Year: 1878

1000 pounds on dead level.


On one occasion he carried upon
his bread shoulders a barrel of pork
weighing 800 pounds, from the
landing at East st. Louis to his
then home below Cahokia, a dis
tance of six miles. Several years
ago he lived in the old town Of
KaSkaSkia, in Illinois, where he was
employed in the houring-mill. Re-
markable stories are told Of the
wonderful feats of muscular
strength performed by him. It is
said that he was in the habit of
placing upon his shoulders two
bags of wheat, weighing 200 pounds
each, and carrying them up flight
of stairs. This labor he would per-
form for two hours, never seeming
to tire. a


While roaming through the
woods one day his dogs, which were
following him, bayed huge stag
in the bed OF a dried creek. Nee
hoo was unarmed, aud after several
Intellectual efforts to club the deer
with such bludgeons as he could
pick up, he seized the infuriated
beast by the antlers, and BY main
strength hurled him over his head,
breaking the animals neck.


Meehoo at one time was proba-
bly, the mightiest hunter that
roamed the wilds of the American
bottom. Forty and fifty years ago
bears were plentiful in the thick
forests Of the swampy regions skirt
ing the eastern shore of the Mis-
sissippi. and bear.hunting was
Meehoo's favorite sport.


He still carries upon him the
marks OF more than one terrific
contest with savage bruin. To a
reporter who visited him on Thurs
day last, he gave a recital of u re-
markable struggle he had with a
bear in the winter Of 1929, while
hunting through the Dry Greek
bottom, about seven miles south of
where Centreville station is now
situated. 1t was on the Oath day
of December, and a light snow COW





cred the ground. Meehoo had gone
out for the purpose of hunting wild
hogs, and had with him one dog
that was trained for that peculiar
sport. While trayersing the bot
tom he was suddenly confronted by
a huge black bear. The dog rushed
at him, but the bear at one blow oil
his powerful paw stretched the poor
brute dead, and at the distance Of
thirty feet bruin poised himself on
his hind legs as if throwing down
the gauntlet of battle. MeehoC
Immediately pulled down upon him
with his rifle, but to his dismay the
powder refused to 60 off. The cap
exploded with a loud noise. 1t was
Immediately replaced by a fresh one,
but before Meehoo could not fire a
second time, the bear was upon
him, and in such close proximity
that it was impossible for him even
to use the rife as a club. The man
and beast closed in terrific strug-
gle, the bear in his characteristic
game of hugging, tho desperate In
dian struggling to draw his knife
from his belt. Meehoo laughingly
said to the reporter, 81 tell you,
my son, the hug that bear gave me
was the worst | ever had in my
life. At first | thought my
very ribs were broken, and felt as
if my entire body was mashed to a
complete jelly. Ny breath was
entirely taken away, and for mo-
ment | was entirely exhausted, but,
realizing the desperate nature of
my situation, / made a a.struggle to
free my right arm and succeeded in
drawing my knife. Before | could
use it the bear hugged me again,
but | managed to get small cut in
upon his fore shoulder. The ami
NAL released me and began to snap
at me with his teeth, and he struck
me with his fore paw. One blow
lelled me to the ground and almost
stunned me into insensibilily. BY
the time / rose the bear was upon
me, but | had my knife in time and
gave him thrust that made him
growl with anger and howl with
pain.


The old man then proceeded to-
relate to the reporter the several
details of the fight and its result.
The contest lasted ten minutes, the
bear getting in blow upon blow,
knocking his antagonist down, but
never succeeding in getting in a
hug upon him. In the meantime
Meehoo used his knife in savage
desperation, though for long time
unable to touch vital part of the
monster. Finally he managed to
stab the bear in the heart and kill
him.


Meehoo now owns forty acres of
land and lives with his sqnaw ina
very primitive cabin. He is an in
otfensive old man now, and contin-
ues his daily ayecations, molesting
no one. I3f


The German Method.


When an officer in the German