Sullivan-Montour-Columbia County PA Archives News.....A BOY BRINGS DOWN A BEAR February 26, 1894
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  File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
  Mildred Gowdy mgowdy@ptd.net November 15, 2008, 6:32 pm
  
  Laporte Republican February 26, 1894
  Bird Smith, of Sullivan County, Shoots a Big Black Specimen.
  
    Bird Smith, aged 18, shot a large black bear in the vicinity of Thornedale on
  Monday noon. Bird was in company with Jeff Mosteller, Z. E. Botsford, and Thomas
  Kohensparger. Smith and Mosteller were placed on run ways and Kohensparger and
  Botsford drove the swamp. Smith heard the brush cracking and saw bruin some
  distance from him. He leveled his gun on an opened spot in the forest in the
  direction the bear was headed for, and when it filled the sights he let'er go.
    The bullet took effect in the left side. The bear gave a fearful groan, took
  two or three steps forward and turned on his back tracks. During this time Bird
  was trying to remove the empty shell from his gun, but was unsuccessful and
  called to his companion, Mosteller, who came to the rescue, and with his
  ramroad, as he used a muzzle-loading gun removed the shell. With this done the
  boys took after the bear and overtook it some fifty rods from where the fatal
  shot was fired. He was moving right along, however, and two more bullets were
  sent into his body. This was enough and bruin succumed and dropped dead on his
  trail.
    While making the drive Kohensparger shot four raccoons. The boys fastened
  their game together and dragged them into Thornedale and from there they were
  brought to Laporte on sleighs. Bird feels very much elated over his good luck. A
  large number of our old hunters have spent much time in the woods in pursuit of
  bear and today they are unable to tell a bear story and slaying of their
  experience. 
  
  
  Additional Comments:
  Jeff Mosteller was the son of Thomas and Susan Jane nee Keeler Masteller.
  
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