The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
ALEX M'LANE'S BEAR NO. 235.
EypIoUs HUNTERS SAY BEARS CONN.,
TO ALEX list TO BE KILLED.

u
MArTAwAMKEAo. Me. juno 2.-Local tradi-
ton asserts that when Maine bear becomes
aged and incapable Of supporting himself he
comes out to MattawamkeaG and roams
through the woods In the vicinity Of Alex Me-
Lanes farm until Alex goes forth with a ride
and shoots him out OF pity. Lnvious hunters
and trappers who have failed TO secure Hs
many bears as they have wanted. declare that
| thew have known bears to come all the way
from Caribou and Port Kent for the sake or
diving before the unerring aim OF Alex. over
tho line in New Hampshire the bears OF the
Granite State had a similar passion for letting
Joe Wicher OF Warner Stay them. and now that
Wicher is dead a good number OF them. feel
ing that their usefulness on earth has ceased
to exist. walk 200 or 200 miles in orler that
Alex may finish them in good style. Younger
and less skiltul hunters tell these stories to
account for Alexis great success and support
THAR statements by the argument that no man
who is under 80 years OF age could have killed
more than 200 bears in his lifetime If he had
hunted lair. Alex is only TG. and he has Just
placed No. 23J to his bear record.
Big game has been rather plentiful around
Ma.tawamkeag this spring. The east and
west branches of the Penobscot and the large
stream whith is known on the maps as the
Mattawamkeag River unite here TO form the
Tenobscot As soon as the water begins to
d own along the swamp looking for fish aud
fresh water clans. When tho snow is gone from
the clearings and the drifts In the woods be-
come soft the deer strike to the open country
for bite OF new grass. The bobcats and
loup-cerviers. being fond of venson. follow
the deer, and the bears come along behind to
pick the meat from the bones which the Wild
cats have left. SO without any proarranRed
plan OF action fully half of the bears that live
n N hnsi ~ Pan n nd
themselves within twenty miles Of Mattawam-
keaC by June ]. For these reasons every man
in Mattawamkeag who owns a gun has gained
a great reputation as a bear hunter. while Alex
McLane. having hunted bears for sixty years
or so. can Justly claim to hold the bear killing
He, has Killed only four bears this year.
which Is the smallest number to his credit
soldier before. Port hudson and came home
with bullet hole in his leg and an honorable
1893 was found 10y accident and Killed with
out trouble. He went to his camp In Med
the river through, a dense hemloeK blowdown.
which incum bered the side Uf steep hill
ate his dinner and mounted he he trunk run 81 dts biz
hemiock that had fallen among, mass q un-
81 the tor and the long, roots at the base was
fully ten feet in air Alex cut three-fourths Of
giving a, few Vigorous blows to the bark and
sap wood. started TO run T Or the top to escape
fall but the wood snapping OF short and tho
Alex was hurled face forward into the warm
% es sr o Ssa WEE Ss
Then came more grows mingled with the
cracking OF brush and few oaths. and after it
scratch on his arm, His So mack NAV jacket
worth SIS 1 Alex ddn mind it. the
The old hunter stayed about camp for .
bullets to fit his mu2zle- loading rito Then
b. vent vent, oyer to sPElnghsId looking Tor bears;
shot. two bobcats. one fisher and three loup-
eeryiers SO as to keep in practice. but he didn't
Vile plantation. The, night Of his arrival he
stayed with Tom Mallett. and while he slept
the barn window and Killed led t two Sucking
calves that were confined in pen at the rear
AS McLane was tired and hungry no stayed
over another her, night to catch the bear He
barn window from rail- at one SIDE to oe coMe
room. The bsii didn't, tintie Tor the n isht.
lttt came and told him that the same bear had
visited his his sheep dnsD barn AND Filled the latest
Lane went away on the bears track He re-
turned a before noon a. bearing nice black u.lt
mile into the woods and gone to sleep under
brush pile where McLane had shot 1t at close
The third bear which McIane Killed was
caught in trap and slain with hard wood
murder or whaR ene r 9I ss IN
cash. His fourth bear for the season OF 1879
Lane will remember for a long time. When
NMcLane LEFT camp in March after his recovery
bear at the base oil hemlock tres his crew
came out with him. making a two horse sled
load Of men men, bedding and camp flxtureG some;
with red flannel had fallen of the sled It
was u seen on the load when they had stopped
be found on their arrival homo
-. As sqop as the wood roads had dried up a
back to Hallway Spring for the robe. "f He
reached tho watering olaee an hour before
middle Of the sprine which looked like the the
Eobsd On. On closer inspection he felt sure he had
pull it ont, lie had Brought It to the eo shore re-
before he discovered his mistake Then in,
flannel. black bear lined with red and living
bears meat arose from the water and turned
stout sheath knife he did not feel like facing
an an angry bear at unequal odds. Taking two
was caught by the claws OF the bears left fore
paw. while the right paw. to which was at
on TOP OF his head laying him sprawline upon
t nav G TO the bear sgrang upon his
knife and Inserted it in the neck Of the ono ern
ing 5ru, H. severed big artery hut did not
rolled in soT to ss away h hnss
E THs b yi9E face hS dGTH when The bear c9ugs
feet rurnns aaR ca 5ln sta hn to t his
bear III the eye and made an Intellectual at
tempt to strike the other eve and blind his adj
versary. but tripped and fell again $50
lie was lying breathless and half dead NOT
Ten ieet away from the maldsned bear 7 gi,S
he attempted to rise. but his wasted strenrth
gave out before he could get on his feat Tba
near gnashed his teeth. frothed at the mouth
anu showed by pantomme how much he d.
sired to MAKE a meal from McIane's body
i MeL .a9e rolled rod further away before no
looked up again. Then he saw the hear had
come no nearer and fet encouraged. thou uShh
ne n, 4eleved he was still In great peril. He re-
in nntneu on me ground for u minute or two
on ana hnish the Job. When he looked again
una i. SSaw no bear in the same place and mors
we're clear. The right paw OF the bear - vas
ihst IN inc steel trap and attached TO the tran
was a long chain with wooden top gle thtonab
a ring at the outside end This togeie bea
Haueht between two sapinGs and was hold
ing the bear from his mission Of dostructInn
a. MeL1ne cut "a beech saplin: three in"hA.
thr4uRh at tho bait and trimmed il out 40 a.
10 FORM clIb about Ave feet long Arms3
with TINS he npprOachel the tethe rnd hnnnnInoII