, 1903-01-17
A PHYSICIANS RUSE
PENNSYLVANIA DOCTOR LET'S
OUT OF TIGHT PLACE.
freed by a Bear, He Puts His Enemy
to Sleep by Repeated Doses Of Ether
Then the Helpless Quarry Is
Easily Dispatched.

DR.. Walter Kurtz, a young physician
living in the little town of Howard.
Pa, met II defeated a bear the other
day with a weapon that mas probably
never before been employed against
big game.
DR.. Kurt practices in the Bald
Eagle valley, which is surrounded by
mountains over which driving in win
ter is difficult. A few days ago he
lound 1t necessary to perform All Uper-
alton on a mar who lives well up the
mountain on a road so rough as to
be scarcely passable for a horse and
carriage.
The young physician decided to
spare his horse the climb, and started
out on foot, carrying a case in which,
besides his surgical implements, he
placed nearly a quart of ether. Being
a good revolver shot he also carried
a siX-shooter.
He had toiled half the distance to
the home of his patient, wlen he
heard a rustling of the bushes ahead
Of him. and a half-grown black bear
shambled into the path. The bear was
about to disappear in the brush. when
the doctor sent one of the bullets from
the revolver into his hide.
With a Srowl of rage the bear
turned and made for the man at full
speed. The doctor was very much
surprised at the sudden turn of affairs.
and when he fired the remaining five
shots in the revolver, which ne did
rapidly, his aim was bad, and none of
them did enough execution to stop the
bear.
The only alternative now was a tree.
and he made for a small hickory. He
managed to crawl to the first limb.
which was just out of the bears reach,
before his pursuer got to the spot
where he had stood, but dropped his
revolver in the effort.
The bear circled the tree time after
time, growing continuously, and now
and then reaching up the trunk as far
as he could. When an hour had
passed this became very monotonous
to the doctor.
AS he was searching his cast to see
II he had any weapon that he could use
against the bear, an idea that would
al least help to pass the time came
into his mind, and he acted on it.
He took a small bottle from the case,
and bound it to a small branch in such
a way that he could manipulate it
handily. He poured it full of ether,
and let it down to where the bear was
leaning against the trunk. One push
from the paw spilled the ether, but
he filled it again and again let it down.
This time the same thing happened,
but the results were far more salts
factory. The ether spilled over the
bears face and caused him to sneeze
and puff. A third bottle was tried,
with the same effect, but when the
fourth was ready, the bear had enough
and took a position a little distance
away.
By moving al though to get down,
the doctor brought bruin back to close
quarters. He made a little poke with
a piece of paper and as the bear
stretched up his nose he broke it. The
paper struck the fur, and the zeal got
the full dose. Many times this was
repeated, all kinds of ruses being nec-
essary to get the bear to step up and
take the dose.
Finally the bear got sleepy and lay
down beside the tree. This was what
the doctor wanted, and he was soon
giving the ether in regular quantities.
It was some time before he dared get
down from the tree.
When he did descend, however, after
being imprisoned for more than two
hours, he dragged his revolver to him
with the aid of the stick and hastily
reloaded. When he fired the next
shot it was with a steady aim at close
range, and the operation was success.
full.