNTING THE MAING-HO.
An Exciting Adventure In the
Wilds of Corea.
A Fierce iieast as Much at Home Among
snow-DIiits as la Tropical JungIes
The Yankee MiIl-Owner's
story.

story.
To many readers IL will be a SUR
prise to learn that the Asiatic tiger :
often knownas the royal Bengal tiger,
and usually regarded As belonging
wholly TO the torrid regions in which
lie the East Indian iungles-is found
also in the northeastern portions OF
China and Corea.
la fact. the largest, fiercest tigers Ia
the world are found among the mount
aims of that wild region which lies
along the western coast OF the sea OF
Japan, in the parallels OF latitude
which include Pennsylvania and New
York, and IN which the climate. at
certain times OF the year. is very cold.
The province of Ham Kieng. in the
north Of Corea, abounds in large for
ests of pine and cypress. interpreted
with trees which resemble the syca-
more and elm. In this region an
American named Cloudman. in the
employ OF company OF Japanese
lumber merchants, had built a saw
mill on small river which flows into
the bay where their junks were loaded
Near the river stood an old. abandoned
Buddhist temple. The roof Of the old
stone temple had not fallen, and a
bronze bell still hung in the cupola. As
the site was favorable, and the struct-
ure was dry and commodious, Cloud
man occupied it as ba rack for him.
self and his lahorers. and used the
Buddhist bell to arouse his workmen
in the morning, and to summon them
to their meals.
With him was a man-of-war's man
named Barrows, who had deserted at
Yokohama from British ship several
years before The japanese have a
high opinion OF English lighting
qualities. aud Barrows was employed
by the lumber merchants to watch and
guard their property at this place
The force OF laborNrs consisted OF
eighteen or twenty Corean and Jap
anese laborers.
Cloudman and his party had a thrill
ing and tragic experience with a Cor
can tiger, which no thus relates:
''In the latter part of October the
weather became very cold. with high
winds, snOwsqualls and frosty nights
BY the middle.o November the mill
pond was covered with ice two inches
thick. and there was considerable
snow on the ground.
'"The Cd stone loss-house now stood
Us in good stead. huilt fireplace
in one corner of the idol-room, and, as
fuel was plenty. Barrows and had
quite CHEEKY quarters. The Corean
dah-ho'0s, or choppers, camped in a
part of the old temple which opened
upon porch, and. ms the two crews
were apt to seold and quarrel when
brought together ! put the japanese
mill-men into an apartment in which
the priests formerly held their private
devoti0ns.
Il heard a great deal about tigers
all that season; the Coreans, among
WO'C Ano TO- "a HVs vi AIdlilGu
native hunters. were constantly talk
ing of these beasts and telling stories
of flights and escapes from them, but
we saw no tigers during the summer
and autumn, aud | had no fear that
they would give us trouble.
"But on the night Of December IS.
a little before five O'Clock. as the bell
was about to ring to call the choppers
down from the mountain side, | heard
a great outery in liz lods, and soon
the men appeared >lning toward
the joss-houSe in Il state OF great
alarm.
From their cries OF 'Mang-ho?
and 'Sdn-tolr | conjecmred that they
had seen tiger. hut could scarcely
believe their assertions that one OF
their number had been seized and
dragged away till had counted them
and found that we were, indeed, man
short. Even then was inclined to
think that the fellow might be some
where in the rear; for il was one Of
the SdH-cheRg, or professional tiger
hunters. who was missing. 1t was al
ready dark. but | summoned Bar
rows from the mill. and. arming our
selves. we went up the valley to the
side OF the mountain where the ddh-
hOl0s had been at work. We took
lanterns along. and were accompanied
by eight or ten OF the millmcn,
equipped With Eand-spikes an1 axes.
after a short search the blood
stained trail Of the man-eater was dis.
covered. The tracks showed that
after selling the luckless Corean the
animal had bounded away with long
leaps tn ough the snow, carrying its
victim without difficulty. The night
was dark and cloudy. with indications
that ii would snow and blow before
morning. We followed the trail for
about half mile, when the prospect
of reseuing the poor man. or OF over
taking the creature at all, became so
evidently hopeless that ] took the men
back to their quarters.
THE next morning four or five
inches of snow had fallen. and the
snow-storm still continued. The
weather was so inclement that the men
remained in their quarters, and no at
tempt was made to pursue the tiger.
"On the following day | sent out
Barrows with the men. TO protect
them while they worked, and provided
the Corean sdn-oheng, or tiger hunter,
with lance. and set him also TO act
as a guard for the others.
''In stationing these guards | felt
that / had taken all practicable pre-
cautions for the safety OF the men in
my charge | %as not at liberty to
withdraw them from the work. Bar
rows was armed with an English
breech-loading carbinc. which was
the only gun at the mill, except two
or three japanese hint-loeks which
were not to be relied on.
In going TO and from the place
where they worked in the forest. and
a score Of other times during every
day while at work, the Coreans raised
a prolonged shout OF "Tuel Tuel Tuew
to frighten away the tigers. At all
hours OF the day heard this strange
chant echo through the wintry soli-
tudes. blending with the sound OF
their axe-strokes
"A week or two passed with no
fresh alarm. Barrows grew tired OF
standing guaTi in the snow, and al