, 1889-07-25
BIG TOM WILSON.
Greatest Living American Bear sIsy-
er--His Home In the North Caro-
lima Mountains.
From the Atlanta Constitution

Greatest Living American Bear slay-
er-His Home In the North Caro-
lima Mountains.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
Around Asheville, N. g., are many in.
teresting points, but none so highly
novel as the home of Big Tom Wilson,
the most noted living bear hunter III
America.
Big Tom has killed up to the present
writing just 357 bears, exclusive of the
cubs he has captured and killed.
p, He was born and raised at the foot Of
peaks in western North Caralina, and
has been hunting bear since mere
boy.
IT Is worth the ride Of thirty five miles
on horseback through the mountains
from Asheyille to visit the home of and
see and talk with Big Tom.
A small log hut with stick and mud
chimney. at the foot of Black mountain
and on the edge of a small stream known
as Cancy river. There Is not another
house within ten miles, and to any hut
the most experienced mountain guide
the place is Inaccessible, there being only
one small gap through the mountains
by which 1t is possible to reach the place,
for Cancy river, short distance below
the hunters mountain home, is sudden
lost from view and appears above ground
again miles away on the other side of
tilt Hlcllntul1l.
Thus Big Tom Is monarch of all he
surveys. Tom has wife and fourteen
children, all of whom live in the one
room of the small log cabin. But
children are not the only live stock that
Tom has, for around his home are three
large black pet bears. These are his
dogs or his hunting companions.
Tom Is great, burly fellow, six feet
four inches tall, with broad shoulders
and muscles of steel. His beard is long
and black, slightly tinged with gray.
His hair is as straight rs an Indians
and hangs down over his shoulders.
HIS eyebrows are long and bushy,
while beneath them Is as piercing pair
of gray eyes as one could imagine. He
is u perfect type of the ideal mountain
huntsman, and mere glance mt him
would indicate to the most conservative
that he could grapple with and conquer,
empty handed, the most ferocious bear.
but Tom has had one tussle empty
handed and says he never wants another.
AS consequence his face and body are
covered with scars and one finger of his
right hand is gone
1t was in the fall of 1882. He had been
hunting over the mountains, and hav-
ing struck no game had rested his rifle
against tree and lain down for nap.
He woke suddenly to lind big black
bear on his hind legs with the gun
cLUTcHED BETWEEN HIS PAWS
and almost over him. Tom jumped to
his feet in an instant. But the bear was
equally as quick, and, dropping the gun,
made for Tom. They grappled, and, as
Tom expresses it, 'there was the great
est hugging match for half an hour you
ever saw Tom held his own admira-
bly, at first, but the bear bit and tore at
his clothes until they were all Oft and
then tore tn il'sh from his shoulders in
hunks. Tom was choking. the bear with
his great hands of iron and the bear was
hugging and tearing at his arms and
shoulders. He was bleeding from doz-
en- different wounds and rapidly grow
ing weak when he stumbled on a rock
and fell, with the bear on top His back
struck something hard. 1t was his rifle.
His hopes rose, and with great
effort he turned, caught the muzzle o.
the rifle with one hand, pressed il against
the throat of the bear and dquickly pulled
the trigger with the other.
THE BALL CRUSHED THROUGH THE MICK
and brain of the bear and he fell over
dead. Tom, was saved, but to use his
own expression, he "will never tackle
.-nsaAer- ba- without sle.a.s-sst,;.- -.
rifle.
Tom was never known to trap bear.
lie says that is taking an unfair advan-
tage of the CRITTERS. "
just after his single handed experience
with the bear Tom got three large ones
out of one tree. He and his boy were
going over the mountains unarmed.
They were nine miles from his cabin and
1t was late in the afternoon, when he
spied three bears in the limbs of chest
nut tree eating the fruit. He immedi-
ately built a large fire around the trunk
of the tree and sent his boy home for his
rifle, while he remained to keep up the
fire and prevent them from getting
away.
The trip was a long and rugged one,
and the boy did not return until.the
next morning, but Big Tom kept the
fire burning and watched all night. At
sunrise the boy had returned, and Tom
got all three in that many shots.
Big Tom don't hunt as much now as
he used to, but he never returns without
game. The three bears he has at his
home he raised, having captured them
when cubs. They are as obedient to his
command as dogs, and always accom-.
pany him on his hunts. He says they
never fail to find bear, and as wild one,
seeing them will approach; he can kill
are Scared and bitten up quite badly,
for sometimes Tom carries them out 10
see them fight with and kill the wild
ones around the mountains. They
sometimes, however, have very tough
fights, and on one or two occasions Tom
has been compelled, in order to save his
pets, to enter the melee.
ARMED WITH A KNIFE
and assist them in the fight
At home they are generally chained,
but the big mans children play around
them and the little ones often ride on
their backs around the cabin.
Tom says he is getting old now, and is
going 10 give up hunting after next win
ter but those who know him say he will
never give 1t up until he is too old to
climb the mountains. He is now appar-
emily about So years of age, and perhaps
the most perfect specimen of physical
manhood to he found in this country.
Il. w. B.
A Literary Fake.