The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-06
CALLS HIM A GAME SPORT
A Negro Guide Who Accompanied
Roosevelt on Bear Hunt Gives
"a. Him High Praise. s VS.

Holt Collier, the 52-year-old negro
guide and bear hunter OF Smedes, Miss,
is known all through the Mississippi q TIA
for his skill with his rifle and his knowl-
edge Of all the hunting grounds between
Vicksburg and Memphis. Collier was
with the presidential party after bear and
it was not his fault that President Roose-
welt did not bring down some big game. 4
Collier thus describes some of the in
cidents Of the hunt: II never saw man
in all my life in these woods that en-
joyed hunt like the president did. He
was as happy as schoolboy, and he
certainly is a game sport We started
out Thursday, and it took us about till
dark to get in camp and get settled good
Friday morning, before we started out,
President Roosevelt said he was awful
anxious to kill bear, and determined for
him to get that chance II had to run
bear down and tie him.
"Of course the party all scattered when
we began to hunt, and the bear we first
started was the biggest bear I have seen
or heard for long time. He was hard
one to- run down, too. and when heard
the rascal breaking through the cane and
my dogs hot foot behind him I knew T
was going to get close, and I was anxious
for some one to ride around and getsthe
president to follow In with U.S.
When my dogs did run that rascal
down he hid himself in mudhole, and it
was kind of thick and hard to get a so
stood round, and did not shoot, as
wanted the president to hurry UP and
come In behind, so he could kill the first
one. L tried my best to get that big bear
to tree. but he would not and finally,
thinking he was going to get the best of
my pack, hit him with the butt of my
gun. and then threw my lasso about his
neck and made him fast to a tree.
"They had done got the president to
come over by this time, and told him to
take shot at him, but he wouldn't, and
then showed Mr.. Parker how to stick the
bear, and he did not last much longer after
that big knife went in him. Later in the
evening another bear was brought in the
rcamp, but he was nothing compared with
the big bear we had got and hung up
The record of Saturdays hunt resulted
about the same as the first day, as far as
the president was concerned. He had not
had a chance to fire a shot. In speaking OF
the Saturday chase. Collier said:
THE president certainly travelled hard
after them dogs. and it was not his fault
that he did not get a chance to shoot.
| Il was talking to Mr.. Roosevelt, and he
said that he had some mighty fine hunts
and had run mountain lions and moose
and had some good times, but he said that
he never did enjoy a hunt any more than
he did this Mississippi hunt. He said that
he liked the southern people, and heTtold
some. of the gentlemen in the party that
whether he was elected or not again, he
would surely come right back to Smedes
two years from now and take another
hunt - s 49,
Collier said in conclusions: 81 thought
that Mr.. Roosevelt would sure get a
chance yesterday. It was his third and
last day. He chased a: big bear from s tc
8 o'clock, and then the Varmint broke
away from my dogs and crossed the river
so we gave up the trail All them gentle
men seemed to hate to leave the camp
because they had seemed TO enjoy the
hunt. = WIS sss