The sun., 1896-08-23
A NOVEL MAINE BEAR TRAP
HONEY WAS THE B4IT AND 4 NUN
Wis TO no the REST
II Was Arranged by Two Maine Hunters
Who Had Bcen Robbed of Honey by .
Curipus Benr-Ths Honey Worked Well.

It Was Arranged by Two Maine Hunters
who Had Bcen Robbed of Honey by
Curipus Benr-The Honey Worked Well,
but tho Bull Failed 10 Play His Part
CHICKS CROSSING. Me-. Aug. 22.-Betweeu
the close OF the blucberry harvest and the time
when the wild black berries hang ripe among
the rc.scarred clearinGs there few weeks
OF leisure, which the farmers devote to bee hunt.
ing. II Is n season when the bees having filed
their cells with white clover honey from the
second crop, take several days Off and go to dis
tant fields to look up pnsturagc for tho ncxtyear,
AS soon as the farmers know of this they arc sure
the comb is heavier and swectcr than IL will Oq
again, and proceed to rifle all the nests Jhey
can find. by coincidence the bears. too. find
themselves without an occupation at this time,
so they frequently come in contact with the
farmers strol!ng through tho woods upon the
snme crrand as themselves, and several shrewd
old bears annually lay down their lives In an In
discreet effort to get at the honey stubs ahead
of thcir human competitors.
Two bears have died In Hancock county this
year because they loved honey not wisely but
too we'll: and Bill Rcmick and Con Archer. two
hooppole hunters of note, believed they had
made plans to kill the third ono, though subse-
uuent events did not confirm their too sanguno
opinion. The hunters were out for bees in full
force through the foggy weather that prevailed
methods of lining tho boes to their nests. and
hunted faithfully, but did not get more than
fifty pounds OF marketable honey in four days.
They were weary and hungry and aching from
many bee stings when on Thursday night Bill
drew Reometrical figure in the mud
and proved that the last ten bees he had lined
had all gone TO the same tree, a crooked pine
stub on the side of the Whales Back. which
was two miles away. Con, who did not UNDER
ato anil oil for att tip,v ,,tu
morning and making the attack by daylight,
but BIZ reasoned him out of this notion. They
found tho treo soon after sundown. 1t was
nearly ms big and fully as ugly TO look at as
Bunker Hill Monument. and up some twenty
feet from the ground was knothoe surrounded
by a fringe OF bees that had come outside to en-
Joy the evening.
After the men had kindled q rousing fire Of
pine knots and resinous woods the tree was
felled. and while the exasperated bees wero
dashinR into the blaze and dying by thousands
the hunters took out as much honey as they
could carry and went home. leaving the fallen
trunk. which still held hundred weight or
moro OF good honey. to lie out in the woods.
with no protection but the owls and foxes. The
men made costly mistake. They knew it as
soon us they returned next morning and exam
ined the tree. A bear had entered the cavity,
and, In addition tC eating good lot Of honey,
had broken up and mixed the remaining
comb with bits OF rotten wood. So the
whole lot would have to be strained
before It was sold. While BIZ was saying
libelIous things about the bear Con hunted
about the place for tracks. There were plenty
@, a rnf N 5hS mIis and fesn
made with q cant dog or the sharp end of n
large cane. Alongside of these were indenta-
tions OF some kind OF foot that seemed TO be shod
with cigar box and right among them all were
few common bear tracks. As n composite
n n fft0 - oh 0Nta l,nH
their observation before the hunters sent Off
for Jack Gilpatrick, who knows all about wood
arrived. twenty-four hours later, he said the
tracks belonged 10 Ida, the manned aud three
legged tame bear that had run away from Bah
cock of Bradley more than year ago.
With Jacks aid they laid deep plot to catch
and such devices as are used to destroy common
bears were useless in this case. To get Ida they
o the Side I a Sens
Archer had Just what they wanted. He had
COLLISIONS '5 Is1ssy bull Which, after gay sea; sea-
tipped oyer and spoiled two bicycles las good as
new, and forced the school ma'am to abandon
side OF a barbed wire fence in back field. If
Ida could be TEMPTED or or sosTed cor, 70 enter the
log. still containing a good lot OF honey, was
while Archer beguled the bull with red under.
shirt tied 10 the end Of short pole. Bill and
up. they thrust one end OF the log into the yard
and left it poised that a few pounds weight
and fall in with the bull. Great daubs of comb
honey were then scattered over the hills in lines
three hunters went away to catch more bees.
Though two TGG days y and three 6San,ifpI nights
pHsSed, me onli SUI paved ~ nj NM yard tor new
among the hills. Jack was sure she was near
by. because he had noticed that the outer ends
OF the radiating lines of honey had been taken
np. and that the circle was closing In rapidly.
To his mind the bear was as good as caught
n aid Ia fllA nFH ftnrl NOT
get out through the wires Of the ten-stranded
fence, even Il she had no foe TO conquer; and
done he laughed in anticipation. The weekly
paper, containing an account OF Bryap's re.
read and discussed before the men thought OF
going TO the yard again. Even then they would
afraid that the warm weather would spoil tho
bears meat and make it unfit to eat. All three
It early one morning, and were more than half
way To the back field when a boy camo hurry.
in the yard.
Dead bull is it, eh 2" laughed Archer. as
sured that the boy had seen the remains OF Ida.
sure there wasn't two on 'enI-one live and
t'nthor dead amt you, sonnyT
The boy was not only certain about II, but he
offered to bet two cents and a FISH hook that he
was right. which made sue h IN impression upon
the hunters that they quickened their walk 10 a
trot. Three minutes later they learned that the
boys eyes had not played him false. The bull
had died from crushed back, from broken
neck, from disem bowellinr and from a variety
OF other mortal injuries such US only railroad
claim adjuster can name. He lay upon
mass OF uprooted sods and sputered rails,
that showed that he had died Fighting. while
on the wires aud fence stakes was blood enough
10 start prosperous slaughter house. lnvesti-
CATION showed that tho bear had gone in
through the hollow log, As TIE men had planned
for her 10 do. and tina; the log had tipped UP
according to the prearrangcd schedule. Ia fact,
tho whole programme had been carried out as
well as ANYBODY could desire until Ida had
just how the bull happened to die and just
why Ida escaped nobody can tell; Two or three
barbs show whore and how she got away. A
line of deep dents in the green sward, liko the
tracks of boy who is walking on stills. Rrs
evidence enough to show which way Ida went.
Beyond this all Is conjecture; and somcw whero
In the woods. II long ways beyond conjecture, 10
Ida, digesting her dinner Of bull beef and honey.