The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-07-01
PREBLE'S FAKE BEAR HUNT.
Got Up as a Joke on 0reenhorn
Hunter ellison.
1t Yielded Unexpected Fun to Such an
Extent That Dave Ramsy Had to Go
Out Into, the Open Country
to Laugh.

out OPch SoehsAS
to Laugh.
For more than five years not bear
nor a sign Of bear had been seen inn
the vicinity of Rose Lake, Pa, and con-
sequently the killing of big one near
there one day made great surprise
In that coii.er of the hcmlock belt.
There were also circumstances cen
nected with the killing Of the rear that
made it still more notable.
Doc Preblc lives at Rose Lake. He is
q 20C-pounder, good-natured, and cs-
pecially fond of a practical Joke. Some
weeks ago party of sportsmen came
TO lose Lake to spend few days after
partridge anu other small game, which
is abundant thereabouts. Among them
was u slim young man from Pittsburgh,
named Gill son. Young ellison was en-
lirely unsophlsticaied as a hunter, and
was probably the greenest individual
that locality. He soon became game
for mischievous motives who filed him
full of hair-raising bear and wildcat
stories and other tales of life in the
woods Whereabouts. ellison accepted
verifying he heard in good faith, and
became fired with 6es;Ie to kill a
bear. Having been told that he was
liable at any moment to come face to
face with bear or a catamount, Gill
son followed the advice of Doc Preble,
and every time he vent into the woods
he strapped hunting AK at his side,
carried biz knife, and Kept one bor-
rel of his gun heavily charged with
buckshot. The r.st of tie hunting
party themselves enjoyed the fun the
natives wer' having with ellison, and
did not interfere.
Soon aftei there was a TALL of snow
in that locslIty, and Doc Preble con-
ceived the idea % getting up bear
hunt for young Gillson's benefit. Put
ting on his rubber boots he made tracks
in the new snow from one big laurel
patch to another one a mile up the
mountain ana from that one to third
one nearly two miles away, on the edge
of Bill"t's hollow. There he struck the
old bark road and returned home by
1t. Toward evening he went to Barnes
boarding house, where the hunters were
soPpn's' ana remarked III honchaiant
way 'ha' from tne tracks ne had seen
in the snow up along I.ye's mountain
that afternoon the biggest bear that
ever nau "ihtered IN that district had
come in and coiled himself up in some
laurel patch over that way.
II "oulon DE much troable TO rout
MN oht, l guess, said Doc, III any
one cared 10 go ous ana FISK IT,
unison "is all excitement at once,
ana declared lhat ne would go, Tor one,
ne rest OF me party, suspSctlng there
was a JOKE III H. said he might go If he
wanted 10, put that they hadn't come
out there :" be clawed and chawed
ana mussef: up ny bears, and would
ttay at nome. so DOC prcDle told Gill
son that he woui" go with him, end
Dave ramsey, barnes boss chopper,
and an old hear hunter, said he would
GO. TOO, DO" having con1ldcd the secret
OF the bear tracks to him.
The three started out carly the next
morning, u 'ison with both barrels OF
his gun loaded with buckshot. and his
ak ana big knife reaay at his hand.
treble and Ramsy each carried double
bltted chopping axes and rifle, and
revolvers in their belts.
wen f1nG him tough customer
said Doc Preble to Gibson. His foot
print measures nearly IA inches. and
the biggest bear ever heard of around
here before made tract only eight
inches long. There's liable to be some
blood split before night, and it won't
all be hears blood, either"
ellison was inclined to weaken when
he saw the tracks in the snow, and
asked Preble why they couldn't trap
the bear first and then kill him, but
Preble and Kamsy laughed at him, aud
told him they didss't bag their bears in
that way. So the uasophistlcated hunt
er braced up and went on.
Il mad laid out to have heap Of fun
that day. SAID Doc PreDle, telling about
it afterward. according to the pro-
gramme had made. This was TO tramp
ellison up and down those hills and
among the l;'urels for four or five miles,
trailing the alleged bear, and all the
time loading him with the danger there
was in the rush off ferocious bear from
laurel patch to anyone who might
stand IN his way; then for Ramsy,
when we came to the laurel patch
where we had agreYd that the bear
had stopped TO go lrdo the swamp and