Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-05-11
TWO BEAR STORIES.

! And she ended her beautiful day.
TWO BEAR STORIES.
A Californian is winning much atten-
tiou from the wonder-lOving, sightseeing
New orkers, by bis "happy family" of
one hundred and fifty animals and birds,
including seventeen dancing and perform
ing bears. These all are SAID to be of bis
own capture. The Catalogue" includes
bears, buffaloes, lions, tigers, cougars,
wolves, elks, goats, foxes, eagles, pelicans,
ostriches, moon faced owls, &c. We copy
from the "City Items" of the New HOrk;
Tribune, some passages i'll the "memOlrs"
Of two noted bears and their master.
How they Caught "Samson."
Most of the Ravines about the foot Of
the California Mountains are the habitat
of bears of almost every variety. In the
latter part of the year 1858, the few set
tiers 10 Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mariposa,
and San Joaquin counties, became unpeas-
antly aware of the presence in their vicini-
ty of more bears than they had immediate
occasion for. The hunters, who set forth
on the task of fpersuadiug these unweIcome
peighbors, BY the gentle arguments of
rife ball aud keen long knife, to abdicate
in their favor, and to remove to some 9th
or and more distant dominion, met with
much success and got decidedly the best
of the argument with the Grizzlies. In
the course of their work the men frequent.
ly saw one bear, distinguished above all
bis fellows for hugeness and ferocity, and
though this particular animal was seen At
short intervals for more than a year, no
hardy hunter had yet cared to venture
near enough to administer certain leaden
quietus. In the course of months, the
"big Grizzly" became well known BY sight
to several, and by reputation to more, and
many was the shot thrown away upon his
tough hide, no bullet being fortunate
enough to find . vulnerable point. In
due course of time the fame of the grim
and grizzly quadruped reached the coast,
and be was talked of in the cities of the
Pacific shore. The man most interested
of all in the four-legged hero, was j. c.
Adams, Of San Francisco, the proprietor
OF large menagerie, man mighty as
hunter, and famed as q tanner Of intracta-
bic wild beasts.
In February, 1854, Mr.. Adams, accom-.
panied only by one Indian and boy, set
out on their journey. Their first care, on
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 we're in
search, not to shoot him, but to mercifully
spare bis life.
In a short time they discovered spot
which seemed to be, more than any other,
. favorite haunt of their expected captive
a narrow rsvine, in the eastern edge of
ruolumne county, at the foot of the Sier-
a Nevada Mountains, on the headwsters
f the Tuolumne river. Here a trap was
made, in the following substantial manner:
l log house was constructed, fourteen
eet square Oh the inside, and fourteen
eet high-the logs Of which it was built,
1ere each from ten to twelve inches thick,
II hewed smooth on the inside, and s
trongly dovetailed together at the corners c
huge heavy logs we're piled on the top,
bat the trap might not be overturned r
D opening eight feet square was left for i
be bear to enter, which opening was to be 7
,curely closed BY sliding door, arranged
ith . spring to descend whenever the
.it Was meddled with-the whole of the =
lside Of the trap lined with smooth sheet .
on closely nailed down, that the feet and :.
avs of the animal might be At fault when =
. sndesvored, As be certainly would, 20
q and gnaw his way out. The bait was :,
live deer, aud there was one constantly =,
the trap, night and day, from the day !,
it, construction till the capture vas +,
hievsd, . period Of moro than seuen Il
onths. This deer Was one Of the wild o
ecies, lassoed for this purpose, and fed v
ID wsssrsd regularly BY . man who vas
tailed to watch the trap. Tho whole D
,tv ~ atsh6inn in n frsn IA be Aaten. Vea e.