Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-12-02
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAe,Nc
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Climbs a Tree to Escape the Clutches Ct =
wounded Bear-A New York Police.
mar Who Has Saved Twenty-Nine
Lives - Brave Young sailor,,.n

Lives a Brave Young sailornan.
Miss Jessie Loughran, Of Jersey
City. \. j., who has been visiting her
aunt, Mrs. James Davis, near Wood
ford, Vt, has had a lively adventure
with 2 large black bear She is an
enthusiastic wheelwoman, and when
She came from Jersey City she brought
her bicycle with her. She had gone
about five miles from her aunt's house
and was returning home when she
heard the sharp crack OF arife. Miss
Loughran would probably not hase
PAID more than passing attention TO
the shot had she not heard Immediate
~ afterward a heavy body crash
through the unlergrowth skirting the
roadside. She turned around. and
dong 50 lost her balance. To save
herself from a fall she dismounted.
Hardly had she left the wheel when
a large black bear burst ont Of the
woods in full view Of her. 1t was
evident that the animal was wounded.
Tor 1t was snortlng with rage. and en-
deavored to lick its left shoulder.
Miss Loughran screamed and made a
desperate attempt to remount her
wheel. Never before did her wheel
behave SO disreputably. It wabbled
as 1t never wabbled before, and ca
vorted with all the wickedness Of an
unbridled bronco. At least, that is
what she thinks it did.
No n did the bear see Miss
Loughran than it gave a snort and
made a dash for her. Half frightened
to death Miss Loughran made another
desperate attempt TO mount her wheel,
and this time was successful. Just as
her feet caught the pedals and the
first burst Of speed was acquired, the
bear shot up alongside her and with
one dart Of his paw tore a Jagged piece
ont Of the side Of her tapping skirt.
The wheelwoman looked down upon
the enraged bear, and wondered how
long the race would last. 50 long as
the bear did not get tangled up in the
wheels, and she ran against no OBJ
struction, she was reasonably sure OF
getting away from the animal. But
fate had not decreed that Miss Tough
ran SHOULD escape absolutely un-
scathed. The bear got over the
ground with surprising CELEBRITY.
Once when rounding a turn in the
road the bear drew SO near the wheel
again that 1t tore another piece from
Miss Loughran's skirt. The SHARP
claws even went deeper and scratched
Miss Loughran's leg. At that Miss
Loughrau screamed at the top of bel
voice.
cts q wonder I was not heard in
Woodford," she said afterward. 81
thought every minute was to be ny
last"
Not a mile had been covered in tho
race with the bear, yet Miss Loughrai
imagined hat she had gone at leas
half way to the New York State line
Tile bear, though painting hotly, wa:
beginning to gain steadily on her; the
excitement of the race was telling OIL
her and she was rapidly losing boil
nerve and strength. She began t.
pedal with renewed visor, but til,
squirt was made too late. The bea,
was upon her. Both its forepaws fast
ened themselves on the hind wheel O
the bicycle. The claws sank deel
into the tire, and wheel, rider an.
bear went topping over, a confused
mass, In the dusty highway.
When Miss Loughra2 struggled t;
her feet she was covered with dus
and bleeding from a scratch in til
face! Turning about. she saw TIL
bear making desperate attempts t
free itself from the wheel. Then Mis-
Loughran did what few city girls ar
capable of doing. She climbed a tree
She knew that il would be worse tina,
useless TO run away, for it would no
be long before the bear would be FIRE
and after her. How she ever got u
| that tree she will never be- able t. tel
lucidly. But after desperate stru2
, giles and many sobs She got as high a
the low err limb, e which she SWIM
herself. In her excitement she forge
that bears can climb trees. It wa
not until she was perched there ths
this thought came TO her.
"Great goodness, Suppose til;
bear should climbthis tree she erie,
The Thought male her shud-le1
{ Happily for her, this occurrence vs.
ayerted. just az the bear had su'
! ceeded in getting itself untangled frol
the wheel a pack OF hunting dogs re-
ont into the road 4 short dlstanC
above. The bear Immediately turne
:. tail AMI fed into the woods ca the al
posite side of the road, followed |
the dogs. \ minute later two youn