Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-11-03
SATURDAY MORNING. NOV. 3, 1860.
Grizzly Adam. and HI. Grizzly samson.


able man in the "yarmint' line. a regular
outcrop OF the wild woods of Maine Adams
was born under pine tree in 1905, and his
mother predicted strong love for wild life
away from the haunts sofcivilization In lsis,
Adams joined the army of gold adventures,
and for ten years passed his time as a " mi-hty
hunter in the forests and among the noun
tains of California He had numerous start
ling adventures with wild beasts, and after
catching and tanning several big bears, etc,
brought them to San Francisco for exhibition,
and subsequently to New York.
"Grizzly Adams was a splended looking
man, with an eye to subdue the large brutes
over which be held such remarkable sway,
almost at a glance. From the entertaining
and exciting book of Z" Grizzly Bear Adams, "
we copy his adventures in the capture of the
huge Grizzly, Samson;
have come now, in the course of my
story, to the capture Of Samson, the largest
specimen of the grizzly species, perhaps, that
ever was captured. | discovered his huge
tracks, among trees, and bushes few days after
my return from Stockton to my mountain
camp. No sooner had seen the prints OF
this magnificent animals paws than l deter
mined to capture him at all hazards and the
next morning, before day, I placed myself
upon the watch, for the purpose of finding
out the locality OF his den, and choosing the
proper spot for trap.
After lying behind a rock for about an
hour and half happening to cast my eyes
down the trail, beheld the monster advanc-
Nc, with his head raised and snufing the
air. / had never seen so large bear betorei
he looked ike moving mountain, and my
heart huttered for fear of being discovered;
but he passed on up the ptvine, and disap-
peared in the chapparrel. had seen enough
for my purpose, but, as a matter Of precau-
ton, remained still for some time after he
had disappeared; and then, getting up, l
chose a spot, which he would certainly pass
in his nightly excursions, and to which there
was fair road for a wagon. The next day
l took the boys and the oxen, and we went
to work telling and hauling logs and in the
course Ofa week finished the largest strong
est and best trap we had ever built
1t was now about the middle of November,
and the rainy season, or what in the monn-
tains is more appropriately called the snowy
season, had setin. The game had adcommeDced
moving down the Sierra, and we killed
various bears, deer, and other game; but for
a week or more we neither heard nor saw
anything of the big bear, and feared that he
had left the region. One morning, however,
when we had nearly despaired OF ever seeing
him again, it was evident that he had not
only visited but actually been in the trap
His tracks were plainly 10 be seen, but for
some unaccoUntable reason or other the trap
had not sprung. The fact of his presence
renewed my almost extinguised hopes, and
Immediately adjusted the trap with the great
est nicely and to make still more sure,
determined to pass the next night within
hearing distance; so that, in case of catching,
| might be certain of securing him. At the
same time, as it was necessary to be particular
and not disturb the trail,-as when disturbed
bears will often leave regiOn,-I erected
small tent about half a mile down the rayine
and about five hundred feet lower in level
than the trap, where Tuolumne and I slept
for tive nights without either provisions or
fire and, as viii be readily imagined, we had
rather comfortless timeof it, and particularly
so as we waited in vain to hear of our expec-
ted visitor.
In the middle Of the third night, however,
l was walked out of sleep by terrific roaring.
It was tho awfulest roaring and echOing in
the mountains ever heard, with the single
exception OF an appalling thunderstorm in
the Humboldt Mountains which occurred the
summer before. jumped up at once and
ran out of the tent to listen what could be the
cause Of the noise, and soon concluded that it
could be nothing else but the bear in my trap.
The night was cold, with slight snow on
the ground, but l called TuOlomne, and we at
once lighted our torches and proceeded to the
trap. As we approached, the bear made
tremendous lunge towards US, and l thought
for a moment that he would burst out; but
the trap was made of the strongest timbers,
and withstood his assaults. We directly built
a rousing FIRE, and then went to work secur-
ing the trap with additional timbers for by
peeping atrthe cracks, we soon satisfied our
selves that our prize was one Of the largest in
the land.
was compelled to watch this trap night
and day for more than week, during which
time Tuolumne brought provisions and water,
and some nights would remain with me-
Daring this time, the bear continued violent /;
be would bite and tear the logs with his teeth
and claws, and frequently made the structure
fairly tremble with his prodigiOus strength
We had sometimes to beat him with an iron
rod, and at others TO throw in irebrands,
which he fought with the same effect that the
viper bit the fle,-to prevent him tearing his
prison to pieces. On the eighth OF ninth day,
however, his spirit weakened, and he appeared
to grow reconciled to his fate. When this
species Of subjugation takes place, there is no
further trouble with a bear until he is re-
moved to a new cage; and then the same pro-
| cess, though not usually so severe, has 10 be
gone through with.
Such was tho manner in which caught the
Samson, whose Weights over fifteen hundred
pounds and whose massive proportions have
| for years been the admiration of all who have
seen him. He was then in his prime, and has
grown none since; the only effect Of con-
fnement and good living has been to make
him lazy and imperious, like a pampered
monarch, and to change his shaggy, coarse,
hair from gray to brown. His strength was
so immense that for a long tins l was com
PEELED to keep him in the trap in which he was
caught, it being dangerous to remove him F.;
/ and when, in the coruse Ofa few weeks, my
/ business called me away to another part Of
the country, / engaged four woodchoppers,
who were at work cutting timber for a min
/ ing hume in the neighborhood, to feed him ;
and it was not until more than a month
afterwards that felt safe in caging and haul
ing him away.