Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-20
a MIGHTY BEAR HUNTER!
THE GREATEST LIVING AMERICAN
SLAYER OF BRUIN.
his Homo I'm tho North Carolina Noun.
tains-Somc OF His Narrow Es-
cnpcS and Darinr Ecats.

cnpcs ana Daring Feats.
Around Ashcvillc, N. c., arc many in
'crcsting points, but none so highly novel
rs tho home Of Big Tom Wilson, the
most noted living bear hunter in America.
Big Tom hns killed up to the present
writing just three hundred and fifty seven
bears, exclusive of tho cubs ho has cap
turcd and killed. IIo was born and raised
at tho foot of Black Mountain, one of the
highest peaks in western North Carolina,
md has been hunting bear since mcrc
boy.
1t is worth the rido of thirty-Gve miles
on horseback through the mountains
from Ashevillc, to visit the homo of, and
SEQ and talk with, Big Tom. His is
typical mountain home, II small log hut
with stick and mud chimney at the foot
Black Mountain and or tho cdgo of
small stream konwn MS Cancy River.
There is not another house within ton
miles, and to any but the most expc-
ricnccd mountain guide the place is inac.
ccssiblo, there being only ono small gap
through tho mountains by which it is
possible to reach tho placc, for Cancy
River short distance below the hunters
mountain homo is suddenly lost from
view md appears nboye ground again
miles nway ON the other sitie of the noun.
tain.
Tom has wifc and fourteen children,
nll of whom live in tho ono room of the
small log cabin. But children nre not
tho only live stock that Tom has, foi
around his homo arc three large black pct
bears. These nrc his dogs OF his hunt.
ing companions.
Tom is great burly fellow, six feet
four inches tnll, with broad shoulders
and muscles of steel. His beard is long
and black, slightly tngcd with gray. His
hair is as straight MS I'M Indian's and
hangs down over his shoulders. His eye.
brows nro long and busly, while be-
meath them is as piercing II pair of gray
eyes MS ono could imagine lilo is per.
feet typo Of the ideal mountain hunts.
man, and II nero glance ut him would
Indicate to the most conservative that he
could grapplc with and conquer, empty
handcd thu most fcrociois bear.
But Tom hns had one tusscl cmpty.
handed and snys he never wants another.
AS II consequence his fncc and body are
covered with scars and ono finger of his
right hand is gone. II was in the fall
Of 1882. lIo had been hunting over tho
mountains, and having struck no game,
had rested his rifle against tree and
lnin down for nap. He awolse sud.
denly to find big black bear on his
hind legs with tho gun clutchod
between his paws and almost oveI
him. Tom jumped to his feci
in an instant. But the bear was equally
quick, and, dropping the gun, madc fol
Tom. They grappled, and as Tom ex.
presses it, "thcre was the greatest hug.
ging match for hnlf M hour you ever
saw" Tom held his own admirably al
first, but the bear bit and tore at his
clothes until they were nll off, and then
tore tho flesh from his shoulders in hunks.
Tom wns choking tho bear with his great
hands of iron and the bear was hugginn
md tearing Mt his arms and shoulders.
He was bleeding from dozen different
wounds and rapidly growing weak when
he stumbled on rock and fell, with the
bcnr on top. His back struck some.
thing hard. 1t was his rifle
His hopes arose, and with great Of.
fort he turned, caught the muzzlo of the
rifle with one hand, pressed it against
tic throat of the bear and quickly pulled
the trigger with the other.
The ball crushed through the neck
and brain of tho bear and he fell over
dead. Tom was saved, but to use his
own expression, ho "will never tackle
another bar without ole trusty," his
rifle.
Tom was never known to trap bear.
He says that is taking an unfair advan-
tagc of the "critters."
Just after his single handed experience
with the bear Tom got three large onee
out of one tree. Hc and his boy were
going over the mountains unarmed.
They were nine miles from his cabin and
1t was late in tho afternoon when he
spicd three bears in the limbs of a chest.
nut tree eating the fruit. He immedi-
ately builta large fire around the trunk OF
the tree and sent his boy home for his
rife, while he remained to keep up the
lire and prevent them from getting away.
Tho trip was long and rugged one,
and the boy did not return until the next
morning, but Big Tom kept the fire burn
ing and watched all night. At sunrise
the boy had returned, and Tom got all
three in that many shots.
BIG Tom don't hunt rs much now MS he
used to, but he never returns without
game. Tho three bears he has at his
home he raised, having captured them
when cubs. They are us obedient to his
command MS dogs, and always accompany
him on his hunts. He says they never
fail to find bear, and as wild one seeing
them will approach he can kill them
without difficulty. Two of them are
Scared and bitten up quite badly, Tor
sometimes Tom carries them out to 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 com
PEELED, in order to save his pets, to enter
the melee armed with 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