The Harrison times., 1901-03-23

lille below the site of Harrison. Q
,ush had no gun with him but he r
vent on to where the dogs were f
reed, thinking the animal might 1
.ome out pretty soon, he went &
o"ie Tor his rifle. The panther made
- e'' While he was absent but the
o"es' three in number, pressed
'ne uSly oeast so close that it snrang
up tree half mile below tho
When Mr.. Rush reached the tree. an
other hunter hearing the dogs ar
rived at the same time, the two men
shot the huge animal four times be-
fore it fell, but when it struck the
ground it was too near dead to
fight the dogs. 1t measured II feet
and nine inches from the tip of the
nose to the end of the tail. This
was in 1855" said Mr. Milum, land
was probably the largest panther
ever killed near Harrison"
After the old pioneer ended this
story he related another one about
lot of settlers chasing and killing a
bear in the hills east of Harrison
which took place the same year Rush
killed the gpanther. In telling the
story Mr Milum said that one dav
a deaf and dumb fellow Of the name
of Billy Dethrage while passing
through thicket just south of Ba-
ker's prairie met a bear. The man
put his legs in rapid motion at once
and did not halt until he reached a
settlers cabin. Dethrage was educa-
ted but he was unable to make the
man understand. Billy did his best
to tell him by signs about seeing the
bear but his efforts proved futile un-
til the man gave Dethrage a goose
Quill pen, bottle of ink and a piece
OF writing paper. Billy soon wrote a
briet account ofmeeting the bear and
IhN IOSdlllS' w uSl luS SGlll6T ndU
read what the deaf and dumb fellow
had written his face frightened with
delight. He knew there was some
sport and fun close at hand. He
LETT home immediately to notify
Others. In few hours several men
on horseback with rifles and accom-
panied by number of dogs collect
ed at a designated place. l cannot
remen Der the name of but one man
in this bunch and that was James De-
shazo. When the men were ready
theyr ,-eae @ t,.:> {. nj the Guys
rushed the bear out into the open; |
the men could have shot the bear be- |
fore it ran far, but that would spoil |
their sport, They wanted to engage
a chase. The dogs pushed Bruin
along lively. The hunters kept |
close up in the rear hallooing and |
encouraging the dogs. 1t was an
old fashioned bear chase and the
men yelled, laughed and talked
in this manner; his bearship was fol-
lowed two miles. By this time men
and dogs were too hot for Bruin
and he stopped to brush the dogs
out of his way with his paws. AS the
bear rose on its launches Deshazo
shot it; five other men fired their
guns in rapid succession and Bruin
fell over dead.
John c. Ross, who resides on
Crooked Greek in Boone Co., Ark,
relates a few sketches of wolves in
the early days of this vicinity. His
father, William Ross, located eight
miles north east of Carrollton in
1853. He was from Tennessee
and lived at the head of Lick !
Branch which runs into Long Greek. |
ohm has good recollection and de-
lights to tell his many friends of ex-
oeriences here among the beasts of
he forest, referring to the early set
;lers of this section. Mr.. Ross men
ions a few names, he says that old
immie Lips lived at Blowing
springs, head of Lick Branch and
ohm Estes lived on Long Creek were
wo of the party who viewed out
he first road from Carrollton to
'orsythe. He kept the first hotel at
>arrollton. Roland Boyd, another
Id settler of this section assisted to
ut out the old military road from
,ellville to Carrollton.
Mr~Ross in giving his experience
With wolves said that settlers were | [
ompelled to guard their stock close {
o prevent their destruction by
wolves. "Where my father settled {
t the head of Lick Branch on the ,
lvide between Long creek and Bear :
reek," said Mr.. Ross, 1--WE were
breed 10 build pen on a few occa- I
ions near the house and put our {
took hogs in it to prevent their de- I
truction. Some times we covered {