Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-11-10
JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN,
But There Was No Reason for
Pulling the Trigger.
The Hear Was Not sighted ana the
Rangers Marched up the Hill ana
Then Marched Down Again.

Then Marched Down AEhth'
Johnny, get your gun!'
Thus read the facetiOus heading OF the
poster announcing the great bear hunt 10
be held at West Wardsboro Wednesday,
Nov. s.
In answer to this call to eXterminate the
devournr beasts of the forest, which nave
waped war on the sheepfOds, it was eN-
pected that 200 to 800 volunteers would
step forward. but only 80 came. These,
however. represented the flower of Wind
ham countv's chiyalry. Among them were
such modern DLuts and Kit Carsons as
d. NJ. Stocker. +. L. White, +. j. Wells,
Frank Bemis, L. Il. White and W. ii. ia
cobs of Wardsboro Herb. Evans OF
Townshend: Hervey Clough. George Cur
It's and Carl Bostwick of Londonderry;
CYRUS Ramsdell Of Brattleboro; Charles
Barnes of Brookline: Mr. Robinson OF
Wilmington +. futile of Newtane.
The war correspondents were detailed to
record the carnage of the day. In addi-
ton to The Phoenix man with his gun
came J. G.. FaXon OF Fitchhurg, Mass,
representing the Boston Herald. and a. C..
Walker of Greenfield. Mass. representing
the Boston journal.
T.. /. Whites house. two miles from
/
the rangers. Ten o'clock was the appoint
ed time, and previous to that hour the men
who expected to strike the fatal blow con-
gregated. Their firearms We're a miscelia-
neous collection. One man carried a flint
lock of the olden time. there were several
army muskets. and the other end of the
variety was represented by new model
[ Winchester repeaters good for lG shots.
one antique had evidently been forged out
/ by hand.
While the company were collecting, Nh
Whites cider barrel, on tap in the yard
was an object Of devoted attention. Two
I or three OF the rangers tested their guns
by firing al d mark, and did good eXecu-
ton
At 1920 a party OF seven under the lead
OF Frank Bemis started ont for the east
side Of White Hill, clas,icaliy known as
I "Podunk' mountain. They were TO wait
on the east side until the other party had
moved up the west side and Joined them
Mr.. Bemiss detachment was reinforced on
the way So that Inc had over 2omen
ID. NJ. Stockcr was chosen the captain Of
the main division of A. men. A line was
formed about the base OF the west side Of
the mountain, the men being about $50
feet apart. so that each could keep his
right hand neighbor in sight. This "col-
umu' was one and one-half mile long
F Capt. Stocker who disdajned hat and al
lowed the breezes TO daily with his locks
and Lieut.. L. l.. White. ran back and forth
along the line to keep the men moving
I forward together. and to shout words Of
/ announcement.
Scaling the heights of Quebec wasn't a
/ Circumstance TO climbing old Podunk on
/ this occasion. The ground in the heavy
/ forest was soft and muddy after the light
/ snow. and one part Of the line became
stranded in a swamp.
After two mortal hours of tramping. T.
W. Waite saw fresh bear tracks. Twenty
minutes later a pistol shot was fired to
close up the line. The men in the line.
/ NOW in the form Of a semi-circlel. rushed
/ forward. thinking this tOsbe the signal of
4 the discovery OF bruin. They closed to-
gether SO uueyenly that the bear had an
opportunity to escape if he was within the
ranks, and the tracks we-e all that was
seen Of him. After the round up Bemis's ,
men were Joined and the hunters dispersed.
one division going TO Nj Whites and an
other 10 Mr.. Suckers.
The bear, oh. where was he9 GO ask
the wind that blew through the whiskers
OF the rangers that scaled old Podunk
Herb Evans of Townsheud was the
Jester. His face was a beacon light and
his ready wit kept the rangers in merry
mood
T The last great bear hunt in Wardsboro
took place IS years ago, when a large bear
was shot Il was sold at auction TO Brattle-
/ horo people. Two weeks previous TO this
a smaller number OF men captured cub
Fifty years ago a great hunt occurred
HE proceedings were chrouicled in verse
/ by J. q. Holland, afterwari the noted
+ journalist and author At this time Mr.
/ Holland was writng-school teacher in
WardsbOro. His poem on the hunt is re-
/ printed in this issue of The Phoenix. The
copy OF the old poem, carefully preserved
from the columns of The Phoenix. was
furnished by Mrs. p. c. Spencer, whose
father was the Babcock mentioned in its
lines