Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1875 — Desperate Struggle With a Bear. [ARTICLE]

Desperate Struggle With a Bear.

We have heard many stories of desperate eneounters with the bear, but do not remember hearing of one more desperate than that told of John Minter, which took place about the beginning of the present century in Delaware County, Minter was a man fond of hunting, a crack shot, and as bold as a lion. He would rather meet a bear than a deer any time, and would not change his course to avoid any beast that infested the woods. One day after a fruitless hunt of several hours he came suddenly on a monster black bear and instantly drew up his heavy rifle and fired. Bruin fell as if dead, hut Minter had caution and experience enough not to approach a wounded animal until his weapon had been reloaded. After ramming another ball home he advanced to his game, and game it was indeed; the skull had been but slightly fractured between the ears, which had only stunned the animal, and as Minterjtouched him with the toe of his boot the bear reared into position to give him a hug. Minter drew back suddenly and placed the muzzle of his gun close to his adversary’s heaß, ftred again, this time making only a flesh wound in the neck, which enraged the animal to his wildest fury. The hunter clubbed his gun and laid it over the bear with all of his power, but this was soon hurled from his grasp; his hatchet came next, and this was forced from his hands and the bear was upon him. As a last weapon he drew his broad hunting-knife from his belt and undertook to stab his terrible foe, but this was forced from him by the bear’s powerful paw, as had been the implements of warfare before; he was left with nothing but his hands to contend with this enraged monster. Bruin clasped him in his vice-like embrace, and both rolled to the ground. A fearful struggle then ensued between the combatants; one ruled by unvarying instincts and the other guided by the dictates of reason. The former depended wholly upon hugging his adversary to death, while the latter aimed at presenting his body in such positions as would best enable him to withstand the vise-like squeeze till he could loosen the grasp. Minter was about six feet in height, possessing large bones and well-devei-oped muscles, and, being! prouerly proportioned, was very athletic. The woods were open and clear of underbrush, and in their struggles they rolled irf every direction. Several times Minter thought the severity of the hug would finish him; but by choking the bear he would compel him to release his hold to knock off his hands, when he would recover his breath and gain a better position. After . maintaining the contest in this way several hours they, happily for him, rolled back nearly where the knife lay, which inspired him with buoyant hope, but he had to make many ineffectual efforts before he could tumble the bear within reach of it. Having finally recovered it, he stabbed the bear at every chance till he at last bled to death, only relaxing his hold when life became extinct. The hunter attempted to get up, but was too much exhausted, and, crawling to a log, against which he leaned, his heart sickened as he contemplated the scene. Not a rag was left on him, and over his back, arms and legs his flesh was lacerated to the bones by the claws of the bear. By crawling and walking he reached home some time in the night, with no other covering than a gore of blood from head to foot. His friends, who went out next morning to survey the ground and bring in the trophy, said the surface was tom up by them over a space of at least half an acre. Jack Minter recovered, but he carried with him the cicatrices and welts, some of which were more than a quarter of an inch thick, till the day of his death.— House and Garden.