Tales and Items of Interest THE LAST BEAR IN MARSHFIELD BEAR HUNT ON THE ST. PETER'S ROAD To the Editor of the Examiner. Sin - Rumors of a Bear being amongst us have been current for some time past, which received tangible confirmation by the slaughter of certain sheep and lambs on the farms of Mr. Alexander Stewart and others. Being disturbed in that direction, Bruin shifted his quarters to the farm of R. P. Haythorne , Esqr., where on Thursday night last, he destroyed five sheep and a lamb. Measures were immediately adopted for a general hunt; and on the same afternoon between thirty and forty persons, resident in the neighborhood, met at St. Cuthbert's Mills for that purpose. The hunt was joined by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and Mr. Atkinson , and by several gentlemen from Charlottetown . After a long and tedious search, the bear was at length started [sic] on the western side of Gough's Creek, and fired at without success. He re-crossed the creek and in an incredibly short space of time had crossed the St. Peter 's Road, in the vicinity of the Marshfield School House , where he was headed by Mr. Alexander Robertson and his sons and some others. The fatal shot was fired near the schoolhouse by Mr. James Wyatt . The animal proved to be a full grown male, of enormous dimensions, and was estimated by experienced judges to weigh not less than 300 lbs. The skin, it was unanimously voted by the assembled hunters, should be presented to His Excellency. Your obedient servant, R. P. HAYTHORNE . Marshfield , July 20th 1863. P.S .—It is about twenty-five years since the last bear was shot in this settlement by Mr. Malcolm Forbes . The foregoing article was printed in the Examiner dated July 27, 1863. The article refers to the same bear that William Irving Thompson commemorates in his poem, "The Bear Hunt in Marshfield ." Stories of Bears Very many of the stories told of bears in the early days need to be taken with a grain of salt. The story has persisted until the present day of a woman being killed by a bear on the north side of the in the vicinity of what is now known as French Fort . Also that a bear chased Peter Scott , the first Scott to settle there, when returning from his old home at North River with a bag of barley meal on his back. Mr. Scott seems to have gotten such a fright that the shouts he made frightened the bear away. (An excerpt from the article " Old Times South of the Hillsboro" by Ludlow Jenkins as printed in the Guardian of April 29, 1938.) Ursus americanus Pallas, the Black bear. K. Hamilton Gilwon , (A* WnotUOm) The Island Magazine, Number 22 One story which has been told and retold for many years is of a great bear hunt. A huge bear was reported as seen near the school. A search was organized and, after many days of hunting, the bear was finally shot, skinned and the pelt presented to the Governor . So popular was this story, that a long poem on the subject was written by a local resident and makes interesting reading today. (From the History of Marshfield compiled in 1973.) The Bear Hunt in Marshfield Once there was a bear That left his native liar,- His peaceful happy home- In foreign parts to roam. And of the why or cause He broke through nature's laws, -7*1-