The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-01
FORTY-THREE BLACK BEARS.
THIS ~ INF LAST UINTER'S SCORE or
TWO PENNSHLVINI4 HUNTRRS

Loe-p-n T-np., Two Of which Cauaht ssvs-
"varriots" II = NIert-.ttov thu istdiou,
Beer K-R Gets in Its work Brute.
WILLIAMSBURG, Pa. March n. AS bear hunt
ers Aionzo and John Baker. residents OF the
Black Forest locality in Lycomina county are
record breakers. During the winter season
Just over they killed forty-three black bears.
their favorite mole Of capture being pens
baitod with calves heads and chunks OF meat
As n result OF their winters work these two
young wOodsmen have male nerrly 500. the
carrasses OF the bears. together with the hides.
being shipped to rity markets.
The Baker brothers are renowned in tha
Black Forest section for their success in tran.
ping and hunting. Besides the Unprecedented
number OF bears they also killed several dozen
deer during the open season all ot which were
hurried to market and turned into cash But
their bear-catchinR propensities are OF un-
usual interest, and they ONT with pride to
the big hemlock tres near their log hut on
which there are forty-two notches cut with an
axe-a tally for every bruin that succumbed TO
their artihce and cunning. The Bakers got
most OF their bears in two traps. hut these wpre
in the right place, II seems. for In one night
alone they captured with them seven bears
four In one trap aud three In another
These two pen" trnps are made to stay.
built as they are solidy Of h-mlocE logs.
wedgsd In between stout trees, so tHat the on-
slauRht Of an ENGAGED bruin will have no
effect on the barric,je OF timbers. The
pens ars built about twelve feet square and
nine feet high ut the loftiAst point with \
slopInR reof. also OF logs. In the center OF tho
roof hole. probably two and one.hal, feet
square. affords ipquisitive bruin an opportu.
nifty to drop In after the tempting uait. Then
once In he is n prisoner for the hoe through
which he enters the only m cans OF exit la out
o. his reach. and no amount OF growing or
rumma ginE about avails him anght The calves
heads and Lesf make excellent tait for the
pens. as the odor Of thu putrd lesh Is waited
for q mile On the keen winter air and after
snif1lnR tho scent bru'n is not long in discoy-
sring the whereabouts OF IL. source.
The Baker boys delight to toll Of tho night
when the seven bears were captured. 1t was
during the extreme cold weather in January,
when everything was frozen stlT and solid.
The afternoon before the eventful night they
bai:ed both pens unusually heavily. with
the expectation Of catching big black fellow
whom they had seen one morning Mt daybrtak
leaving one Of the pens as thoy approached.
He was q monster. and waddled along as
though he was rollin' fat" He was cheeky
old fellow. too for when the Bakers APP
preached he rose on his launches and
grinned in manner most aRgravatinR to
tne tThppeEb, IOE On tnat tHey HNu
failed to bring their guns. as they were on
their way to town dozen miles distant.
The morning following the day upon which
they baited the traps so unusually well the
Bakers were early on hand. But before the
bait had been fruitful Of good osults, Tor they
heard the imprisoned bears snarling and
Closure IN Their .ndeavors e to eseare. or made
fruitless attempts to reach the aperture above.
,hroHsh which Ihsy had b., 50 elu%sil.
reached the side Of the log prison and peeped
through the holes conveniently arranged for
pTised to lind therein Tour black fellows. Que
Of which was the monster who had grinned &C
grown dirGusted with any effort to regain his
iioerty and stood sulklng in one corner. Ia
outside. But the Bakers we're there for husi-
ness. and half dozen we'll directed shots from
range laid the brain quartet out. and hour
later the four were hanging to the limbs OF
Gcssd A1 So rs ss tor To- f.. pom
Tnsre three bpcs ,Ss
eontented 10 gnawing at one OF the cali heads.
The two full, grown bears were shot. but with
subsequently shipped to .rittsburgn-es per-
as ' ever ' trod the rocks u the Sleshanies Be-
tween marketing their bear meat and hunting
cnpied; They only shot eight OF the iorty-
three bears while trail hunting. And ons
that Il the YOUNGEST brotsef. ;ohn. carries an
ugly scar on the cheek yet, where the beasts
Young BSs or haa only speersdei in FOUNDING
the asimalE,a ,.nky she ,-,.t 'e ,ro y
was compelled to drop his gun and attaex her
with his bunting knife In the battle which
times before the loss OF blood islied her. Young
Baker declares that it was the Toughest tattle
supple as a catamonut. even though her body
contained two bullets from his rife:
In log mems. They hit upon a most ingeniou.
plan to entrap greedy bruin, and asa result .!
IN mae ace sd with their beerkes tactics
They purchased three empty beer kegs.
through which; pointing inward we're driven
least three inches on ths inside Of the ksg.
ring. Thus equipped. the other end Of
butt butt e 81 hs%loce and "a ts%pt'%s
bait hung the So,trm Tuno Of ,r the
must force his head pa;t the four SHARP
spikes. This he die and then found himself
back. the cruel spikes iabbing into his wooiy
hide and holding his bend AS secure as though
Ttrs CAPTURE sran and ns assfs
the strange antics which the bears went
through n their efforts to SHAKE oil the tec;
short by the taught chair. then would rise on
their launches and with foreraws scratch and
would dance In u spasm of rage all the while
growing iuriousiy
or course IL was an easy thing to shoot them
when entrappsd In this manner. then by re-
moving one Of the spikes the key could he read-
fly pushed of bruins head. The beer kec trap
will now be q permanent fixture among tho
Baker hunting outfit and they expect newt
season TO capture more hear In this manner.
They will equip no less than two dozen kegs
for the purpose. However. the lng-p"n trap 10
still the fayorite In Black Forest. for when ons
OF these hear catchers turns out four behstsin
one night 1t Is not profitable to discard them