The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-12
GREAT YEAR FOR BEARS.
LFrom the New York sun.l

T
Bears are unusually plentiful this
summer throughout both Ontario and
Quebec. and a number have been killed
since the opening of the wild berry sea
son in the woods and on the plains that
have been swept by fires. In the Lake
St John district a few days ago, a
hunter named Cleary was traversing a
portage, when in stepping over the
trunk of a tree his foot alighted upon
the body of a sIeeping-she bear. Being
thus unceremoniously trodden upon,
Mrs. Bruin rolled over and found her
feet, causing Cleary to lose his. He
was up again in a second, but not be-
fore the animal had closed in upon him
and grabbed him by the legs In an
other moment the bear would have had
his body in her fatal embrace, had not
CIeary with a dexterity and presence
of mind born of constant exposure to
danger in forest, field and flood, drawn
his sheath knife from his belt while re-
gaining his feet. AS the bear closed
with him he plunged the blade into her
side and two minutes later she lay
dead before the plucky hunter. Cleary's
broken by a blow from his victim $
paw delivered as the blade entered her
body.
Several bears that are now in captiv-
ity at the Roberval Hotel, Lake St
John, are to be sent to the approaching
sportsman's show in st. Louis One OF
them recently gave birth TO a pair Of
cubs
Mr.. Drummond of St. stanislas was
driving near the village a few days ago
when an enormous bear slowly crossed
the road in front Of him. He drove on
and called to a couple of residents near
by to go with him after the beast The
bear was found in a field close to where
he had crossed the road and killed with
a couple of shots from a rife. He
weighed 357 pounds.
William A Abnr0efbpv Of CfO1lIro F11s
o., has just had a startling experience
on Lake of Bays, MuskOka district
While trolling for bass, his canoeman
saw a large bear take to the water to
swim across the lake. The only gun
aboard was a 44-calibre rifle, intended
for small game. The guide, under di-
rections, followed up the bear, and
couple of shots were successfully lodged
in his body before he reached the shore.
He was not OverpOWered by the bull
lets, for he started up the steep side
of the shore and disappeared into the
woods. Mr.. Abernethey and his guide
followed and presently came across
Brufn in patch of berry bushes. He
was too much hurt to put up a fight
and was quickly dispatched by the two
men.
Several hunters in the Lake St John
country have been engaged for bear
hunts during the months of September
and October, and expeditions have been
planned to the AshuapmOuchouan, the
Peribonea, and Ia Belle Riviere In one
of the tributaries of the st. Maurice
last week a couple of Indians who pad
died up TO a bear in the water had their
canoe upset by the animal, which turn
ed upon them ferociously. though Sc
verely wounded with an axe, and final
ly got away while the men We're saving
themselves and their belongings.
Near Chicoutfmi, few days ago, a
couple of boys gave chase to a little
bear which they discovered in a clump
of bushes while gathering blueberries.
They had not gone far when they found
they were themselves pursued by the
mother of the cub and were glad to
make their escape as fast as their legs
would carry them Their cries caused
a couple of men in a neighboring field
to rush to their assistance and the
bear Immediately desisted from the
chase and turned after the cub. Sub
sequent search was made for her in
vain
Hunters who study the habit of the
bear are of the opinion that the abund-
ance of wild berries everywhere in
Canada this year is largely response
bic for the number of bears to be found
in the open.