Year: 1876




About a year ago man named Jonas
Butler went into the wild region around
the head waters of the Delaware river,
about twenty miles above Delhi, N. Y,
for the purpose of cutting railroad ties,
and peeling bark, on contract for some
parties in Greene county. He erected q
log cabin, where he and his wife, his
daughter Jennie, aged sixteen, and an
infant child made their home. 2e
On Sunday last Butler was absent
from home, and about o'clock In the afy
ternoon of that day Mrs. Batter and her
daughter heard an unusual cemmotion
ure few rods away 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 sew
euty pounds hugged tightly in one fore
paw and trying to get out Of the inclos-
ure with IL. A watch dog belonging to
the family was barking furiously at the
bear from, the outside, and4 the pig was
wriggling and squealing. Without a
moments delay Mrs. Butler told her
daughter to take the ak, and she herself
seized heavy maui used in driving
wedges, and thus armed the two women
rushed cut to attack The bear. With no
thought of consequences, they both
jumped into thespen, 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.
and it was not long before he dropped
the pig and turned his attention to his
assaiiants. lie first seized the dog, and
in very short time had crushed the lie
out OF it,. The iniuriated animal then
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 ior the hearty and vigorous attack
| that Mrs. Butler Kept up with her maui
| 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 q distance, and shouted to her
daughter to go TO the house and fetch the
rifle and shoot the bear. Jennie leaped
| from. the pen and flew to the house.
The struggle between Mrs. Butler and
the bear waxed hotter and hotter. She


retreated backwards around the pen.
dealing blow after blow with the maui,
| the bear following her closely with open
wounds. Finally the bear struck the


maui and sent it flying OUT of the pen.
/ Mrs. Butler crouched down in 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 chink in


the logs and fred. The bear, which
stood over Mrs. Butler In the act OF 'seiz-
ing her, totterel an instant on his


launches and fell over dead. The ball.


as was atterward 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, sue
ceeded in doing so, and got her daughter
Into the house, where she soon restored
her to consciousness. The girps flesh


was considerably torn under her arms,
where the bear had grasped her, and she
was considerably scratched. Beyond
thatneither were hurt. Monday the girl


walked to where her father was at work


and told him of the adventure. He came
in and dressed the bear. 1t weighed
over three hundred pounds. -