The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-12-03
GOLFERS BEAR STORY
Old "Ho" Describes Presidents
Hunt In Mississippi.
''How WE DIDN'T GET DAT BAR

Famous Negro Swamp Guide ana
Hunter Tells How Roosevelt Was
"SnoOking Around ON His Own
Hook In de Jungle" and Refused
to shoot a Bear LassOed to a Tree.
1t would be impossible to obtain from
any source a more graphic account Of
how President Roosevelt didn't get
that big bar than that given at
Smedes, Miss, to a New York World
staff correspondent by Ho Collier, the
famous negro swamp guide and bear
hunter. Ho is known throughout the
south for his skill with his rifle and
his wonderful instinct for picking up a
trail and following it. This is his story
of his hunt with the nations chief:
"On Friday (Nov. 40 mornin' fore
we started out l told Mr.. Roosevelt !
was determined dat he get chance to
shoot bar If l had to run a bar down
and tie him. l felt like / was goin' to
get a big one up, and, sho' huff, !
wasn't wrong, cause dat bar we first
started was the biggest he bar | ever
see or heard tell of for long time
''Ee was hard one to run down, too,
and when | heerd dat rascal breakin'
through de cane and my dogs hot after
him | knew / was agoin' to get close
after him.
"Whar was de president? Why,
Lord, chile, he was 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 WIZ he?
"When my dogs did run dat bar
down, he went down in mudhole, and
it was kinder thick and hard to get at,
so l stood round and didn't shoot, case
wanted the colonel to hurry up and
come in behind me so he could kill the
first one.
Il tried my best to get dat big bar
to tree, but he wouldn't, so l thought
he was jes' going to get de best of my
pack, so | hit him wild de butt of my
gun and then throwed my lasso bout
his neck and made him fast to a wtIler
tree.
'0Then they done got de president,
and den when he come up | says,
Shoot de bar, colonel; he's tied! d,
"'Scuse me- SEE Colonel Roosevelt,
laffan at de bar all tied up dar nice
and snug-scuse me- SEE he; OATS too
easy
de president was sholy sort of con-
tempuse wild de situation, and l feels
more liken mule dan a hunter.
"'Stick him. SEE / to Massa Parker.
"T say, colonel, you watch me close
an you sholy gifts bar Den he lafe
and sez, All right, Ho; I'll keep an eye
onto you
"'Whar we gwine, HO? SEE de pres
ident to me when mex we starts out.
az shows you whar we gwine,' seq I
to de president. L amt goin' bodder
you wifi no directions, but l takes you
sholy to whar de bar is
"Den what you think dat scoun'rel
bar do? He breaks away from de dogs
and goes whoppin' acrost ribber, and
Ho knows he is done gone for good.
Den / toe de gentlemen dere want no
use goin' mo furder.
81 spec SEE de president, laffan,
':dat we amt goin' git no bar dis trip
DE president he took de skull Of de
big bar dat Massa Parker stick, and
he say dat he take dat skull home to
keep. When he gets ready to leave de
camp, de president was de mos jolly
of all de gentlemen. Dey all say we
hates to leave dis camp, and de presi-
dent say it was delightful place,
jes like dat
az wants to tell you dat l hated
nightly to see de president go way,
and so did ali de odders down hyar.
kin only say dat he's de finest no'the'n
gentleman | ever met"