The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-11-02
OUGHT TO SEE his PARTNER.
Olsen Well Used Up in a Bear Tight. but
Nothing Like the Other Man.

Olsen Well Used Up in a Bear Tight, but
Nothing Like the Other Man.
A man who looked as if he had been
trying to hug the cylinder of a thresh-
ing machine when it was in motion was
seen offering a pack of furs to a dealer
up town.
"You are rather late getting your furs
to market" said a reporter who hap
pened to be present.
yes" was the reply, but | have
been laid up and could not get to town
before"
.'Wha has been the matter with your
asked the reporter, who was anxious TO
know how the man had been so fearfullv
scratched.
The matter with ne was an attack Of
bear"
You Lad it bad, Judging from your
looks"
Eyes, | had it bad, ard no mistake,
but you just ought to see my partner"
"Is he in o worse fix than you"
"a great deal worse. He had SO much
meat scratched off one side of him that
he has to carry a weight iii his jacket
pocket to enable him to walk straight"
The sale Of the furs having been com
pleted the old trapper was asked for the
story Of his encounter with the bear.
He said his name was Hans Olsen, that
he lived on the edge of the big burn IN
Clacka1nus county, and he went out on
the headwaters Of the Clackamas trap
ping with Peter Hansen, who lives III
the same section. They had good luck
for Il while, caught many minks, some
fishers, and found q swamp and small
lake where there were many beaver,
and were getting many Of them, when
deeD snow came on and about spoiled
their trapping.
After a while the snow became SO deep
that they could hardly move around, and
could not get out of the mountains at
all. Then provisions ran short, and they
had to rustic and try to kill something
to eat. They went out on the lake one
day and cut a hole through the ice to see
if they could catch some trout, but did
not get any.
On their way home toward night. as
they were crossing a little ravine On a
fallen tree, Olsen slipped and fell near
| the roots Of the tree and came down
plump into a bears den. The bear was
very lively for an animal supposed to
be asleep, and at one attacked him. He
| had a knife and a small hatchet in his
belt, and he got out the hatchet and be-
gan to chop and yell. Hansen, who was
| behind, had a gun but he was afraid to
| fire down in the dark for fear Of killing
his friend, and at length, drawing his
knife, jumped down with him aud the
bear. There was a lively time there for
a while, and the fur and clothing and
flesh flew, but finally Hansen, who was
the worst used up man of the two, man
aged to reach q vital spot with his knife.
The bear keeled over and the two trap,
pers keeled over also. They managed tc
make a little fire with some Of the leaves
and tWigsf from the bears nest, and there
was plenty Of rags to bandage their
wounds, for they were all rags. 1t was
several days before they could crawl tc
their camp with a hunk Of the bears
flesh, which had been their only food
during their stay in the den.
Olsen says he intends to go trapping
again, but he never wants to meet an
other bear in his own den again. His
partner, Hansen, is able to walk around
and go down to the creek and catch
few trout and look after the beehives.-
Portland OregOnian.