The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-22
THE BEARS
Holt Collier, Negro Guide, Tells
Story of Hunt.
"Finest Gent'man from de Moth
Dat l Ever Met. .

smedes, Miss. Nov. a2.-Holt Collier.
the veteran negro swamp guide and
bear hunter, told a CORRESPONDENT the
fun story of his four days experience
with President Roosevelt.
Holt was busiIy engaged in getting
his horses, dogs and hunting outfit
aboard a car on the siding here. to be
taken back TO his home at Greenville-
Holt Collier is one of the CONSPICUOUS
figures in the Mississippi delta. His
skill with his rife and his constant at
tention to the trail for the past 40 years
have made him perfectly familiar with
the ms and outs OF the woods, and every
foot of the data soil from Nicksburg to
Memphis He was President Roose-
velts personal guide throughout the
hunt. Here is his story-the first detail
ed story of the hunt yet told:
I know all these gent'men in de
party has had a mighty fine time, and,
az for de president, / never seen man
in all my times of hunting in desc woods
what joyed a hunt like he did. He was
jes' as happy as a schoolboy. and he
certainly is a deadgame sport.
I'VE started out Thursday, and it took
us bout till Ozark to get in camp and
get settled good. So, on Friday morn
ing, fore we started out, Mr.. Roosevelt
said he was awful anxious to kiln
bar.
so. when he said dat. I told him dat
was determined for him to get Cat
CnauCe. ana, IL L 1dO 10 run q y al QOWl
and tie him. 7 would see dat he got
chance to get q shot.
of course, de party all scattered, and
we begins to hunt, and somehow ] felt
like I was a'goin' to get a big one up,
and, shO' huff, I was not wrong. cause
dat bar we first started was de biggest
he bar 7 ever see or heard tell of for
long time.
He was a hard one to run down, too,
I am here to tell you When I heerd
z at fhrO110b
and my dogs hot after him, l knew
was agoin' to get close after him. l
was anxious for someone to ride around
and get the president to follow in with
us, as 1 kept on feelin' dat he could get
a big bar fore long.
''Whar was de president? Why, lordy,
chile, he was a-snoOkin' round on his
own hook in de jungle. Dat man
wouldn't be tied to nobody. ! done
make a terrible noise. so he'd come
whar de bar war, but whar wus he?
When my dogs did run dat bar down
he went down in mud hole, and 1t was
kinder thick and hard to get at, so
stood round and didn't shoot, cause I
wanted the colonel to hurry eup and
come in behind me so he could kill the
first one.
I tried my best to get dat big bar
to tree, but he wouldn't, so 1 thought
he was jes' goin to get the best of my
pack so I hit him with the butt of my
gun and then throwed my laSSo bout
his neck and made him fast to a willer
tree.
"Then they done got de president. and
den. when he come up, I SEES:
Shoot de bar. colonel, he's tied
'Scuse me- says Colonel Roosevelt,
latin at the bar all tide up dar nice
and snug ''Scuse me- ses he, OATS
too easy.
DE president was sho'ly sort of con-
tempuse wild de situation. and 1 feels
more liken a mule dan hunter.
DE president sed sumpin', l spect 1t
war from de Bible. bout it no use slayin'
! lie helpless. Dere l was wifi my bar
done tied up. and | think mighty fast
to get out Of dat fix.
Stick him. ses 1 to Massa Parker,
and den 1 showed him how to do de
trick. I tell you. my honey, dat big
rascal didn't las much longer after dat
knife went into him.
I say: Colonel, you watch me close
an you sho'ly get bar Den he lafs
and SEES: All right, Ho. I'll keep an
eye onto you
We'll, We fewd around in dat swamp
liken Wus out for blood. ease the
president was bound to do sumpin'. But
it Warnt no use dat day. Dey brings
but he was nothin' liken de one we had
hung up in de tree, all dressed, and de
gene'l, he didn't get it either.
Law me. honey. when we sets ont de
mex day. dat was Saturday, 1 say to
HO, 'Ho, you shO'ly is a lucky boy to be
huntin. wild dat man: now you jes' fin
him p b ar sure.
THE president certainly did travel
hard after dem dogs, and it were not his
fault dat he didn't get a chance to shoot.
He was riding a mare as which belongs
to John Christian, one of the best Niger.
hunters at Valley Park, and l am here
to say dat there amt no better woods
horse. I rode my old Frank which I
I nave been riding for many year, but I
don't believe he is any better dan de
mare de president rode, that is for being
a woods horse.
of course size amt no saddler. an
4 she loDes hard, but Col. Roosevelt was
rode hard after bars, shu,
We didn't do no huntin on Sunday
1 cause all of us is 'ligious. It was awful
quiet in de camp as we wuz all medi
tatin on de foOlisneSS of life and eatin'.
I saw de president mos every minute,
and ! do say dat he showed himself to
he such fine. good gent'man dat l was
always admirin' Of him.
L tell you, we done had a grand din
nor. such like dey couldn't possibly have
at &c White House. How could dey
get 'possum and bar, which we had wifi
sweet 'tatcrs dat melt in de presidents
mOuf and max him look so happy dat
he had a good appetite?
Den we had turkey gobbler, and did
niger s 100 -erlite to say dat he ea t
more dan de president It done mak's
me hungry ag'in when 1 looks back on
dat dinner.
De president says befoah dinner dat
he wants to so on a little stroll in de
woods Den one of de gentlemen ses to
de -vesiient:
'Mistah President, why doan you
take your gun wild your
DE presi3ent he shakes his he'd an
walks away. He say: No; amt beer.
alone since a long time gone. an Use
goin' be alone for little while now
II seed'd what he done. He goes off and
sits down by de crick an looks into de
water ar at de woods S-ec' he was
thinkin'. too but I couldn't tell Der.
Re gets UP and comes in and settles
down to business a-ea tin of de 'possum
and Dc bar and de taters and de COB
bier. an looks like ne wus wholly happy.
'tI9resiSent says. Goodness. dis is fine