Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-08-29
A TRUE BEAR STORY.
How the Last Bear That Ever Visited
the Valley of Arcadia was Received
and Disposed of.

| How the Last Bear That Ever VISITED
the Valley of Arcadia was Received
and Disposed of.
1t was away back in the SOS, / think abou
So or 81, before either Ironton or the Iron
ton REGISTER was born, and while Shep'
herd Valley, now the cite of the City Of
Ironton, was still covered with dense forest
that one fine evening in the early part Of
June, darky, almost pale with fright.rush-
ed into the campus of the old Arcadia High
School and announced that he had just seen
a large black bear IN an oat field just east oil
Zach Harris hotel, now [ believe the Area
dia House. The announcement appeared to
be caught in a moment by every student in
the building and scene of confusion ensued
that would be hard 10 describe. 1t was ia
vain that the professors sought to restore
order. Half the boys i'll the school were on
their feet and when one holder or more reck-
less than the rest bolted for the door, it
was signal for general break. The doors
not affording sufficient means of egresss
windows were hastily thrown up and the
| boys, in many instances without their hats,
tumbled out in undignified haste, each bent
| on taking part in eXterminating what prov
| ed to be the last bear even seen in Arcadia
| Valley, In the mean time word had spread
over the village, and almost the entire male
| population, armed with such weapons, Of
fenslye or defensive, AS they could lay hands
on, joined in the chase. But the most con-
spicr Gus figure in the wild chase was DR..
Alex. N bore, an old time hunter from ''way
! l. 4
years and weighing about 24O pounds, was
still remarkably agile ana had as keen a
relish for the huntSman's sport as the
youngest Of those then engaged in the chase.
The Doctor kept u pack of some dozen or
more hounds, and mounting hastily on fine
black horse, which he didn't take time 20
saddle, he blew blast upon his horn to
which the bowling pack responded in a live
ly manner, and the next moment ne dashed
off at a sweeping gallop toward the spot
where bruIn had last been seen, followed
by, the hounds; his hat having blown off left
his long white locks streaming in the win
and presenting ludicrous but wildly excit-
ing picture. In much less time than it takes
to tell it, the trail where the bear left the
field and struck into the woods was found
and the hounds were put upon it. Eacour-
aged by the shouts and yells from q hundred
and fifty pair of healthy lungs they gave
wind in lively style, and from mountain side
to mountain side the valley rung with the
exciting chorus. Bruin kept an almost due
north course for about mile, when he turn
ed abruptly and struck west, directly
through where the City of Irontou now
stands, for the foot of Shepherd mountain.
Here he changed his conrse again, turning
south along the foot of the mountain, evil
IDENTITY intending to pass around in the mar
row bottom between Stout's Creek and the
southern base of the mountain and escape
into the wilds of the Black River region from
which he had probably wandered away.
The chase was now becoming intensely ecI-
citing and the eager baying of the hounds
indicated that they were getting close upon
their game. Guided by the baying of the
hounds and the shouts Of the men and boys
pursung,a few individuals who had remain
ed in the village, divining the course that
bruin was taking, hurried oyer in a north
westerly direction and occupied the pass
just in time to Intercept him. Bruin, find
ing himself headed off in front, and the
hounds bowling at his heels, attempted 10
scale the side Of the mountain, but few
rods satisfied him that the undertaking was
too difficult, and he sought at least temper
airy safety by scrambling up tree, which
he accomplished barely in time to get his
launches out of reach of the foremost of the
hounds. With poor bruin, however, it was
like jumping out OF the frying pan into the
fire, for he was scarcely out of reach OF the |
dogs when he was surrounded by the fore |
most of the men and boys, who opened
fusilade upon him at short range from rifles, |
shot-guns and pistols, and he fell from the |
tree pierced by dozen or more bullets, all |
fired so nearly at once that it was never |
known who fired the first shot. By common |
consent the skin was awarded to DR.. Moore, |
and as every one, and especially all of the |
were ANXIOUS to have it to say that |
they had eaten bear meat, killed almost in |
the shadow of the seminary, the carcass was
divided into small pieces and some sent to
every one who expressed a desire in that
direction, and by the time the breakfast
dishes were washed next morning it is be-
iieyed that the last vestige of the last bear
ever seen in the Valley Of Arcadia had COM
pletey disappeared from the earth.