Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-06-10
NEW WAY TO FIGHT BEARS.
Two Pennsylvania Farmers KIN One with
n Harrow.


Harrow.
Late one winter afternoon Ellis L. !
Barber Il farmer of Meadow Run. |
started for his new place on Coon |
Hill in jackson township. with a
sleigh load of farm NJ implements Ii
is seven miles between the two farms
states the Scranton correspondent OF
the New York Sun and for two miles
and half tho road runs through the
Peabody woods along Beaver Creek.
William Finch, hired man. rode in
the back end OF the sleigh to steady
the load and shepherd dog belong
ing to Farmer Barber stood near
Finch with his paws on the endboard.
The going was bad, and it was past
shutdown when they reached the
woods Before they had gone mile
in the forest the sleigh got struck in a
pitchhole. and while the men were
prying the runners up tho dog began
TO growl.
They paid no attention to him in
their hurry to get out OF the woods be-
fore nightfall, and as soon as the
sleigh had been righted they jumped
in and started on. The dog continued
to growL and Finch looked back to
see what was annoying him. 1t was
dark then, and Finch saw bear
slouching and shifting toward the
sleigh. lie was only a few yards be-
hind It, and the dogs noise didn't
scare him particle. Barber was
driving, and whilo Finch was calling
| 10 20
sprang out Of the sleigh and went
bounding and barking toward the big
brute. The bear gave the dog cuff
and knocked him down the bank.
where he kicked up the snow as
though he had got enough. Instead of
following the dog the bear sat up in
the road and glared at him. Barber
stopped the team and Finch jumped
out grabbed the dog and put him in
the sleigh. The bear had clawed q
chunk out Of his jaw and he lay down
and whined.
Barber then started the horses. and
the bear Immediately followed tho
sleigh, licked his chops and acted as
though he wanted to get another
crack at the dog. The horses soon
got wind OF the bear and became so
FESTIVE that Barber was afraid to let
so OF the lines. Fearing that the bear
might climb into the end of the sleigh
and not having any club to hit him
with Finch caught up the crippled
dog and carried him along the top oil
the load to the scat The bear wad-
died to the left side Of the sleigh, held
his nose high and shifted. The
team pranced and snorted, and Barber
yanked the reins till they came to 9
stanu-stlll.
Tie instant the team stopped Finch
lifted three-cornered harrow from
the top OF the load and dropped it or
the bear teeth down. The teeth
pierced the bears hide on each side o
his spine and the bear beloved
jumped ten or twelve feet and SHOOK
himself savagely. AT sight OF tn,
bear with the harrow on his back, the
horses sprang to the right and upse
part of the load Finch grabbed
the head and turned them back to tn,
roadway, and the bear went roaring
up the road in the aim light and try
ing in vain to shake tho harrow OIL
AS soon as Finch had quieted the team
and fixed up the load he went afte
the bear. He got log as large as h,
could carry and he threw it on top o
the harrow with all his might Tn,
weight OF the harrow drove two o
the teeth deep into the bears back
and the bear sprang from the roaC
with a roar and took for the woods.
Finch took up the log and chasst
him. and just as he was about t,
dump it on the harrow again the beal
made dash between some trees
The harrow caught fast and the bea
pulled his body from under it. rolled
over two or three time and made q
dash down the ravine toward tn,
creek, leaving streaks of blood in the
snow. which, although it was nearl,
dark. Finch could plainly see.
Finch made up his mind not {,
follow the bear so he hurried TO tn
sleigh and Barber drove on. On
Thursday morning they started 70
Meadow Run. and when they reache,
the woods they carried the harrow {,
the road. Finch then ran down T.
the creek, where he found that tn
bear had bled to death within fiftee
yards from where he had rid himsel
of the harrow. In the afternoo
, Barber and Finch skinned the bear
, cut him open and found that Their
I was not a particle OF food in hi