Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-02-20
PREBLE'S FAKE BEAR HUNT.
Got Up as a Joke on Greenhorn
Hunter ellison.
1t Yielded Unexpected Fun to Such an
Extent That Dave Ramsy Had to Go
Out Into the Open Country
to Laugh.

y
nor sign Of bear had bien seen III
the vicinity If Rose Lake, Pa, and con-
sequently the killing of big one near
there one lay made a great surprise
in that colher of the hemlOck belt.
There were also circumstances cc.n-
nected with the killing of the rear that
made it still more notable.
Doc Preb]c lives at Rose Lake. He is
2OG-pounder, good-natured, and cs-
pecially foni of practical Joke. Some
weeks ago party Of sportsmen came
to Rose Lake to spend few days after
partridge and other small game, which
is abundant thereabouts. Among them
was a slim young man from Pittsburgh,
named Gill son. Young ellison was en-
lirely unsophlsticated as hunter, and
was probably the greenest individual
about backwoods things ever seen in
that locality. He soon became game
for mIschievous natives who Tiled him
full of hair-raising bear and wildcat
stories and other tales of life in The
woods theleabouts. Gillscn accepted
everything he heard in good faith, and
became fired will, a desire to kill a
bear. Having beea told t!4at he was
liable ut any moment to come face to
face with a bear or catamount, Gill
son followed the advice of Doc Preble,
and every time he vent into the woods
he strapped hurting ak at his side,
Carried big knife, and kept one bor-
rel of his gun heavily charged with
buckshot. The r:.st Of tie hunting
party themselves enjoyed the fun the
natives wer. having with ellison, and
did not interfere.
Soon afte1 there was TALL of snow
in that locality, ard Doc Preble con-
ceived the idea o. getting up bear
hunt for young Giilson's benefit. Put
ting on his rubber boots he made tracks
in the new snow from one big laurel
patch to another one mile up the
mountain. ana from that one to third
one nearly two miles away, on the edge
of Billct's hollow. The he struck the
old bark road and returned home by
it. Toward evening he went to Barnes
boarding house, where the hunters were
stopping, anu remarked in & nonchalant
way that from the tracks he had seen
in the snow up along Lye's mountain
that afternoon the biggest bear that
ever had wintered in that district hid
come in and coilel himself up in some
laurel patch over that way
''It wouldn't be much trouble to rout
him out, I guess" said Doc, IF any
one cared to go out and risk it."
ellison was all excitement at once,
hot he vxyo1111 for
The rest of the party, suspcct1ng there
was joke in it, said he might go if he
wanted to, out that they hadn't come
out there t. be clawed and chawed
and musse'! up by bears, and would
stay at home. So Doc Prcble :old Gill
son that he would go with him, end
Dave Ramsey, Barnes boss chopper,
and an old hear hunter, said he would
60, too, Do" having confidcd the secret
of the bear tracks TO him.
The three started out carly the next
morning, Gibson with both barrels Of
his gun loaded with buckshot, and his
ak and big knife really at his hand.
Preble and Ramsy each carried double
bitted chopping axes and a rifle, and
revolvers in their belts.
well fnG him a tough customer,
said Doc Prcble to ellison. '.His foot
print measures nearly IA inches, and
the biggest bear l ever heard of around
here before made a track only eight
inches long. There's liable to be some
blood split before night, md it won't
all be hears blood, either"
ellison was inclined to weaken when
he saw the tracks in the snow and
asked preble why they couldn't trap
the bear first and then Kill him, but
.Preble and ,Kamsy laughed at him, ard