The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-03-16
E4FA

presence was not surprising. a. Il was
no uncommon thing 10 see beans any
day In that part OF the country ton
years ago. 80 that II would have been
cause for more comment II a person
I'D not see q bear while i0urneying
10 or from the nearest town than u
would have been TO meet one every
mile or 20. Maxon was therefore not
surprised when he saw that morning
the particular bear but be was sur
prised AZ the animals unusual size. Mr.
Maxon was 6s years old al that time
and had been a bear hunter more than
nifty years. he had killed bears By the
score and Of all sizes and shades.
While panthors still existed IN Ven
tura county be was a famous slayer Of
those fierce beasts OF prey. He Il cred
tied with having killed the last panther
ever seen In the country. although
there IL one al present lurking In the
woods near the OIL wells al Santa Pau
Ia. But among all the great Wild den
liens Of the forest that John MaxOn
had laid low with his rife this bear
that cast a longing eye on the Inmates
Of the pigsiy that autumn morning had
no equal for size or formidable appear
ance. The old backWoodsman went
back In the house and got his rife and
quickly lodged two bullets In the bear.
which sent the animal bowling and
bleeding into the woods The sur
vival OF the bear after receiving two
bullets IN bis body was the greatest
surprise that Maxon ever had In his
whole career In the woods. He sum
moned his son and the two followed
the bear. But Il entered a jungle.
from which the hunters could not dis
lodge Il. and they gave up the chase.
the old man believing that the bear
would die from hls wounds As the
big animal was not seen again Maxon's
opinion that the two bullets he had
lodged In the bear had done for him
was generally accepted as correct
Time passed and the big bear ceased
70 be a subject for discussion In the
Ojal valley. A year ago Uncle John
Maxon, as he was known all over Ven
tura county. died. A few weeks ago
Jack Maxon. the old hunters eides,
son. while on his way 10 Santa Paula,
saw q bear cross the road In front Of
aim, not far from bis house. and IL
great size AZ once recalled the big beai
Of 1885. Jack believed Il was the beai
that his father had shot ten years be-
fore. Il was bigger. he declared. thar
the one Sam Rawlins killed ou; II
the Santa Barbara mountains In Octo
Der. 1882. and that was the larges; eve
bagged In the county. being seven Zee
long and weighing 800 pounds. Tha
bear was stuffed and presented 10 thl
state university museum. where Il q
now. A hunting party was organize,
and long and persistent efforts wer
made 20 capture the monster. but b
b kept IN retirement and his retreat coul0
not D. found. On a morning after a re
, cent shower one Of Jack Maxon's neigh
bors saw a track In the mud. the slz
. OF which left no doubt that Il had beel
made by the fugitive Maxon bear
The footprints measured seven incho
across the ball" OF the track. In
. short time there were many hunters Of
the track. but the chase lasted 70
days and Il vas only a few days az
that Il ended. The bear was surround
cd In a swamp by nine lus;y hunter
and the dogs were sent In TO run hlr
out He killed a couple OF dogs befor
be made a break for the open. II
crushed through the laurels and an
peared within a rod Of a ranchma
named Henry Rogers. who Is one OF n
sure shots OF southern California
Rogers sent a ball crashing through n
= big animals brain and q fell dead /
: is tracks. In dressing the bear w
battered bullets encrus,ed with fles
= were found In his shoulder. JAG
? Maxon says he will make an afldav
y that they were the bullets his faths
fred into the bear In iSS5. and no on
. doubts that such Is the fact The MOI
4 ster bear was divided and each OF n
nine hunters got nifty pounds Of moa
J, The skin. according 10 one aecoun
= measured eight feet and ave inch,
y from nose to tail. and another accouI
y says the measurement was seven 4,
p eleven inches. The bear was partlc,
> larry TAT. but, skin and all. be weighs
e over 500 pounds.