Year: 1868

We have to record very singular deliverance
of a little girl about three years old to her pa
rents after being carried off by black bear,
and search of about thrty-six hours through
the forest by the excited parents. The 1acts, as
near as we can gather them, are SUBSTANTIALLY
as follows:


Mr. Henry Flynn lives about forty miles east
of this place, at or near the logging camps oi
Mr.. Ludington, and we believe has charge OF tne
camps He started one morning to take morse
to pasture, about two miles distant rom the
house and as he was ready to start his little girl
appeared and seemed very anxious to 60 with
her father, who in order to please the child put
her upon the horses back and let her ride
short distance, perhaps forty rods from the
house, but in plain view OF 1t, where ne put ner
down and told her to run home. He noticed
that the child was standing where he left her,
and on looking back after going little farther,
saw her playing in the sand. He soon passed
out of sight and gone about an hour, ex-
pecting, of course that the child would return
to the house after playing few moments. On
returning home he made inquiry about the child
of its mother, who said she had not seen the
child, and supposed he had taken her along with
him. On going to the spot where he had left
her, he saw huge bear tracks in the sand, and
at once came to the conclusion that the child
had been taken off by the bear. The family i'm
medately made search through the forest, which
grown up to almost jungle, rendering
their search very slow. All day these anxious
parents searched for some trace of their child,
nor did they stop when darkness came on, but
remained in the woods calling the child by her
name, and with aching hearts would listen with
almost breathless fear to catch some sound by
which they could discover their lost darling.
Morning came and their search was fruitless.
a couple of gentlemen looking at land came to
the house, and being informed of the circum-
stance, Immediately set out to help find the
child. No doubt existed as to the fate of the
little one by all and if they could only find where
the bear had despatched his victim, they might
then 60 home with the assurance that they were
never 10 see their child again, but until some
trace of her was found, there was hope. The
gentlemen alluded to wandered about, and as
they were passing swampy spot where the un-
dergrowth thick, they either called the
child, or else were talking loud, when one of
them heard the childs voice. He then called
the child by name, and told her to come out OF
the bushes. She replied that the bear would
not let her. The men crept through the bushes,
and when where the child and bear were,
they heard splash in the water, which the
child said was the bear. On going to her they
found her standing upon log extending hall
way across the river. The bear had undertaken
to cross the river the log, and being closely
pursued left the child and swan away. She had
received scratches about her face, arms
and legs, and her clothes were almost torn from
her body, but the bear had not bitten her to hurt
her, only the marks of his teeth being found on
her back, where, in taking hold of her clothes to
carry her he had taken the flesh also. The little
one says the bear would put her down OCCASION
ally to rest, and would put his nose up to her
face, when she would slap him, and then the
bear would hang his head by her side and purr
and rub against her like cat. The men asked
her if she was cold in the night and she told
them the old bear lay down beside her and put
his '.arms'' around her and hugged her to him
and kept her warm, though she did not like his
long hair. She was taken home to her parents,
who could hardly express their JOY at her safety.
The bear has been seen lurking about in the vi
cinity it is supposed for the purpose of yet car
rying off the child. The supposition is that it is
a female bear, and having lost her cubs, came
across the child and adopted it. Steps be-
ing taken to capture the bear.-Ludington Mich. J
Record