Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-08-06
Adventure with a Grizzly Bear

\ California letter ia the Helena Southern
Shield, ian Arkansas PaPer,) relates ,ho
following adventure of the writer and his
companion, who were out alone hooking for
new Gold diggings -
We travelled the third day until near dark ,
and although We passed number Of raVines
tha, looked as II they contained gold, still ~
pushed on, determined To make all the head.
way possible this day. About sunset, We en.
camPed under the shelter oi large osk tree,
and commenced preparation ior our supper,
which w. cooked aud despatched IN a very
short time, having eat nothing since morning
Having made our bed, We were about lying
down, when my companion, Who had been
looking strldiistly a, the brush for some time
about twenty wards behind us, whispered to
me, There's a grizzly bear IN the brush. q"
At first ! did not believe be- was serious,
thinking tia, he merely wished To see how
would act bu, when turned nv head, ! saw
the reality. There, within twenty yards,
stood huge griuy bear, with ewes like Two
lamps, glaring on US In the mind Of every
miner, one fact with regard to griEIly bear,
Is firmly impressed, that Is, ,hc ,u'y ,al'iy 's
IN climbing tree Flight Is out ol the qucs.
ton, bear can outrun the swifcsi runner
Crossing nScrs .. useless bear will take
To the water like water.spaniel ~ that the
tree, and the tree alone, is the unly security.
Fortunately for us, We were cncampcd on.
der large tree, one of the arms Of which
hung within seven feet of the ground. On
this cast my eve, and telling my companion
to follow, made a spring and surveede,i IN
catching 1t, and twisting my legs on to It. ]
then 70, into the fork, and, turning around,
found the bca. had advanced 10 within ten
yards Of w., and INV companion was swinging
to and fru, unable 10 get his feet up. In
moment was out on the limb again, and
bending down, caugh, him by the trowscrs,
and pulled him up, just a. the bear got 10 the
trre We could easily perceive ,hc rage and
disappointment Of grizzly, when he saw Us
safely seated IN the fork Of the tree. lie
gave a loud growl, and ai'ri walking five or
SIX times round the trunk, .tuod on his hind
legs, and gave II a most terrific hug. While
eating our supper, We had few drops Of raln,
oi which We thought nothing, an It wanted
no more than a month of the rainy scason.-
However, II began To come down now IN tor
rents, and continued ~ for four hour, with
out one fair moment. Our sIiuallor now was
ANYTHING but comfortable, with nothing hut
shirt and truwscrs on, sitting in the fork oi
tree, drrnchcd to the skin, and grizzly bear
waiting for us below. We continued ~ un-
all daylight, when the bear 20, up aud
walked slowly away towards the brush, look
ing back at Us every momen,. At las, he
disappeared, and when We thought we had
given him sufficient time 10 come back II he
intended, wc stole stealthily down the tree,
and having rolled up our blankets, ran for cur
lives, leaving behind US provisions, cooking
u,eusils, and everything except bedding and
small bag Of -four, which grasPed IN my
hand while starting. We continued running
for four hours, until we were certain We were
ou, Of reach Of his bcarshiP, and then had to
lie down from exhaustion. After resting for
some time, we made a fire, and -four being
the only fbvd we had, cooked some dough.
balls over the burning sticks, and washed
them down with water. The second night
we arrived safe a, the " Old Bar" and reg
istercd vow never to 60 prospecting sgain.