Great Read!

Been reading, "Okefinokee Album," by Francis Harper and Delma E. Presley thought I would post a little. Francis Harper spent years starting in 1912 interviewing the Old Swamp Folk that called the place their home. Loads of good stories, folk lore and photographs from a time long gone. Harper died in 72 before he had everything assembled for printing then Mrs. Presley carried on and got it published

Here's a bit about a Tuff Dog!

As told by Ezekiel S. Henderson . 1857-1952

"Reckon I better give you the name of the hunting party to start with. The party was J. W. Mixon, Dump Griffin, Jim Henderson, and myself. And we came to where a bear had killed a hog. We was starting to hunting on Rowell Island. And we had the best ever bear dog and deer dog combined I ever saw. And his name was "Dog." He was half Bull and half Cur -- a big old red eyed dog. Weighed about a hundred and twenty-five pound. Biggest dog I ever see in my life.

"The bear had eat a square mess of the hog and was laying nearby where he'd killed the hog. And the dog run to him. And it was right close to the edge of the swamp about a hundred yards and he went up a Cypress.

"At the root of the cypress grew up those bamboo vines [Smilax] profusely--made a big bulk around it. Just as we got in sight of the cypress, we saw the bear going through the bamboo briar, up the cypress. We discovered he was carrying a dog with him. The dog had him by the ham, and he carried the dog up the tree about forty foot high. We couldn't shoot the bear for hitting the dog. Everybody was looking and hating for the dog to get killed. He was the best dog we had on the hunt.  

"He'd hold the bear's ham and he'd swing off from the tree, trying to jerk the bear off. And after a while his jaw give way, and he had to turn the bear loose.

"And he struck in the bamboo-briar bed and scrambled through it to get to the ground and he never got hurt one bit. But we proceeded to kill the bear. Everybody wouldn't believe a bear story like that unless they'd been through it just like I have.

"Such a tremendous big bear, and such a tremendous dog!

"It was about eighteen hundred an'eighty eight. I don't care if you publish it. It's so. I'm the only eye-witness living to the bear carrying the dog up the tree. The worst looking dog you ever saw in your life. Look like he could whip a lion. Aw, he was severe!"