The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-03
THE LAST ADIRONDACK MOOSE
It WA KILLED in 1889 and Seemed a. mtg ~
an Elephant to One OF the Hunters.

It Was Killed in 1850 and Seemed a. Mig ns
an Elephant to One Of tho Hunters.
RAGGED LAKE STREAM, Nov. 2.a-"The last
moose that was shot In these here Adirondack
| Mountains was killed by my father in 1886, and
I've got the gun he did it with to prove It,, said
old Bill as he poked the fire with the too Of his
boot. "They say that they have seen moose
here since that time, but I don't believe them.
I've been in these woods every fall for forty
years and I've never seen a sign Of moose. 1
guess the winters have grown too mild for them,
and their feeding grounds have been spoiled.
I've heard of their killing moose since '36, but
I'll bet that no moose has been killed since then.
I've seen big bucks that might be mistaken for
moose by a greenhorn.
ut was In September in 1886 that my father
and old Dad Hawkins were doing a little pros
pectinR up near Blue Mountain. The old maj
always had IN idea that there was gold up here,
and as soon as tho crops were well in he would
pack up his kit, shoulder his old smooth bore,
and make for the woods. Father knew that
there was a lead mine somewhere UP in that
country, and he said he would as soon strike
lead as gold. I've looked for that same lead
mine myself. How did we know there was o
lead minef Well, you ask any old hunter up in
this country who has ever worked with the In
dams and see what he says. There was one old
Indian whom l know as q boy who use to camp
Win US, anu whenever NO ran OUT OF leAu No
would disappear for O day and turn up with a
new supply. He said that he dug 1t out of tho
ground. and that was the only way in which he
could get it. We tried to follow him many a
time. but he was too cute for us. He always
lost US before he had gone far. When we
show us where this lead mine was he
always said that It wasn't his mine. 1t
the 9se0n secret 70 tho 1'' ghosts tr,Ss; e OF biz IL We qian' w oe9i9
come back and kill him.. That mine never has
been discovered. and I know that it exists.
Father looked for 1t a good many years, and he
was just as sure that there was gold up here.
Old Dad Hawkins usually went along with him.
ground on this northern slope Of the Adiron-
Well. sir. in 1885 they started out on one of
Mountain. They had a light boat that they car
and Il took them fo Sro days ISue to 70 make make p the trip.
There were no game laws to bother them about
al aSnt To get sa1 plenty s 9 l9r Of fh Se nSf $ 1t Mss XII srl eam as
that he had soon the tracks Of i buck that must
have weighed 900 pounds. Tho old man told
him that no such buck ever lived and that no
wa, dreaming; Dad said he knew better. He
and no ordinary buck, could have made them.
He was 80 positive about It that father went
camp. He took out his old smooth.bore and put
he dropped 'f four big i: s RnMas and 6e q ss aUP that St ' the
printing was fresh.
inero mas De0n something Dig STIRRING
around down the river, Dad he said, and I
don't know whether it's n whaling big buck or
an elephant. Let's get into tho boat and paddle
along down and see what we can see.'
well. sir, they got into their boat, fathe in
front and Dad In the stern. padding away softly
80 that you couldn't hear a drop from Ills pad
die. 1t was close on to dusk and father kept
peering along the right bank on which he had
seen the tracks. 1t was hard to see anything on
the shore, and when, aftor going about two
miles, father felt Dad give the boat a gentle
shake. he swung his gun to his shoulder, and
looked along shore for half a minute before he
caught sight of a big form In the bushes and
a pair of horns sticking above them. Then
father pulled the trigger and there was a report
like q small cannon. Father found himself in
the bottom of the boat and his gun was in the
river.
81 think you got him. said Dad. Hear him
thrashing away in those bus es.'
We'll, sir, father wouldn't stir until he had
hshed up his gun. Then they ran the boat
ashore. and. sure enough, there were the big
tracks and q p oil of blood. They followed the
trail a short distance, but 1t was too dark to con-
tinue. They game. back to camp to wait until
big buck, and Dad said it was an elephant. They
were up at daylight and after 1t, whatever Il
might be-. Nearly a mile back from the river
they found 1t; IL was a moose all right enough,
and a big fellow; We have the horns now. I
don't know how 1t happened to be roaming up in
that country. and / don't belieye that there has
been q moose there since. That was tho last
one, and I've got the old gun that killed him."