Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-02-24
BEAR TRAP, SWEDISH STYLE.
1t Caught the bear, but American Frills
Proved Too Much For 1t.


Sven Larsen has tried the Swedish
method of trapping bears, with
American trimmings. The bear fell
in with the Swedish plan, but kick
ed on the American frills and is still
at liberty.
About ten miles south of Sugar
creek, in Warren county, John Wat
son runs small sawmill and in the
spring turns his attention to boiling
maple sugar, in which he is assisted
by Larsen. One day he sent Larsen
down to the sawmill to fire up the
boiler. In a short time Sven came
running back, breathlessly shouting
between gasps;
Hand me the gun! A big, black
devil has his head in the boiler"
Watson called another man, seized
rifle and started toward the woods,
Larsen and the other hired hand
following, armed with axes. The
bear had disappeared when they ar
rived at the sawmill, and with it a
fine big ham which had been left in
a small smokehouse.
Larsen then began to tell how he
had seen bears trapped in Sweden
and proposed to catch this one He
secured an empty oil barrel knock
ed in one of the heads and smeared
the interior with maple strip and
honey. He secured assistance and
carried the barrel toward a spot
where the bear was supposed to re-
side. He dug a hole in the ground
and let the barrel down into the
earth, leaving about ten inches
above the ground, filling the earth
lightly about the barrel. He also
threw in a piece of ham bone for
bruin to catch a Whit of as an extra
inducement.
Watson laughed at Larsen and
said no bear would be foolish enough
to fall into such shallow trap, and
if it did the barrel would not hold it.
The trap did work, however. The
following day, while the men were
working in clump of woods near
by, they heard a scratching and
growing in the direction of the bear
trap and hurried toward it. Sure
enough, there was a big black bear
headforemost in the barrel, stuck in
tight. 1t snorted and tore chunks
of earth with it's hind paws, which
it scattered in showers in the air
Watson prodded it, which increased
its anger, and it tore furiously to
free itself.
Larsen was anxious to run to the
loghouse and get a rifle with which
to shoot it. Watson suggested a
cheaper and quicker method His
was to dip water out of the run near
by, pour it into the barrel and drown
the bear. This improvement on the
Swedish system of bear trapping
started trouble Larsen and the
other laborer filled two buckets and
poured one into the barrel over the
BEARS back. AS the ice cold water
flowed down its shaggy coat the bear
carried on at a furious rate 1t
clawed, snorted, sneezed and fought
with it's hind paws, while the mu-
steal gurgle, gurgle, bubble, bubble
from the bottom of the barrel caused
the, three to hold their sides with
laughter
Larsen had started to throw the
second bucket of water down the
bears spine when it gave an I'M
earthly growl and tore itself free
from the barrel with a jerk. Wat
son and his assistant ran dead
heat for the log cabin, throwing
away their axes so as not to be i'm
peded in their sprint and leaving
Larsen to fight it out with the bear.
Larsen threw the bucket at the
bear, hitting it full on the snout,
which the bear stopped to rub an in
slant before starting in pursuit of
Larsen. The latter thus gained
about a hundred yards. Larsen
made for an embankment and Just
cleared the hill, rolling over and
over as the bear made a vicious
lunge after him with his paw The
bear did not follow 1t sat down
and licked the sirup, honey and
blood from its body and slowly
trotted off toward the woods New
York Sun.