Waterbury Democrat., 1902-11-15
ONE BEAR In CAMP
Presidents First Hunt Some
what Disappointing.
NEWSPAPER MEN TURNED BACH.
All Approaches to the Hunting Head
quarters Guarded by Negroes
who Will Not BE Bribed
or RuIlled

SMEDES, Miss, Nov. ia lean
black bear winch weighs 235 pounds is
hanging up at the presidents camp on
the Little Sunfower; but, to the regret
of the entire party, the first trophy Of
Winchester. The bears trail was
struck by the hounds soon after the
party started in the morning.
The members Of the party, except the
president, Mr.. Foote, Mr.. Parker and
Holt Collier, had been stationed at the
various crossings, and as soon as the
dogs gave tongue the president and
his guides plunged through the dense
underbrush in pursuit Within few
minutes the dogs showed the direction
the quarry was taking, and Holt Col
her, with the instinct of an old bear
hunter, Immediately made up his mind
where the animal would come out. To
save the president needless hard riding
through the brush he directed Mr..
Foote to take the president along the
trail to certain cutoff. This was done,
and the president and Mr.. Foote rode
to the assigned station. On their way
several swamp deer were jumped up,
but no effort was made to get a shot at
them. Then for several hours the pres
ident and Mr.. Foote waited. The trail
Of the bear carried the yelping hounds
out of hearing, and shortly after noon
Mr.. Foote abandoned hope that the
quarry would come back their way,
and he and the president returned to
camp for lunch Had they remained
the president would have had shot,
as the bear, with the pack at its heels,
crossed at almost the exact spot which
Holt had indicated.
About mile beyond this point bruin,
exhausted by his long race, ran into a
! water hole and turned upon the dogs.
! They were all over him in an instant.
/ The poor beast was too exhausted to
make much of fight, but he grabbed
| one of the hounds by the neck and
crushed it through its spine, killing it
| instantly. AS the bear was making
sweep with its paw at another dog
/ Holt Collier jumped from his horse
and, clutching his rife, knocked the
] game over with blow on the head.
.'If the colonel had stayed whar put
/ him. said the aggrieved Holt, "he
/ would'er done got this we're one"
| The camp is admirably located under
some big oaks on the edge of the Sun
flower. The brush has been cleared
away, and three sleeping and one cook
/ tent have been put up.
The president expressed his satisfac-
i ton at the simplicity of the arrange
ments His tent contains four cots,
which were occupied Thursday night
by himself, Mr.. Fish, Mr.. Dickinson
and Secretary Cortelyou. The negroes
slept on blankets under an open tent
Nv. None Of the small army of news
paper men and photographers who fol-
lowed the president here succeeded in
i reaching camp yesterday. The only
4 newspaper men allowed there were
the three press association repre-
i sentatiyes who came with the party.
/ All kinds of expedients were attempted
i by the others to get to camp, but with
i out avail. Every trail leading out to
the woods was guarded, and no negro
could be found who cared to risk max
ing an attempt to guide visitors in.
One Of the newspaper men here tried
to bride a darby to show him the way
to the presidents camp. He offered the
negro $50.
'Deed, mistah,' responded the ne
7. gro, 81 wouldn't take you out there for
4 S1,OOO,OOO Mistah Mangum told us any
j Of us who took white men there would
be shot or hung, an I amt goin' to
take no chances"