Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-06
NEW JERSEY BEARS.
where You Can Find Them u You Like
That Kind of sport.

This species Of old settler Is not yet out Of |
date In the woods on and around the Blue |
Ridge. Only the other week big black |
specimen has worried the farmers around the
village OF Marksboro, In this county Excur- |
sions, we'll armed and alert have gone in
search Of him. hut so far without success.
The bear is credited with the slaughter OF
three full-grown sheep and two lambs right
within stones throw OF the village. Returns
have not arrived from interior points.
Nothing proves that bears are stil in exist
ence in this region better than the fact that
bear meat is occasionally served in some Of
| the little tAyerns along the Widest mountain
roads In the upper parts of Sussex aud War
| rem counties On going over the Blue Ridge
at the uppermost end OF the State some weeks
| ago, your correspondent stopped for dinner
at one Of these waysido inns. The host
served plate Of meat, savory in odor and
tender in looks. As he put 1t In front OF his
guest he said:
soc how you like this meat. l doubt
whether you ever tasted anything OF the
kind, but 1t Is iayorite dish with us noun
tain people"
Whether the guests appetite had been
whette1 by tho tramp up the mountain, or
whether the dish itsolt was really all II was
cracked up 10 be, it certainly satisfied a rather
iastdious palate. II had flavor somewhat
stronger than beef, yet 1t bore quite SINH
larity to it. After fully testing It's quality, the
query ns to what 1t was startod the landlord
OF at once.
"That Ia boar steak, sir. II was cut from
a bear caught right down the road a piece.
You passed the spot on tho way up, and you
must have walked over tho animals foot
prints. That was four days ago. My boy
shot him. II you had time l could show you
den or two OF bears within mllo oil
this house. and could spin you bear yarns
by the hour OF course bears are on the de-
crease, and In the past few years they have
dropped Of greatly. Yet there arc a few old
sportsmon from the centre Of the state who
come up here every fall on boar hunt. They
always got at least little game"
Among the characters Of upper Now Jersey
is an old hunter who goes by the name o
;, "Rattiesnake Pete" because for years HI
= made living by killing the deodliest o
snakes and selling their skins, and also sell
\ ing berries. lie lives over In Sussex county
j., and Is getting well along in years. He la
. killed a great many bears In his time ant
u had numerous adventures with the tougl
% uundruped, more or less thrilling in char
10 acter. some Of his stories were published Il
y the New York and Philadelphia papers abou
u ten or twelve years ago. Possibly some o
le his unpublished tales may be worth narrntn
II later on. "Pcte" says there are mighty fey
'e bears left in Jersey, but those that are, b
sr considers very sly and very ferocious. Tn
old man preiors talking about snakes. I'll
- | a fha qthaf ta
:" when he was asked about the present cond
Nv ton Of the rIlttesnake market.
IL ,why, bless your soul. sir" he replied
4 ''thero's heaps OF reptiles left yet. It's tru
- they don't 20 after you so much as they use
10 TO- but II you track en- down you can I'm
~ ON. and II you stir EN- up, you will discoy,
~ they arc as lively end bitey as ever. NJ
VI daughter sixteen years old, killed u feuo
80 with thirteen rat,les just before Thank
eu giving. She heard the varmint call. Th'
as call three times, you know, mister. beio
~ they spring on you and bite. You Rlwa.
'se want TO look out for the third call. II meal
NJ death purity quick, II you don't hustle {
ne right away. Well. my girl, she waited till Il
e'- second call. Then she snatched up the b
~ stick we allers carry when we are In the thi'
'rs woods, and running behind the snake
isa him a whael. The old sarpint turned on b
qucker'n bazes, but she was thore. too, Al
'ey fetched him another. That settled the bus
M moss. He wriggled, they alters do, TN su
nc down. and then he died stone dead. I've s
oa the critter hung up in my house longside I
'a' hide Of a big bear that Killed some yea
les ago the other side OF the Ridge, almost OPP
Oh, site the Delaware Water Gap. The rat
an was one OF the biggest and finest ! eS
~. saw"