Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1890-07-13
source date: 1890
availability: public-domain

Science Vs* Brute Hugh Love’s Great Bear Fight From the Kingston Shaft. In February, 1881, a meeting of miners was called for the purpose of laying out a town. James Smith gave up his claim to the ranch. The site was surveyed and platted by Trumbor & Beebe. Lots were distributed and building commenced. Considerable discussion ensued as to what would be the best name for the town, some wanting Chloride, others the original name, Pyrites. Chloride was considered by the majority as being the most suggestive and con- sequently was adopted. During the month of May, 1881, Hugh Love had one of the most thrilling and desperate en- counters with a bear that ever man had and live to narrate it. It is one instant where facts are stranger than fiction. There are many liv- ing witnesses to the truth of the circumstances.

g the month of May, 1881, Hugh Love had one of the most thrilling and desperate en- counters with a bear that ever man had and live to narrate it. It is one instant where facts are stranger than fiction. There are many liv- ing witnesses to the truth of the circumstances. Hugh was an old soldier, a veteran of the celebrated Pennsylvania Roundhead regiment, the 100th Pennsylvania Volunteers, participat- ing in the Burnside campaign in North Carolina in 1861 and 1862, in the campaign in Virginia in the fall of 1864 which ended so disastrously at Fredericksburg. In 1863 with the 9th corps he went to Vicksburg and from there to Ten- nessee and was in the seige at Knoxville. In 1864 he returned with the 9th corps to Virginia and participated in the campaign of Grant in 1863 and 1865. He distinguished himself at the battle of the Wilderness on the 6th day of May 1864, and for this Edwin M. Stanton, the great war secretary, offered him a lieutenancy in a colored regiment, but which he declined, preferring to stay with the Roundheads. Hugh was a perfect specimen of physical manhood standing 6 ft. 2 inches in his stocking feet. He had served several years on the police ( 21 )force in St. Louis and patrolled one of the hardest beats in the city. He was prospecting in the upper part of the range west of Chloride on the side of a mountain.

al manhood standing 6 ft. 2 inches in his stocking feet. He had served several years on the police ( 21 )force in St. Louis and patrolled one of the hardest beats in the city. He was prospecting in the upper part of the range west of Chloride on the side of a mountain. Having occasion to stop a few minutes he placed his Winchester by the side of a tree and hung his belt contain- ing his revolver and hunting knife on a limb. He stepped a few paces further to an open space, and while there he heard a crashing of the brush above him. On turning suddenly he was confronted by an angry she bear which was almost upon him. He had no chance to escape, nor time to get his gun. He braced himself for the shock, and as the infuriated animal was about to close in on him, planted a powerful blow squarely on the end of her nose. She rose to her haunches and he, fearful that she would use her claws on him, grabbed her around the body with a counter hug. The next moment they were both rolling down the steep incline and over a cliff 10 or 12 feet high. Hugh for- tunately landed on top and as the fall broke the clinch they both scrambled to their feet.

use her claws on him, grabbed her around the body with a counter hug. The next moment they were both rolling down the steep incline and over a cliff 10 or 12 feet high. Hugh for- tunately landed on top and as the fall broke the clinch they both scrambled to their feet. She rose for another hug but only succeeded in getting his left hand in her mouth, when he met her with a stinging blow on her nose which knocked her down and released his hand but not until it had been stripped of its flesh. The next round she knocked him down, severely lacerating his shoulder. Six rounds they fought without either getting any decided advantage. He soon found that her nose was the most vul- nerable part, and well directed blows on that organ kept her from getting close enough to take him in her embrace. She warded off the blows and struck as skillfully as a professional of the pugilistic art. Out of 5 rounds Hugh had only scored two knock downs while the bear had three. With the sixth and last he felled her so that her head hung over a narrow ledge under which was a large mass of slide rock. He jumped on her with both knees grabbing her by the neck with one hand and the tail with the other, tried to force her over. She man- aged to get her head around and caught him by the knee.

r head hung over a narrow ledge under which was a large mass of slide rock. He jumped on her with both knees grabbing her by the neck with one hand and the tail with the other, tried to force her over. She man- aged to get her head around and caught him by the knee. In wrenching his knee loose, his hand slipped from her neck and she caught it. They had struggled until they were just balanced on the edge of the cliff. Hugh had all this time retained his death grip on the bear’s tail, now saw that he controlled the balance of power, easily turned her over into the loose rock at the foot of the cliff. climb back, but the slide rock gave way under her, giving Hugh time to get his gun and send a ball through her brain. He sank back bleed- ing and exhausted, lacerated and bruised from head to foot, his left arm useless and entirely denuded of flesh and not enough clothing left on him to even dress his hand. His companion hearing the shot came over to see what occa- sioned it, found him and assisted him to town, where his wounds were dressed. Hugh was never the same man after the encounter, and seldom mentioned it to any one. He gradually declined in health and died at St. Vincent’s hospital, Santa Fe, the summer of 1885.

what occa- sioned it, found him and assisted him to town, where his wounds were dressed. Hugh was never the same man after the encounter, and seldom mentioned it to any one. He gradually declined in health and died at St. Vincent’s hospital, Santa Fe, the summer of 1885. From the New Mexican we learn the par- ticulars of the latest crime proved on an in- famous character, who has been an inmate of nearly every jail and pen of New Mexico. In May, of last year, a woman of ill repute was found dead in one of the back alleys of Juarez, under suspicious circumstances, and C. B. Wal- ters, a saloon keeper, J. R. O’Laughlin and another man named Bothwell, were arrested, charged with killing the woman. It was proven that the woman had been in Walter’s saloon the night before, and other witnesses testified to seeing two of the accused carrying a human body into the alley where the body was found. Eleven months was spent in taking testimony, and on Wednesday the trial of the men termi- nated. Walters was sentenced to be shot, O’Laughlin to ten years servitude, while Both- well was acquitted. O’Laughlin is no less the personage than the ex-convict Red, known all over New Mexico for various crimes and shady practices. He writes a long letter to the El Paso Times, declaring his innocence and charging that the local Mexican authorities brought about conviction simply because they were instructed to do so by the officials at the capital of the republic.

for various crimes and shady practices. He writes a long letter to the El Paso Times, declaring his innocence and charging that the local Mexican authorities brought about conviction simply because they were instructed to do so by the officials at the capital of the republic. It became our painful duty to notice the death of Captain Isaac B. Halsey, of Rociado, an honest and virtuous ranchman, whose death occurred in a very sudden and unexplicable manner. Capt. Halsey went away from his home on Tuesday of last week, nobody know- ing his whereabouts, until Friday afternoon, when he was found dead in the vicinity of his ranch. There were no marks of violence on his body, so it is difficult to solve the cause of his untimely death. — Mora Gazette. ( 22 ) GRANT COUNTY COURTHOUSE 1884-1930 — Located at the west end of Broad- way on what is now the courthouse lawn. The picture was taken about 1900. The people and the horse are unidentified. The .jail was in the basement. This was the second courthouse in Silver City, the first was on Hudson St. and later became the Ladies’ Hospital. — Courtesy B. E. Pierce.

s now the courthouse lawn. The picture was taken about 1900. The people and the horse are unidentified. The .jail was in the basement. This was the second courthouse in Silver City, the first was on Hudson St. and later became the Ladies’ Hospital. — Courtesy B. E. Pierce. SILVER CITY METHODIST CHURCH taken by the pastor of the church from 1888-94, the Rev. B. E. Pierce. It was located at the northwest corner of Broadway and Bayard streets. The hopse at the rear of the church is still standing and in good repair, being at present the offices of Joseph W. Hodges, Attorney. — Picture courtesy R. E. Pierce. g .be M >s G O -+— > CJ ■'M g X EH co •+-> <L> G in -M CO .G G G >H Gd G Gd Ph G ■' 1 "3 PQ «fH o Ph g G eH o o H-3 CO g is G -S-H Ph o G 0) G Gd G H-> G O o CO G pH Ph G Gd G H-> G Ph g a o G g G G CD > G G O H-> IS co co d G g g G P£h Ph O fa O) O) CO O) Ph O -t-> CO >> Ph G O o Ph CO Gd 03 G Ph X O • f— I G £ Ph O o G G O p4 G d PP G Gd CD is o Gd c a> G G G CD Ph G H-> o ’a G G 'is bJO • I— H rH-c H-> Ph G G GH CO CO O H-> H-J o . G G 'pH G m CO bo is s • G G o >“T> G CO CO <D s c$ Ph G G Ph 'g G CO G H-J +-> c C O H-H CO 0) <D G X G G G (—4 Gd h-h G S-i G 2 CO H-> G 'a 25 G Ph G £ CO t>0 G Gd G Ph G £ -a Ph G G G G C .bo 5: 2 G G

h G G GH CO CO O H-> H-J o . G G 'pH G m CO bo is s • G G o >“T> G CO CO <D s c$ Ph G G Ph 'g G CO G H-J +-> c C O H-H CO 0) <D G X G G G (—4 Gd h-h G S-i G 2 CO H-> G 'a 25 G Ph G £ CO t>0 G Gd G Ph G £ -a Ph G G G G C .bo 5: 2 G G Murder At Pinos Altos One Lucy Small, a daughter of Catrino Baldonado, of Central City, shot Edward Foun- tain, son of Col. A. J. Fountain, of Las Cruces, on last Sunday morning between three and four o’clock. The circumstances which led to the killing are about as follows. Fountain, on the night in question, was at the house of Lucy, and during the evening several bottles of beer had been disposed of, and during the possible mellowness which followed, a quarrel ensued in which Lucy asserts that Fountain called her vile names. He then left the house and Lucy followed him to the door, and wishing to scare him, fired the shot which proved fatal in a few hours. The deceased for some time had been employed on the Kleptomania mine and won the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. The remains were shipped to Las Cruces on Monday last for interment.

o scare him, fired the shot which proved fatal in a few hours. The deceased for some time had been employed on the Kleptomania mine and won the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. The remains were shipped to Las Cruces on Monday last for interment. Four hundred acres of alfalfa is what the boys call “a whole lot,” and that is the amount that Charley Springer is harvesting this year. The estimated tonnage is 2,000, and is worth $10 per ton in the stack, to fatten beef cattle. — Stockman. A band of camels, numbering thirty-five, were seen a few days ago, near Harrisburgh, A. T. — Sentinel. The above represents but a portion of the increase from those turned loose by the government thirty years ago.