Year: 1876

About a year ago a man named Jonas
Butler went into the wild region around
the headwalers of the Delaware river, about
twenty miles above Delhi, n. Y, for the
purpose of cutting railroad lies and peel
iug bark, ON contract for some parties in
Greene county. He erected u log cabin,
where he and bis wife, his daughter Jen-
ME, aged sixteen, and an infant child made
their home.


On Sunday, the Goth ult., Butler was alb
sent from home, and about five o'clock in
tho afternoon of that day Mrs. Butler and
her daughter heard an unusual ommolion
among the pigs in the pen, a log inclosure
few rods from the house. Going TO the
door of the cabin Mrs. Butler saw a large
black bear In the pen, with pig weighing
about sixty or seventy pounds hugged
tightly in one fore paw and trying to get
out OF the inclosure with it. A watch-d dog
belonging to the family was barking furi-
ously at the bear from the outside, and the
pig was wriggling and squealing.


Without a moments delay Mrs. Butler
told her daughter to take the ak, and she
herself seized heavy mall used in driving
wedges, and thus armed the two women
rushed out TO attack the bear. With 10
thought OF consequences they both jumped
into the pen, followed by the dog. They
began the attack at once, dealing the bear
blows heavy and fast with their weapons.
The dog harassed bruin in the rear, aud it
was not long before he dropped the pig and
turned his attention to his assailants. He
nrst seized the dog, and in a short lime had
crushed the life out of it. The inluriated
animal theu rushed with open mouth upon
the girl. She retreated slowly, using her
ak With vigor, but by a sudden blow Of
his paw the bear knocked the ak from her
hands and pressed her into corner of the
pen. But for the hearty and vigorous at
tack that Mrs. Butler kept up in the rear
with her mall the bear would have crushed
the girl in another second, as he had the
dog. This drew his attention from the
daughter, and he dashed at the mother.
She kept him at distance, and shouted to
her daughter to go TO the house and fetch
the rife and shoot The bear.


Jennie lesped from the pen and few to
the house. The struggle between Mrs.
Butler and the bear waxed hotter aud hot
ter. She retreated backward around the
pen, dealing blow after blow with the mall,
the bear following her closely with open
mouth and blood flowing from his wounds.
Finally the bear struck the mall aud sent
it flying out Of the pen. Mrs. Butler crouch
ed down in a corner, and covering her face
with her hands, had resigned herself to her
fate, when her daughter arrived with the
gun. She pushed the barrel through a
chink in the logs and fired. The bear,
which stood over Mrs. Butler in the act OF
seizing her, tottered an instant on his
launches and fell over dead. The ball, as
was aflerwsrd discovered, had passed clear
through his heart.


After firing the shot and seeing the re-
suit the girl tainted. Mrs. Butler could
not summon strength TO get out Of the place
for some time, but finally succeeded in do
ing so, and got her daughter into the house,
where she soon restored her to conscious
ness. The girls flesh was considerably
torn under her arms, whore the bear had
grasped her, and she was severely scratch
ed. Beyond that neither was hurt. Mon
day the girl walked to where her father was
at work aud told him of the adventure.
He came in and dressed the bear. 1t
weighed over three hundred pounds.-NeiO
York World.