Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1873 — A Young Man Kills Three Bears with a Nail Hatchet. [ARTICLE]

A Young Man Kills Three Bears with a Nail Hatchet.

The particulars of a terrific struggle with bears in the town of Boylston, in this county, have just reached us, and are of a most thrilling character. .It appears that on Monday last, one week ago to-day, a young man named John Bidwell, aged 19 years, with his father, a one-armed man, and his brother, a mere lad, went into the woods about four miles east of Smart’s mills, in Boylston, to gather spruce gum. They parried no weapons, and their only tools were a common nail hatchet and a dirk knife for the purpose of cutting the gum from the trees, and a chisel fastened to a long pole. The latter was carried by the father. The hatchet had a handle about four feet long and made of exceedingly tough woo'd, so that it might even be struck against a tree and bent half double without injuring it. Thus equipped they were proceeding through the woods about their work when John saw a bear track, and following it with his eye saw about two rods ahead of him a hole in the snow beside a big hemlock log. He went to look into it, but just as he reached it slumped in the snow and fell head foremost into the hole, his head barely escaping the mouth of a huge bear that was just emerging with his jaws distended. This was a critical time for John, and had he attempted to run, as most men would have done in such circumstances, he would scarcely have escaped alive. But John was the man for the emergency and the thought of running never entered his head. He had barely time to drawback, and then brought the bear a blow On the nose with his hatchet which dropped her. In a second, however, the bear had sprung up again only maddened by the blow, but John was in time for her and dealt her a terrible blow between the eyes with the edge of lvis hatchet, cutting, as afterward proved, clear to the brain. The bear came for John a third time, but was met by another powerful blow from the hatchet, which finished her, and the bear died in the mouth of the hole. It required a strong effort to pull the bear out, and John had scarcely accomplished it when a cub, nearly full grown, appeared. Nothing dauntea, John went at him, and after a brief struggle served him as he had served the dam, but had scarcely done with him when bear number three appeared, which proved to be the other cub, John struck at him with the hatchet, but missed him. The bear sprang upon him, and the hatchet could no longer be used. But with coolness and pluck that never deserted him, John proved himself a match for bruin in any shape. He drew the dirk knife and drove it to the heart of his savage foe, which immediately released its hold and expired. Of course John fully realized before this time what lie had struck, and now prepared himself for the other old bear, but after waiting awhile, and this member of the family not appearing, he gave him up. During the entire fight the father stood nearby.DUt having no weapon, and but one arm, he was unable to lend his son any aid, and feared that by interfering he might injure him. The younger brether, not liking the looks of things, had taken to a tree and watched the savage encounter with not a little alarm. When the old bear was measured her length was found to be six feet from the nose to the stern. All three of them were skinned, and the skins sold for twenty dollars. —Oswego (N. T.) Times, May 5. .