The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
AN OLD HUNTER OF MAINE.
CdLEB TESToN'S PARTNERSHIPS AND
SKILL IN THE CHASE

In Her Den with an Axe and He Rode n
Moose Bar~ebRck-CiunE to Old-Fashloned
Methods md Was n Master of woodoraft.
FoxcRoFT. Me, Jan. 1o.-Hunters OF the last
generation still like to talk OF Caleb Weston, a
man mighty In the chase, who vent the way OF
Nimrod some fifteen years ago. Unlike many
Of his craft, he was forehanded and thrifty and
a y prosperous farmer. and his son Clinton lives
still In the old homestead and carries on the
farm, n mile from Foxcroft village. A kindly,
hospitable man. Caleb Weston gave the
freedom Of his great orchard TO the vil-
laGe boys and sometimes enthralled them
with stories OF the woods. Above every
thing else. he was a hunter whose chief
delight was with gun and traps to match his
skill against the cunning and swiftness OF the
wild forest creatures. In the winter there
was always venison for his table. and the
neiRhbors were remembered In tho spring he
had n good store OF valuable skins to barter
with tho fur buyers. Some OF his neighbors
could not understand his fondness for forest
sports. and he was once asked II what he got for
the skins paid him for the time and trouble he
took in getting them.
why. the fun pays forthe time and trouble"
answered Weston. What l get for the skins
is clear gain"
II was In the winter, when the snow was deep
and crusted. that he went for the nntlerod
game. Bears he hunted all the year round.
He was regardless Of hardship and fatigue In
following game. and absolutely fearless Of
danger when the pursuit came 10 close quar-
tors. With his cousin, Seth Brown, he was
once travelling in the woods on snowshoes.
when Brown. who was behind. stopped to in-
v~cstiRate a MISUNDERSTANDING hole that
opened under the roots OF n big tree. It was
the den OF a she-bear that had holed herself
In there for the winter. and as Brown
peered In Mt the opening she came sud-
denly out at him in q great rage and
chock-full Of fight. He had left his gun
a few steps away. and. before he could face
about on his snowshoes and make tracks for
the flrearm the bear had a piece OF his coat
skirt and had Just missed raking him with her
paw. Weston. who was carrying an IKE, heard
the scufhe and came running back. He did not
wait for the gun. but went for the bear at once
with the axe. dealing her a blow In the head
that drove her back under the tree. As he
followed her up. trying to land a second blow.
the snow gave way under his feet and he
dropped into the hole among the bear
and her three cubs. With his snowshoes on he
could not move round or climb out, and there
was not room for him to swing the axe freely,
To his cousin standing outside. unable to lend
a hand. the noise OF the whining and growing
that came up from the dark hole sounded as IL
the bears might be chewing somebody up.
But the first blow had badly wounded
t sEs b Wsst0 and kiGfsplnF, at work with the
Be- betoSfs sf he s eams o SGdihS Himself. H fFiG@ Clothes The r Ssls
Jury that he regarded as worth mentioning.
-Four bears scalps. every one good for a bounty,
bad for a mornings work, OF the risk Weston
thought nothing. and would, gladly have taken
sneh chances every day in the week II he could
Caleb Meston's most remarkable hunting
With Reuben Gilman and seth h! brown 4 he mo was
STT t n@ OF sasec II naf tee S TS9a Bu HR9nf The st hsad,
the three hunters. ' Coming together from rt5n S dIfreri
ent d Ire started 2 bull moose. Gilman
turned and i ran I along Il" the f brink of the tho h mHPSs
that sloPed down to the stream. His course
the m nSS9,sV Was SSM Hot coming MsE1Snti to w attac Sef hIm. Egg natt
t IPRtsnd ITsSn,$ t. shoot the anl%ai Behind
and only the cap snapped when he tried &c, fire
through the snow, was, only two or three PAGES
away, and. dropping the gun. Weston made,a
The II moose 70 !" did not aI ike the eH per rtsai%rs in pa tx;
IWsa as,; but 81 in the deep Snow he could not buck
fore feet; so he only plunged through the snow
TIE b harder; As he ran, moose fashion. with
rysacfhins his tn throat With a XIII hife "G and seth Seth
did not dare to fire for fear OF hittinS Weston.
Coming into an open space where the snow
i,'A '''li Idl'lt bIpWH away DtlDTb IL tTuSCtu,
TRn under a'loW-toppsd tree a Dough. %catcnine
over the animals tail. As he sat in the snow.
with the ,snowshoes, fast to his feet. sticking up
to defend himself or to run. the moose. missing
his his weight turned and then wheeled round 70
SwSaFfs II Il s set6i B r. wGul Who ne we! Ee eiose sa at h %ish
had m"os n2t sbed,d z lucky s bullet which shnt o broke The
struggles, and fe Weston sR had e got to the
moose and cut his throat before Brown had
There was none of the fancy forgery and
OF the modern city-bred hupter
sSi91f s MsSt9Rbt o His w sgp the slw 1Ss ;b a sII 6H Sob bar
st to reach about the house. where his three
Giig sons kept an 9rmory Of shotGuns and rifles.
With a dozen 'Rome-mouidied I Bullets sans among s" t,
box Of percussion caps. a hunting knife and
lay or a >" month. II the e1pedi RiEaIlV Was e to be q =
9ng e 3ne which z meal sn,oa 5ag ear carried ID the bsad 9ns
md the salt pork. bread and tea which.
With fish and game. made up his simple woods
reach at nightfail. a little windbreak made
stakes and trimmed, saplings at. his head
md shelter enough for his couch Of hemiock
coughs: and he slept under the stars as COM
new every sign Of wind and weather. and the
RPe Pc ming Of ey9ry track asEa and d. fight and sound e
18th trophies from his hunting.
Weston was one Of the best andlast surviving
raft was that Of the Indians, He liked to obtain
he merchant in the village Of whom he bought
is traps and ammunition asked him one day
yhy he did not buy a better Quality Of powder.
nd showed him a new brand that had come
Ito vogue.
e. don't believe it's better than the powder
we been using" said Weston. "Gunpowder'a
alike except in the price you ask"
The talk ended In the merchant giving him q
Of the new powder. which Weston prom
to try. He came to the store again In a few
avs with a patch of court plaster on his nose.
I've tried your powder" said Weston. II
a charge In ny gun OF the same size I'd us9
red at a fox. The gun Kicked me out from
nder my hat; AND hurt my shoulder and made
y nose Puee2, but II we keeied the tof oyer DEAD
up for me after this-hut remember
write Handle with care on the package, or
might get hurt through forgetting that 10
asn't the old kind"
State Omcors Paid in Pelts in 1898.
La lALEKrGs.haEa T... Laa.a..d.aL p.....