The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-26
A TERRIBLE FIGHT.
A woman's Desperate Battle with an Er
hraged Bear.

A woman's Desperate Battle with an En-
hraged Bear.
Since the departure Of the tanning in
dustry has stopped the destructive ak OF
the bark-peeler in this part of the coun.
try many thousands of acres of noun,
tain land through the Catskill range
have grown up with dense second
growth of wood. With the young new
forests have come the bears, and many
thrilling tales of scrimmages with the
varmints are constantly being told by
parties who have been up in the wilder
ness The latest is thrilling in the ex-
treme, as it illustrates to degree the
bravery of a mountain-br woman,
fearless and bold as mountain lion.
Ben Eldredge, a mountaineer, has
lived for several years on little clear
ing way back in Mink Hollow, where
the sun sinks to rest among its nest OF
hills every night, several miles back in
the wilderness from the great Overlook
mountain. Some time ago Ben, while
whipping trout stream, surprised an
old she bear, with a couple of cubs, Just
as they were coming out of their holes
underneath huge slab of rock. They
bolted into the brush and escaped, but
the mountaineer knew they would leave
a good trail, and he resolved to follow
them the next day providing they did
not return TO their lair.
The next morning, rife in hand, ac-
companied by couple of huge hounds,
he started into the mountains in search
OF the bears, leaving his wife and three
little ones at home.
lie had not been gone from the house
more than an hour when Mrs. Eldredge
heard a great commotion among the
house. Putting her head out Of the
window she saw big she bear, accom-
panied by two cubs, half grown, having
desperate battle with an old SOW
with litter of little pigs. The other
hogs in the pen were watching the fight
from another part of the sly and were
evidently frightened badly, while the
little pigs were huddled behind their
mother, squealing tremendously. The
old sow was making desperate battle
for her progeny, as the marks of her
tusks showed in great red clots of blood
on the bears TANKS.
After taking in the situation Mrs
Eldredge seized a rifle from its place on
the wall and FASTENED to the pigsty.
She fred at the bear, bat inflicted only
a slight wound. causing her to attack
the SOW with re6oubled vigor. Fearing
to hit the pigs if she fired again. Mrs.
Eldredge seized q heavy-bladed scythe
which hung on the fence, leaped over in
the sly and sailed into the fight With
ONE sweep of the snath she half
buried the scythe blade in Bruins
body The old bear them left the
sow and attacked Mrs Eldredge,
There the battle waged desperately for
a few moments, the scythe blade being
buried several times inches deep in the
bears body. Finally the bear began to
show signs of weaknassfro the loss OF
blood, when with a bound Mrs Ed
redge Aeaped to one side and with one
swing of her odd weapon nearly severed
Bruins head from. her body, causing
death. The pigs them rushed upon the
motherless cubs and would have torn
them to shreds, bnt Mrs. Eldredge,
throwing her scythe over, the fence;
seized the cubs by the nape OF the neck
and rushed out of the. sly with them.
After safely depositing them in a hogs
head, whence they osnld not escape,
she dragged the oarcase' of the dead
mother bear from the pigsty and
skinned it. Her husband returned
home i'm the evening without any BEARS,
but was surprised to, find a fresh bear.
skin drying on the clapboardss of the
cabin AND juicy bear-steak smoking
on the table for his supper. The car
case of the old bear wsighed nearly two
hundred pounds, although not very fat.
The enbs were sold for ten dollars.
apiece to an animal dealer from Phila-
delphia. who visited the Eldredge cabin
a. few DAYS after MRS. Eldredge's ex-
plDit-N. Y. World.