The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-28

Features of the Wfld Region In Texas
Where He VIII Hunt.

The big thicket." into which the
Texas friends OF President Roosevelt
are arranging to take him on a bear
huuts some time during his coming Wis
II 20 Texas on the occasion of the
Rough Riders reunion at San Antonia.
probably Is the biggest and oueerest
streak of forest country sn the United
States. say a special dispatch from
Orange. Texas. to The Chicago Trlb-
une. Although IL lies IL one OF the
most thickiy settled sections OF the
state. IL has nc population save bears.
wildcts. wolves and other wild beasts
and winged and creeping creatures
The big thicket Is from Ave to If
teen miles wide and seventy miles long.
II extends from the Sabine river. the
boundary between Texas ard LouiSi-
ana, twelve miles north Of Orange to
the Trinity river region. afmos. vest.
Ii is the line OF demarcaiion between
two great pine timber belts.
With the exception OF scattered
dwarfed pines. red oaks. gums and
other varieties OF trees hat have Sc
cured root DON in the density OF the
thicket's prevailing underground. there
is no timber in the big thicket. The
black hav, the wild peach and sne
wild plum trees give food TO the sweets
loving bear. Wild rap vines. the
rattan vine, the scrambling briers and
other growths cling TO a variety of
oak tina stands almost as thick rs
cane in a brake and grows but little
larger. The bottom of the thicxet Is
soft and in the rainy season is covered
/; ~ r..y. rtaoo~ with Iaan uFnfGr
Hunters or others without guides
who venture into the thicket beyond
the hearing Of companions on the out
side do so at the risk Of being cost.
The only way Dear can be hunted sue
cessfully in h big thicket is with
trained dogs. The dogs can make
their way through the dense growths
of the thicket faster thar the bear and
soon bring it to bay. The hunters
drag and squeeze and cut their way
to the spot where the bear has made
its stand. sometimes with Its back
against a t-ca. sometimes in the tree.
II against the tree. it is likely the
hunters will find a dog or two lying
dead among the briers. A rifle bullet
uenal!y ends the hunt.
The bears of tho big thicket are said
70 be large ard fierce. Jim Simpson.
an Orage county, hunter, killed ten
hea,s in the thicket in the last year.
The wildcat in the great waste arc
bigger than prairie wildcats and are
aggressive. Oliver Clark. OF Ornge
county, killed the biggest wildcat on
record recently. The cat attacked him
after he had thrown a lighted ufnn
knot at it. The beast leaped upon
the hunter. It bit into Clark's LEFT
arm, n the hunter drew his knife
from his belt and. thrusting II under
his arm, won the fight He could not
use his arm for weeks.
The Orange & Northwestern railroad
and the Kansas City Southern cross
the big thicket. In the waters OF the
great swamp fish of many varieties
abound. During the summer the aiii-
gator. the moccasin snake. the rat
tier and other cheerful representatives
of reptile and insect life abound in
the thicket.
Upon miles and miles Of the big
thicket's arer no man ever has set
foot. Ten feet in from either edge "f
the thicket a person is lost to view.
During the civil war the thicket Was
the refuge of many deserters from the
confederate armv Some deserters re-
NAMED hidden there until the end of
the war. and many feuds resulted from
the resentment they felt toward pro-
vost marshals for their efforts 10 cap
turc them.
One instance cited is that of a prom
inent citizen who was two years in
hiding in the woods. The war no
sooner was over than this deserter at
once set out t. hunt the man who haC
hunted him. He found his man, but
himself was killed.