The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-12-07
Bad Bears in Pike County.

In Porter township, Pike county, Pa,
the inhabitants are 50 scarce As to be
sble to muster only twenty-one voters
at an election, aud there are not enough
available citizens to iii the various oi1-
ces required by the statutes, without
some Of the male voters being verita-
ble "Pooh Bahs.r Wild beasts are
plentiful, and in no part OF Pike is
game more abundant. Philip Il. Smith,
Of Porter's Lake, is justice of the peace
Of Porter township, says the New York
sun.
OF late Squire Smith and his neigh
Dor, Horace Van Auken, have suffered
the loss Of cattle from the bears which
have their haunts in the wild reeesses
Of Porter. The former had yearlirg
bull torn to pieces, aud his best bell
COW mysteriously disappeared lately,
while Van Auken's loss consisted Of
two heifers. Last week Mr.. Rudolph
sehoonover, an inveterate hunter Of
Bushkili, Pa, made his annual trip to
Porter township to hunt bees, stopping
with his old friend, Squire Smith, and
taking the latter's young son. Adam,
along with him as a companion After
hunting a couple Of days they succeed
ed in lining up only three or four bee
trees, which proved to be poor. SchOon-
over went home on Saturday. Before
going he told the Squire there was
dead animal near the old clearing,
where they had a bee stand.
The squire concluded the animal was
his lost COW, 20 he started to investi-
gate. Taking his son Adam along to
point out where heand SehOonover had
their bee stand, he soon came upon the
dad animal. Itproved to be a strange
Jersey heifer. Il lay in pool of dried
blood on the bank OF the creek, and
had been dragged sixty feet from where
il lay by some wild animal. Its neck
and throat were nearly eaten out. All
around were bear signs.
The Squire made up his mind this
was the same bear which had killed his
bull and perhaps his COW, and he res
Owed on bear hunt. About sundOwn
he and his son Adam started with guus
to 60 down to the old mill clearing to
watch for the bear, as Henry Miller, a
neighbor, said bruin would no doubt
come back again. The clearing was a
good mile away. When they came
near the place where the little brother
Of Adam was bitten to death by a rat
tlesnake last year, the Squire stopped
to take sorrowful look at the place.
Creeping up to the edge Of the clearing
by the trees and peering cautiously
through, Adam saw a black object and
asked his father If he might shoot.
''No," whispered the Squire. "Come
along little where / can see through
the trees"
After moving little Adam said he
saw the bear plainly, and the old man
told him when he raised his rife It was
the signal for his son to shoot. Just
then the bear, alarmed, took couple
OF steps away from the dead heifer and
stepped into little open spot between
the trees. Instantly there were two
sharp, ringing reports eehoing on the
still night air, and bruin fell dead in
his tracks
"He's down, Shall I shoot again ~
said the Lad.
Give him your ounce bali now if you
can see, and another loud report rang
out
The Squire began to climb down to-
ward the dead beast, but Adam cried
out:
cob. pap. don't go down there till
you load again. He might come to-"
But the old man was out OF ammuni-
ton, and the two erept down the bank
aud felt Of the bear to find where be
was hit 1t was too dark 10 skin the
bear, 30 they left the carcass until morn
ing. On Sunday they brought the bear
home with the oxen, and on going back
to the creek they found another dead
heifer which had just been killed by
another bear. Both the heifers belong
ed TO Horace Van Auken. The Squire
and Adam have fine bear skin, and
there is one hungry beef killing bear
less, shot by guess by the light Of the
moon.