Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-06-30
Catching a "GriaaIy.1


Most Of the ratines about the foot Of
the California Mountains are the habitat
Of bears of almost every variety, aud Id the
latter part Of the year 1853 the few set
tiers in TuoIumnet Calaverous, Marib0sa,
| aud San Joaquin counties, California, he.
came unpleasantly aware of the presence
in their vicinity Of more than they had itime.
date occasion for The hunters who set
forth on the task of these Unwelcome
neighbors, by the gentle arguments Of rife
ball aud keen long khife to abdirate III
their favor, aid TO remove to some other
aud more dSstaat dominion, met with much
success aud got decidedly the best of the
argument with the Grizzlies. Many of
the latter sOccumbed to the moral shasion
Of the rife, and their skins changed own
ers Others retreated and left the hunters
masters Of Of the field In the course of
their work the men frequently saw one
bear, distinguished above all his fellows
for hugeness aid ferocity, and though this
particular animal was seen at short inter-
yals for more than year, no hardy hunter
had yet cared to venture near enough to
administer certain leaden quietus. In
the course of months, the Grizzly" became
well known by sight 10 several, aud by rep.
utatioD to many, and many was the shot
thrown away upon his tough hide, no bull
let being fortunate enough to find a vulner-
able point So well protected was the life
of the ''big Grizzly by thick hide and
shaggy hair, that he was entirely unhurt
after a shooting acquaintance of fifteen
months with bis cO-inhabi bitants, the whites
In due course of time the fame of the grim
and grizzly quadruped reached the coast,
and he was talked of in the cities of the
Pacific shore. The mau most interested of
all in the four-lcgged hero, was one j. G.
Adams. OF San Francisco, the proprietor
of large menagerie man mighty as
hunter, aud famed as tanner Of iutracta-
ble wild beasts The stories of the uu.
usual size of the Tuolumue bear and the
difficulty the local hunters found in dealing
with him raised the ambitious enthusiasm
Of the animal tanner to so high pitch,
that he determined to organize party to
pursue the big grizzly with the determi.
nation not TO kill him, but to accomplish
the infinitely more difficult undertaking Of
capturing him alive.
In February, 1854, Mr.. J. G. Adams,
accompanied only by one Indian and boy,
set out on their journey. Their first care
on reaching the hunting ground was to an
nounce their business, and request such
other hunters as might fall in with the ur-
sine gentleman of whom they were in search,
not to shoot him, but to mercfnlIy save his
life. The whole country was soon arprised
of the intent of the hunting party, aud
hencefOrth the life of Mr. Grizzly was as
sacred Is If be had been white elephant
in his owG dominons. . ...r.
In short time they discovered spot
which seemed to be, more than any other
a fdvorite haunt of their expected captive
a narrow ravine in tie eastern edge Of Tuo
lnmne county, at the foot of the Sierra Ne
vada Mountains, on the head waters Of the
Tuolumne River Here trap was made
in the following substantial manner A
log house constructed, fourteen feet square
on the inside, and fourteen feet high-the
logs of which it was built, were each from
| ten to twelve inches thick, all hewed smooth
on the inside, and strongly dove,taied to-
gether at the corners-huge heavy logs
were piled on the top, that the trap might
not be overturned--an opening eight feet
square was left for the bear TO enter, whict
opening was to be securely closed by a slid
ing door, arranged with spring to descend
whenever the bait was meddled with--tht
whole of the inside of the trap was lineG
with smooth sheet-iron closely nailed down
that the feet and claws Of the animal nigh
be at fault when he endeavored, as he Ger
: tninIy would, to dig and gnaw his wa! ont
The bait was live deer, and there was
one constantly in the trap night and day
from the dHy of it's construction till the cap
ture was achieved, period of more than
seten months. This deer was one of the
0 wild species, lassoed for this purpose, and
0 fed aud watered regularly by man who
D was detailed 20 watch the trap. The whole
duty of standing in trap to be eaten wa
by no means done by one animal. freqnen
changes being made as will soon appear
, The trap being ready for service, the ei
forts of The party were then devoted t
the iuveigling Of the shaggy monster
, There was but one way to accomplish thi
he was TO he fed or baited in the vicinit
of the trap, until be became accustomed t
! frequent the spot in search Of food, whe
! he might eventually be enticed iuto the lark
! ing snare. The mode of proceeding wa
\ in this wise. The party would occasional
! discover the track of their bear, and wouI,
! then lead bullock about in various direC
: tions, crossing aud recrossing the track
Z aud thoroughly beating up the ground nea
: where Lis bearShip was lying. The bnl
2 lock would then be turned loose near th'
= trap, the hunters retire, aud in a shor
: time the bear, having caught the scent OF
: = the bait, would come forth aud make shor
= = work of the l,fated bull Many a tim
: 2 the party could have easily have shot him
2 had that been their object. But although
. . old Grizzly in the course of seven month:
2 2 devoured nearly thirty bullocks, he ha
D still kept out Of the trap. He made bu
IS a single meal from each animal, always r.
fusing to touch carcass he had once lef
lie had now become so accustomed to frt
q quent the spot that the hopes of his pu
= suers grew daily more bright. At last. on
hungry day in September, 1854, the ol
n Grizzly walked straight into the fatal pei
\ paid his particular respects to the unhapp
animal therein confined, aud 10 an instaI