Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1894 — CAUGHT AN ARCTIC PELICAN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CAUGHT AN ARCTIC PELICAN.

The Man, aa tho Event Proved, Was Alto Caught by the Bird. Old Tom Clellan is an industrious Scotchman who has his dwelling on the bank of tbe artificial reservoir which supplies the city of Fostoria, 0., and its numerous factories with

water. One day recently he espied a large white bird floating upon the lake, and, taking his gun, he succeeded in creeping up to within a few feet of the majestic stranger. He fired upon It a tremendous load of shot from his gun, which he had previously loaded for “banshees” and “brownies. ” The pelican only ducked Its head, and evinced but slight injury from the heavy charge or shot The old man fired again, and this time the bird floundered desperately, but wa9 unable to rise. He then threw off his clothes, swam to the crippled bird, and attempted to seize it in his mouth and swim to shore with it; but the strange bird dexterously besmeared the old man’s bald head with a kind of mucousor saliva, and then, distending its cavernous pouch beneath its throat, opened its mouth and jammed its head and throat down over old Tom’s head, neatly encasing the latter in the spacious pouch. Being thus completely circumvented in his efforts to capture his prize the old man pulled out for the shore with lusty strokes, towing in his wake his prize. On reaching the shore some persons seized the indomitable bird by the legs and another of the party grasped the old man in like manner and, taking a steady pull, they released him from the membranous prison in which his head had been ensnared by the huge bird. Old Tom, it is needless to state, immediately dispatched the bird, not even waiting to put on his shirt and trousers. The bird is now on exhibition in Fostoria.

“HE SWAM TO THE CRIPPLED BIRD.”