The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-18

Rs
POLAR BEARS ARE CUNNING AMI
FURIOUS in BATTLE ss5

PoLaE 5EaKs ARE CUNNING AMI
i FURIOUS IN BATTLE.
! The Way One of These Arctic Ter
J d rors Handled ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
of Eskimo Hunters-How the Bears
Catch and Worry the scaIs.ss
When a winter is unusually severe
! in Bafhn Land and Labrador the polar
bears wander of among the ice does In
greater numbers than usual in quests of
seals, upon which they chiefly feed.
and on these occasions the crews OF
| the Newfoundland sealing feet have
many encounters with these. monsters.
When he is we'll fed the polar bear is
easily worsted, but If hungry he fights
with fury. Hence encounters with
bears are not sought unless rifiemen
are included in the party, but some
times there is no alternative. On one
occasion several men armed only with
seal clubs had to fight an old male
bear.
One man thought he saw seal be-
hind a hummock and started off after;
1t. second following him. Just as the
first topped the hummock he raised his
club and struck, when to his horror he
found he had hit d polar bear over the
snout. The bear turned on him With
an angry growl and would have dis
menbered him with single stroke If
the second man had not got in and bit
him on the snout also. This blow half
stunned him, and he fell backward
into a small hole of water.
Il: M .},,,G yIST1 f1
get out, and so there was nothing for
it but to fight him, and this the men
did successfully, the whole seven join
ing in the struggle Yet he broke one
mans ankle, laceratcd another's thigh
and splintered the arm of q third man
before he gave in. His skin and fat
weighed 400 pounds and his carcass
probably as much more. SO that he was
as bulky as a small horse.
On another occa sion there WAS q fierce
fight. within full view of 4 ships crew,
between n bear and six men. Bruin
had been asleep for the night on
small pan of ice and was awakened
in the early morning by the sound OF
the steamers whistle, blown to call
her crew to their days toll. The bear,
aroused from slumber, raised himself
on his hind paws with a mighty groyl.
as if in challenge to the ship. His de-
fiance was accepted in this sense by
six young seamen, who promptly made
at him with only their clubs.
Tie bear was unable to leave the
small pan he was on, owing to six
enemies assailing him, and SO he had
to fight it out there. He made a game
defense too. notwithstanding all ct
tacks OF his. adversaries. One Of these
rri- of hi y flJli,E1Jl flp /
reared up, caught it in his mouth and |
jerked it from the owners hand, ana. |
shaking it as a terrier would q rat.
banged the owner with it |
and failed him SenSeleSs with & blow
over the head. The other ASSISTANTS
he kept off also in the same way. and |
it was not till man came from t.1e
ship with 4 rife and put four bullets
through, him that he showed any weak
ening. AT last he became dazed, and
a well directed blow on the snout
stunned him, while q shower more APP
Killed him.
A rope was lashed around his body
and he was swung up by the ships
winch to be got on board, but just as
be came over the rail the rope broke
and be disappeared from view IN the
water. The cold bath revived him.
Luz LII dDOul Nv IIlIIultS uC w as SCtsI
to emerge in blowhole in foe. and.
after two or three painful attempts.
aboriously climbed on to a high pan.
Three men We're at once dispatched
after him. and he was stunned. stabbed
% the heart and then dragged to the
ship to be skinned. He was nearly
line feet long and twelve feet in lar
sest girth, and was altogether a for
nidable adversary.
Men who go to the seal fisheries for
he sport or experience as passengers
II the ships of the fleet usually derive
heir keencst enjoyment from stalking l.
POLAR bears. as it is quite a novel form
# big game hitting. The scene is the f.
;reat floating ice field. and from ham
mock to humnIocS ana berg to berg
he hunter Will dog his prey until 4 '
lclly shot viii enable him to bring
own the victim.
Scaling captains Will never let theiI
;ucsts go OFF unattended on such a mis-
ion, but send 4 couple of expert rtaG-
men with them, as at times Mr.. and
Irs. Gear and their offspring may be
t home on the foe, and they would be 4.
:lther too formidable n combination =
or the inexperienced hunter.
The Eskimo OF Greenland and Baflin
and are notable bear hunters The
'skimos have trained their dogs to run :,