The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-09-22
BATTLES WITH BRUIN.
THE HERO OF NUMEROUS
FIERCE ENCOUNTERS.
Incident In tho Life of Man Who Was
Hunter-Brutn Brought to Bay-A
Very Exciting Dance Fierce Hand-to.
Paw Conflict.

very Exciting Dance-Fierce Hand-tO'
Paw Conflict.
Alfred Page. New England's most
famous bear hunter, died at Went
worth, N. H, recently, aged 60 years,
and although the hero of many a
hard fought scrimmage, he left this
world from natural causes, his death
resulting from cold and stroke of
paralysis. This great Nimrod was
born il Dublin, N. H., and the asso-
ciatioas of the granite state proved
too strong for him to sever during
his lifetime. In his early boyhood
the destinations Of the chase OBJ
tanned such strong hold upon him,
that. although dattering induce
ments were proffered to follow agri-
cultural or mechanical pursuits, the
woods and streams claimed him as a
willing devotee.
His reputation as crack shot and
daring hunter rapidly spread through
out the country, and the appearance
of any large wild animal of dangerous
character was Immediately followed
by message to him, when he would
repair to the spot, and as a general
thing the life of the .'varmint" paid
the penalty of his intrusion. Bruin
was his favorite meat, and he would
follow the trail day and night, in
fair weather and foul, missing many
meal in his earnest pursuit of
game.
On one occasion way back in the
forties, Page was taking hunting
trip up on Carr's mountain, which
was favorite resort of his. With
him was a young man of little ex-
perience in the woods. One night
they made their camp on the side of
the mountain in a spot that was
covered with beeches. Page knew
how fond bears were of the beech
nuts and kept his eye out for bear
signs. He found a place where there
were unmistakable' marks of one of
these animals having been around,
and began to think how he could
trap the old fellow. Knowing that
it would be of no use to set his traps
on the hillside, he thought perhaps
he might coax the animal down to a
little brook that ran near by. So he
took two large traps and set them in
the brook some distance apart and
baited them.
For two days nothing was touched.
but on the third the upper trap was
missing. Page and his companion
followed the tracks down stream and
occasionally found tracks of blood
and signs of a struggle where the
bear had got the heavy trap caught
in the roots and behind stones.
Turning little mound sharply they
came plump upon Mister Bruin
caught in some bushes, Juggling,
clawing and growing in way that
showed whatever came in his way
would have to suffer. AS the two
hunters came up, the bear made a
sudden turn around the bushes and
came face to face with them, much
to his surprise. Both fired at him,
but just then he succeeded in tearing
his paw out of the trap and made for
them ferociously. Pages companion
though a young man at that time.
had faced bears often enough to hold
his ground.
A second shot hit the bru:o and he
went down, but, as it proved. he was
far from dead. Page thought he
might as we'll make it sure thing,
and was loading up again for final
shot, when the bear shambled to his
feet and went for him. Clubbing his
gun, the hunter hit the animal again
and again without, however, do.
ing much damage beyond shatter-
ing his rifle stock and angering his
opponent. Only the tallest kind of
lodging kept him from the infuri-
ated animals claws. Fortunately for
him his hunting dog, which had
heard the fuss just at that moment,
came tearing through the bushes and
pluckily set his teeth in one of the
BEARS hind legs. The bear turned
and snapped at him, but the dog be-
Ing game and 1.-the simply let go one
leg and grabbed the other.
Then ensued as lively q dance as
OISA OotI . AOuACd1u 0VOI Saw. All
the time hunters and hunted were
working their way down stream
toward the other trap, which no one
thought of. It was brought to their
attention quick enough, for in one OF
the measures in the furious cotillion
dog and bear were dancing the latter
suddenly set his foot square in the
jaws which snapped and held him.
Page now saw his chance, and ran
back to where his companion had
dropped his rifle in his hasty flight.
seized it. reloaded and put bulles
into bruins brain just as he had sue
ceeded in tearing trap No. from it's
fastenings, and was coming up for
round No. 2 with anything but good
intentions. That settled Page for
taking green woodsmen out with
him. He and his dog kept company
alone after that, whenever deeds Of
ursine slaughter we're In the wind
An Error Rectifed.
Fortune Teller, examining Tea
caddy's bandits no use pretending
you will live to be an old man. Your