Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-09-01
a Terrible Fight.


a dispatch from Wocd,tock, N Y, says:
Since the departure OF the tanning industry
has stopped the destructive axe OF the BARK
pealer In this part of the country. many
thousands of acres of mountain land through
the Catskill range have grown up with
dense growth Of wood. With the young
new forests have come bears, and many
thrilling tales Of scrimmages with the var.
mines are constantly being told by partis q
who have been up in the wilderness. The
latest is thrilling In the extreme, as 1t Illus
trates TO degree the bravery Of q mountain
bred woman, fearless and bold 80 noun
tain lion.
Ben Edredge, mountalneer, has lived
for several years on little Clearing way
back 10 Mink Hollow, where the sun sinks
to rect among its nest Of hills every Dight,
several miles back In the wilderness from
the great Overlook Mountain. SeVe al
days ago Ben. while whipping trout stream
surprised an old she bear. with couple Of
cuos, tust as they were coming out OF their
noles underneath huge slab OF rock.
They boited into the brush and escaped,
but the mouutalneer knew they would leave
8 good traIl, and he resolved to follow thsm
the next day providing they did not resurn
to their lair.
The next morning, rifle In hand, accom-
panied by couple OF huge hounds, he start
ed into the mountains 10 search OF the bears,
leaving his wife and three little ones at
home.
he had not been gone from the house
more than an hour when Mrs. Eldredge
heard q great oommoton among the hogs
confioed 10 pen back Of the house. Putting
her bead out OF the window, she saw big
she.bear, accompanied by two cubs, half
grown. having desperate battle with sn
old cow With litter Of little pigs. The 9th.
sr hogs In the pen were watching the fight
from another part OF the sty, and were evil
dently frightened badly. while the little pigs
we're huddled behind their mother, tqueal-
ing Tremendously. The old SOW was maxi
ing desperate battle for her progeny, az the
marks OF her ,usks showed In great red clots
of blood on the BEARS fanks
After taking 10 the situation Mrs. Ed
redge seizsd riffs from It's place on tha wall
aud hastened to the pigsty. She fired at
the bear, but Inflicted only slight wound,
causing her to attack the SOW with re-
doubled vigor. Fearing to hit the pigs If
she fred again, Mrs. E dre6ge seized a
bsavy-bladed soythe which hung on the
fence, eaped over 10 the sty and sailed into
the fight. With one eweep of the snash she
bsli-burled the scythe blade in Bruins body.
The old bear then left tho SOW and attack
ed Mrs. E dredge, driving her into corner
of the fence.
There the battle wsged desperately for 3 few
moments, the scythe blade being buried several
times inches deep in the bears body. Finally
the bear began to show signs of weakness from
the loss Of blood, when with bound Mrs. Ed
redge esped to one side and with one swing Of
her odd weapon nearly severed Bruins head from
her body, causing death.
The pigs then rushed upon the motherless cubs
and would have torn them to shreds, but Mrs.
Eldredge, throwing her scythe over the fence
seized the cubs by the nepe of the neck and rush.
cd out Of tho sty with them. After safely Deposit
ing them in hogshesd, whence they could not
escape she dragged the carcass Of the dead mother
bear from the pig.sty and skinned it. Her hus-
band returned homo in the evening without any
bears, but was surprised to find fresh besr-skin
drying on the clspboards of the cabin, and siuicy
bear-steak smoking on the table for his supper.
The carcass Of the old bear weighed nearly two
hundred pounds, although not very fat. The
cub were sold for $40 apiece to ali animal dealer
from Philadelphia, who visited the Eldredge
cabin few days after Mrs. Eldredge's exploit