Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-11-17

OF four lassOes on him, the horses arching their
necks and snoring with pride, walk away with
The savage animal, which is rearing, plunging &
growing. Each motion from the direction in
which il is the intention Of bis captou 10 carry
him Is checked by the horseman, on the oppo.
site side; and il the intention is not 10 kill him
at once, out to make him fast alive, for Ihe pur.
pose Of batting him next day with bull, then
the most dangerous pau Of the business has yet
to be performed, which is that Of making the
bear fast alive, in such a manner as is least like.
to injure him or affect his agility for the ensu.
ing combat with his savage antagonist.
When il is the intention TO keep the bear alive
for the purpose of baiIing him, they take him as
near TO an oak or some Other sturdy tree as they
can we'll get him-lhen Two horsemen try 10 get
their lassOss over his head and one arm, and
other Two lasso each one leg. These latter
hOrsemen then drag the bear, going on opposite
sides Of the tree, until they get his afisr paris
close up 10 the tree, with leg on each side of
liz.
All four horsemen now kept tight strain with
three turns round the loggerheAd Of each saddle,
turning their horses so as to face the bear and
hold back, position which all the Californian
horses are we'll accustomed TO, and which they
hold the greatest strain. There must now be a
man on foot, who takes good strong lasso, and
makes one end fast to one of the bears legs,
just above the ancle, in such a manner that it
will not jam or draw tight around the leg. He
then leads the same asso to the other leg, and
makes il fast after the same manner, and so
keeps on from leg to leg until he has eight or ten
turns. He then takes the lassoes which the two
hinder horsemen have fast 10 the bears legs,
and cast them loose. The bear being well Sc
cured, with the tree behind his legs, and the las.
so behind the tree, the forward lassoes are ia.
ken off by Stacking them with long poles, push
ing the sliding paris with the ends of these poles.
This is dangerous piece OF work, and the las
soes are sometimes left on the bear. When this
is the case, he invariably laks them off himself,
though they are seldom Of any service after
ward, on account Of their being generally bitten
to pieces.
The bear is now left with all his body per.
fcclly free, so that he can move round and round
the tree. Care is always taken not to irriIale
him unnecessarily, because it often happens that
these lerocous animals die with rage; and some
times water is thrown on him TO ireshen him
though, as this is someToube, and consequent
y contrary to the inclnaIons Of this people, it
is seldom done.
This method Of hunting the bear is one of
the noblesI diversions with which am acquain.
ted. There is no cruelty annexed to it, so far
as the catching is concerned. The cruelty
consists in the batting the animal, Of which
shall give a description hereafter; but there is
something extraordinary grand in this exercise,
which requires courage, skill and activity. 1t
requires an extraordinary degree Of courage
for a man TO ride up beside savage monster
like the grisy bear Of this country, which is
nearlyas active as monkey, and whose strength
is enormous. Should a lasso happen to break,
which is often the case, the bear invariably at.
tacks the horss and It requires very often the
most skilIru hsrsemanship TO prevent the horse
or its rider from being injured. It requires also
great skill 10 know when TO tighten the lasso,
aud to what degree, to prevent it from being
snapped by too sudden strain. The lider
must have his eye constantly on that Of the
bear, and watch his every motion.
Sometimes, either through fear, carelessness
or inadverlence, a man may letgo his lasso. Ia
this case, another if the bear takes off, which
he is likely to do. will 60 as hard as his horse
can run, and without stopping his speed, will
stoop from his saddle and pick the end of the
asso from the ground and taking two or three
turns round the loggerhead of his saddle and
checking his horses rem, again de'an the bear
In short, from the moment a person arrives at
the spot fixed upon to lay wait for The bears
coming TO the bait, until he is fast TO tree or
killed. he feels himself eloted. Every motion
of those noble animals, the horses, which seem
Il J,nhl,, nrouI ,uhan thou
feel the strain of the asso from the saddle, and
appear to take as much delight in the sport as
the riders themselves is grand beyond my pow
er Of description.
have dwell at length on this subject, be-
cause it surpasses every thing of the kind on
horseback that ever either saw or read or heard
tell of.
In night skGrmish the assO is dangerous
article. A Californian will asso n man and
drag him off his horse and choke him in one
minute; and without getting off his horse, he
will take his lasso off The neck of his vanquish-
cd foe, and in TWO minutes will be prepared for
another. | have seen man do this when
fighting The wild Indians; and man pursued
by two others with brace Of pistols each,
would stand Il better chance of saving his life,
than man pursued by one Californian within
Iassong distance; because the parry pursued by
those with the pistols might possibly dogde and
destroy the aim Of pursuers, but he who should
be pursued by the Californian with his Ias'o
ouId have no means to escape, because the las
so were thrown at any thing that is running, is
as true in the hands of Californian as a rifle
ball from good markman's steady aim.
w. G.
Death of Gen. kcarney.
He died on Tuesday last 3lst October, after