The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-06-26
FT1S OF THE BIG WOODS IN DAYS
: LONG SINCE GONE BY
Reductions The Human Cat Tragedy
Plan Frustrated

and at 8 o'clock they knew he must
be lost. He was in the woods, with
out food, fire or matches. The next
morning they organized hunting
party but no trace was found of him.
On the second morning the whole
force at the camp turned out to hunt
for him. About II o'clock Frank
Bunker of Athens was going over a
small rise in the woods and he saw
tracks. He came to a clearing about
half acre in size and there was Dor
man travelling around the clearing.
He was about five miles from the
camp. Every time he walked around
the clearing and came to the brook.
he would stop and get a drink of wat
er. Mr.. Bunker asked him where he
was going and he said, 1 am going to
Halls camp, I've been lost He told
him it would be a long time before
he reached the camp at the rate he
was travelling. The party had agreed
that when they found the man the
gun would be fired and so Mr. Bunker
fired shot from his gun. The man
was taken back to camp, exhausted
His moccasins were frozen to his feet
frost bitten and his moccasins had to
be cut from his feet 1t was i'm
possible to get a doctor, Northeast
Carry being 30 miles away and it
was 40 miles to the foot of the lake
then IL miles to Monsoon to the near
est doctor. The only way to reach
there was by snowshoes 1t was
four weeks before he was able to
leave camp
A TRAGEDY
One of the tragedies which the for
ests Of Maine have forever conceal
ed from the officers of the law was
the disappearance of a man in the
northern trapping district, according
to Mr.. Thompson. There was
hunter and trapper, who used to hunt
for beaver, mink, sable, muskrat and
occasionally get bear or a larger
animal. Finally, another trapper
and said that the first trap
per, whose name we will call Bill,
was on his hunting grounds. Bill
was told about it and decided that he
or his competitor must die. A day
or two later, he took his rifle and
second trapper was never seen nor
heard from. The man We are calling
Bill later was found dead in the
woods but he apparently met a nat
lral death.
PLAN OF WOODSMEN
Another tale. which Mr. Thompson
related occurred up in the Ripo-
genus regions where a crew WAS en-
Dloyed hauling logs. 1t was impos-
sible for the numbering concerns to
Keep teamster "They finally sent
or my father" said Mr. Thompson,
to drive an OK team He drove
he team two or three days. one
night when he went out to the hoyel
o take care of his oxen, they were
Ill lying down. All at once every
,x got up, snorting and trembling.
That was the day of the old tin Ian
ern when "A piece Of tin with holes
n it held candle. My father looked
around and saw something coming in
he door. 1t was horribly grotesque
cooking and about nine feet tall.
Father had a long handled fork, one
If the old fashioned handmade yarie-
y
lit the object, laying him out, He
vent back to the camp and told the
men to go and bring the strange OBJ
ect into the camp Complying with
lis request, they found that it was a
nan, who was associated with others
n trying to hinder the numbering OPP
.rations by frightening every teams
er that the concern employed. A
Ialse face was part of the unusual
set-up which the conspirator wore,
Mr.. Thompson added that the man
was obliged to stay in camp four
weeks as the result of the blows
which he sustained
Mr.. Thompson recalled another IN
,ident at a time when the crew which
vas employed on the North Branch oil
he Penobscot, were all from Bangor
all. When his father was engaged
n hauling supplies for his crow, he
lecided that 1t was advisable to stay
overnight at a shanty maintained Tor
hose who Travelled there as an ac-
,ommodation With this story goes
he visit which Mr. Thompson made
o a howell. where he encountered an
,nraged mare, but as it was 80 de-
SfpPk DeiOW ZERO lit AltAIutd ~ ''Ai.
, chance inside the howell. 1t was
Necessary to use a sled stake to quiet
he mares disposition and about that
ime the owner of the shanty came
INTO the scene, considerably exercis-
ID because his guest had ATTEMPTED;
% enter the hovel, where the ANNA
vas confined. Among the other ami
nails on the place was a huge cat
weighing probably fifty pounds. Al,
err Mr.. knights and his guest had
lined. they decided to bunk because
If the intense cold, The cat crawled
n between the two men. but MT
father rolled over on tne
cine in the night, and it SPIT It's
ipite on It's master by embedding lts
luge claws in the flesh of Mr. knight
Jack. Dressings were applied by the
overnight guest but since the night
vas far spent at the end of this op'er-
Ltion, the traveller continued on ms
ny