with one team, all our household furniture, and with another, lumber enough for part of a floor. With but part of a floor made of boards loosely thrown down, with blankets for doors and windows, we took possession, as rich and happy as at any other period of my life, which has been protracted to nearly 77 years. Here, I made an opening into the forest that in a little time gave rich returns of the products of the soil. I resided in Farmington until the spring of 1841, when I removed to the city of Detroit, renting my farm. One great object I had in view, in going to Detroit, was for better opportunities of schooling for my children; another was to enlarge my own knowledge of medicine. Here I became acquainted with Dr. S. H. Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine, which was an introduction to an entirely new field of practical medicine. Though what I consider paramount duties have led me to discontinue the practice of medicine, I feel a pleasure in being numbered among those who helped to introduce the practice of Homeopathy. After practicing in Pontiac a short time I gave up my place to Dr. Walker, who I think is still there.

I had for years been professedly engaged in the Christian ministry, and in my heart was in love with it, notwithstanding the privations and sacrifices to which I was called; I could not content myself to neglect that, as I must if I continued the practice of medicine in Pontiac. I settled on my farm, and for the second time received a call from a small Baptist church, which I acccepted, not for filthy lucre, for the prospect was very small in that direction.

In the winter of 1849 I received a pressing invitation from Baptist members in the north part of Clinton county to visit and settle with them. I made the visit, held some meetings, and finally made a conditional bargain to exchange homes. The man came with his wife to look at my home, said it answered the description, and we traded. I arrived at my new home with my family and effects March 2, 1849. Here I remained, clearing some and setting out fruit trees. Some time in 1852 or 1853 the company of the Detroit and Milwaukee R. R. surveyed different lines for their road, and finally established their route where it now runs. In the meantime Hon. J. Swegles, ex-Auditor General, was keeping his eye upon their movements, and doubtless had influence with the commissioners to bring it just where it is, and the moment he saw the stake put down for the site of the depot, he was ready with his corps of surveyors. Commencing at the stake, he first laid out Clinton avenue, from that we laid off the different blocks, and subdivided then into lots. I carried one end of the chain to lay out the first plat.

A stock company composed the company that had secured the land, Hon. J. Swegles, Mead, Esq., and two others who lived in Detroit, but Mr. Swegles was most active in working it up. Inhabitants began to crowd in, and our friends began to agitate the question of a name. Swegles, Sturgis, Mead, and the writer were present. Several names were proposed. One proposed Richmond, another Sweglesville, yet another proposed Johnsville. I said, "Call it St. Johns." Swegles replied, "For some reasons I should be in favor of St. Johns;" saying, "Amen, St. Johns let it be." and thus the child was christened, and thus the name remains to this day.

AN EXCITING BEAR HUNT.

BY HENRY A. SMITH, OF GREENBUSH, CLINTON COUNTY.

[Read at the Annual Meeting of the State Society, Feb. 2, 1876, by Wm. Besley, of Clinton.]

In the fall of 1849 I commenced living in a log cabin in the woods with no neighbors on the north but Indians, and on the east, west, and south the white people were few and far between. My wife owned a cow that we brought from Ohio with us. My property consisted of an ax, a gun, an iron wedge, and 12 cents., and I owed for the lumber for my cabin. No supplies for the winter, wages fifty cents a day, and no one wished to hire. I need not relate all the particulars of my situation, even if it were possible. My brother pioneers will appreciate the ups and downs to which we were subjected. My ax, wedge, and gun were the working tools of my profession. Time wore on till the fall of 1856. In those years a few other settlers had come around us. In that fall I still owed fifty dollars. After having secured my little products for the winter, I took a job of chopping, and immediately commenced upon it. I very soon discovered indications of bears. This excited my curiosity; and now allow me to relate the experience of one afternoon.

After eating my frugal dinner I buckled on my armor, which consisted of bullet pouch, powder horn, butcher knife, and an old Lancaster rifle. Accompanied by a little black dog, I started for a cedar swamp about three miles distant. Advancing a short distance into the swamp, I was surprised to hear a tremendous floundering in a cedar top lying on the ground by my side. In the twinkle of an eye I saw it was a large bear. Throwing my gun to my shoulder in the act of pulling the trigger, I found the dog in range of the bear, which made me cringe so that I missed both dog and bear. The next moment I was vexed to hear them rushing through the swamp with a great noise. When the dog came back I applied enough of the oil of whip so that afterwards he gave me the first chance.

Again we started. After going about half a mile to the north side of the swamp, open woods commenced. Away on an oak ridge I saw another bear coming towards me, so I planted my feet square on the ground and prepared for his reception. On he came, and when within a proper distance I gave a sharp whistle. He stopped, and I drew a bead, aiming at his vitals. The ball took effect, and away he ran towards the east. Sending the dog in pursuit, before I had reloaded my gun I heard the dog overtake him, and I directly knew the bear was in trouble. I started on the run, and had not gone many rods when lo! another big bear was directly before me, making north towards Maple river, I hailed him. He heeded me not, except to give me a saucy look. Thinks I, we will see what virtue there is in lead. Between me and the bear was a large log lying parallel with the course the bear was taking. By the time he appeared again I confess I had the bear ague. Never having had it before I did not know very well how to manage it. I had had the buck ague. My remedy for that was chewing my tongue, but that failed to relieve this case, so I fired on him, taking the best aim I could under the circumstances. It had the effect to quicken his pace, and he soon disappeared. I began to run and to reload. I could easily follow his trail in the burnt leaves, now and then lending an ear to the exciting tones of my faithful dog.

This was the smoky fall. There were many fires, and these woods were mostly burned over. I soon came in sight of my enemy again, discharging my rifle, which again renewed his pace. This performance was three times repeated, when the programme changed. The bear wheeled about, facing me, and such ugly snarls I had not been used to hearing. Before this I often wished I could have a brush with Bruin. I now had my chance. When near me, the dog ran past me, the two met, and then I saw fun. Sometimes the dog was after the bear, and then the bear would be after the dog.

The fever raged in my brain so I scarcely knew whether I was on my head or my feet. I shook so I could not load my gun. Soon the two were out of sight on the other side of a fallen log, but I could hear the enraged bear. As I ran up to the log, I saw the dog hanging to a hind foot of the beast. The dog getting entangled in the brush so as to lose his hold, I sang out, "Take him, Cuff!" The dog seized him by the side of the head, and quick as a flash the dog was whirled ten feet in the air, but did not appear to be hurt,-seized him again, and in an instant my little dog was lost to sight, the bear having him in a close embrace. Then was my time, and seizing my gun by the muzzle, I made my dash. Reserving my blow from the gun, I gave the bear a hard blow from my boot, which instantly brought him to face me, with form erect on his hind feet, with his head higher than mine, so I had to look up. Now came the blow with the gun, hitting him angling across the face, the breech bounding against a tree some twenty feet away. The bear tumbled over on his back. Now for my knife. Horror of horrors! It was gone! All in a flutter I looked for it, and found it not! The bear again on his feet, I sprang to repeat the blow. A limb overhead entangled my weapon, so I missed my aim. Seizing the bear by the back of the neck to strike him with the other hand was about the last I knew just then, for something hit me over the right eye which sent me whirling against the root of a tree, and bouncing forward on my face, could not see very well, but the next moment a sight met me that froze me! From such a sight may I be forever delivered; for, within a foot of my head, with mouth distended, was the enraged bear! Throwing up my right hand, he caught me by the wrist, dragging me on my breast through the ashes, nearly putting my eyes out with froth and blood that he snorted in my face. He sprang to grasp me in his paws.

Here let me pause, and say that at that moment my soul was stung with the thought that I must leave wife and children, dearer than all else beside, even life itself. Death, in all its terrors, stared me in the face; and such a death! Ten-fold energy was at that moment given me. All timidity fled. Death or victory! The moment was decisive.

As the bear sprang on me, I seized him by the whiskers with my left hand, which brough me to my feet. Now came the tug of war; from the feet to the knees, and from the knees to the feet were the changes of position for a time. He would try to hold me close enough to poke me under him, so that I would have to put my head to his head and pry with neck to keep from going under. We were pretty evenly matched, but I thought he had a little the best of it on a square pull, and I would gladly have given my right hand to have made my escape. But no quarter on his part. I managed with my left hand to give him a blow which caused him to let go for a new hold. He missed, and I made double quick time, with Bruin close to my coat tails. Full fifteen rods were closely contested, when I broke off a limb and whirled it into his face, which checked his motion. I wheeled, and made for my gun,-I saw the barrel lying

on the ground,—the bear again close upon me. Not realizing the condition of my arm, I failed to grasp it as I passed by. I ran to an old treetop, broke off a dry limb, and gave the bear such a blow as felled him to the ground. I caught hold of the gun, but failed as before. Becoming discouraged with dry limbs, I was bound to fix him next time, if he would give me time to get a weapon. He did not seem inclined to follow me, and while I was preparing for him, he got up and walked slowly away, making a doeful cry. This gave me a chance to recover my gunbarrel. I became the pursuer, and went round so as to meet the bear where he was aiming to cross a fallen log. At this place, I met him with such a blow from the end of my gun-barrel that the iron entered his brain, and we rolled on the ground together. I belabored him till he ceased to kick. Once more I felt free, but not to breathe clearly. I began to feel faint, and soon lost consciousness. At length, I found myself lying on the ground, having lost all idea of latitude. When I started, I tried to keep a straight course, and my good luck led me out to my brother-inlaw's, Lyman Van Sickle's, near where Bridgeville now is. Martha, his wife, met me some twenty rods from the house, under great excitement, for I was barefooted, ragged, and bloody from head to feet. I could only whisper, for my throat was clogged. She gave me Radway's Ready Relief. This cut its way down, and I was soon all right. Soon, Lyman and his brother came in from work, and we all went out and hung up the bear. Found my hat, but my knife I never found. I felt some tired the next day, so I did not look for the other bear, which was not found till it was spoilt.

In a few days I shot another bear. I saved the oil from the two, amounting to thirteen gallons, which I sold to Mr. David Sturgis, who once lived in DeWitt. One bone of my arm was cracked so it was lame all winter, but I finished my job, paid off my debt of fifty dollars, and bought clothes for the winter.

Fellow pioneers, I have given you one of the hardest adventures of my life, one of many that I should have wished to be excused from, but I have been carried through them all. I have raised, with the help of my good wife, who is still spared to me, five children, two of them married; all doing well. Though somewhat broken in health, I still have a wish to hunt every fall to procure some venison. Now, brethren and sisters, who have tasted both the bitter and the sweets of pioneer life, may we eventually meet in a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

CRAWFORD COUNTY.

PROCLAMATION.

And I do, by virtue of the ordinance of Congress of July 13, 1787, lay out that part of the tract of country to which the Indian title has been extinguished, included within the following boundaries, boundaries, namely: bounded on the north by the county of Michilimackinac, on the east by the county of Brown, on the south by the State of Illinois, and on the west by the western boundary of the Territory of Michigan, into a separate county, to be called the county of Crawford.

And I do establish the seat of justice of the said county of Crawford at the village of Prairie du Chien.

Given under my hand at Detroit this 26th day of October, A. D. 1818, and of the independence of the United States the forty-third.

LEW. CASS.

Crawford county is attached to Kalkaska county, of which Kalkaska is the county-seat.

DELTA COUNTY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan:

SECTION 6. All that portion of the State embraced within the following limits shall be laid off as a separate county, to be known and designated as the county of Delta, to wit: Beginning at a point on Lake Michigan south of the line between ranges 12 and 13 west, thence southwardly along the margin of lake to Green bay, thence along the north and west shores of said bay to the Menominee river, thence northwestwardly along the boundary line between Michigan and Wisconsin, to the line between ranges 37 and 38 west, thence east along the north boundary of township 41 to the line between ranges 12 and 13 west, thence south to the point of beginning.

Approved March 9, 1843.

SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That townships numbered 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 north, of range 24 west; towns 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 north, range 23 west; towns 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 north, of range 22 west; towns 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 north, of range 21 west; townships 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 north, of range 20 west; towns 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 north, of range 19 west, including all of Summer Island; towns 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 north, of range 18 west, shall constitute, and are hereby organized into the county of Delta.

SEC. 2. The county-seat for said county shall be located by David Langley, Jr., Peter Murphy, and Thomas J. Streeter, who are appointed commissioners to locate the same.

SEC. 9. All the territory herein described and designated as the county of Delta shall, until organized according to the provisions of this act, remain attached to the county of Mackinaw for judicial, taxable, and other purposes, and nothing in this act shall in any way interfere with the authority of the officers of the county of Mackinaw from collecting the taxes assessed within said county of Delta for the year 1860. Approved March 12, 1861.

DELTA COUNTY.-Named from its partial resemblance in position to the "Delta" at the mouth of the river Nile, in Egypt.

County-seat, Escanaba, a thriving incorporated village.

DUBUQUE COUNTY.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, That all that district of country which was attached to the