Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-11-10
The Grizzly Bear,

The Grizzly Bear has been seen as fa,
north aS GIL degrees of latitude, and as far
south as VI xico: its range is confined, on
the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains,
to their spurs and slopes. and the plains
that skirt their bases On the western
side their range extends. wherever the
ground is rocky and mountainous, to lhe
Pacific.
To the northward and eastward of the
Great Salt Lake there is region called
the Barren Lands, or Grounds. and here a
large bear has been found, which was for
long time supposed to be distinct
species called the Barren-grornd Bear: but
this is now almost proved to be the giiz-
zlv bear.
The grizzly bear Is twice rs large anl
strong as the black bear, and as tenacious
OF life as an eel There is no account, in
the hundreds Of 'bcar stories" told, of one
ever having been killed outright b. .
single shot. The travellers Lewis and
Clark record that one. after receiving FIVE
bullets through the lungs. and five other
severe boly wounds besides. swan a
considerable distance 10 a sand bar ia the
liver. an, livcl for twenty minutes after
its arrival there; another. which was shot
through the heart, ran compile of humid
red yards; while a third. shot through the
lungs, pursued hunter more than hall s.
mile.
The grizzly bear measures often nearly
ten feet from the Tip uf its nose to the tip
of its very short tail, and weighs from q
thousand to twelve hundred pounds. The
hair is abundant. long. and varying be-
tween gray and blacki,h brown. On the
muzzle it is short anil pale; the nose is
long. narrow, and rather fiat. and the
canine teeth very large and strong. Its
strength is so great that it overr overs and
kills the largest bison bull, and then can
convey The carcase to its place Of conceal
ment. Here, like manv other animals, it
digs hole fer the reception of it's prey,
and remains until that is exhausted,
when necessity oompels it to renew the
chase.
1t is stated by close observers. that tho
bears differ in ferocity. those on the eastern
side of the Rocky Mountains being more
fierce. pugnaciouS, and more fond of ami
nal food than those on the western slopes,
where the climate is milder, and vegeta-
ble food in greater abundance, the females
AMI cubs are said to hibernate. though the
males are founl abroad at all seasons.
la San Francisco. Sacramento. Benicia,
and some other towns, cruel fights between
grizzls bears and wild bulls were of fre.
quent occurrence. ending usually in the
discontinue OF the bull.
y hunter attached TO an overland train
from St. Louis to Ell Paso, left his horse
20 try and stalk an antelope. When
nearing his game he was surprised to sec
1t spring away. although be felt convinced
it hal neither heard. seen, nor smelt him.
y few minutes servsd to show him that a
grizzly, or "old Ephraim." as he is called
on the plains. had been trying to creep
upon the antelope. They both caught a
view of each other at the same moment;
and the bear feeling "done" out Of his
supper. advanced upon the hunter. 1t
was no use running--his horse was half a
mile off; so the hunter awaited the attack.
though he knew that it wss almost use.
less to expect his rifle to kill or disable the
bear; he felt. as he expressed it, tha. his
'.chance was slim one.''
A bright thousht al! at once occurred
to him. He had on his shoulders a stout
Mexican blanket with slit in the middle
OF 1t. TO be worn as poncho; he waited
till the bear rose on his feet for his spring.
and threw his blanket over the bear. The
head of the grizzly came throngh the slit,
anil the long ends encumbered his feet.
whilst he blanket woven closely to resist
rain. proved too tough for even his power
full claws to tear easily; and, whilst "old
Ephe" was working "tooth and toe
nails. the hunter was making cracks
to reach his horse. Having gained his
saddle. the hunter returned, and fougbt
the bear from his saddle till he killed him.
On the first settlement of California q
Mexican came across q grizzly. and
lassoei him. thinking he could choke him
to death: he was disasreeably surprised to
ind the bear hauling in both himself and
his horse by the lasso, hand over hand. as
sailor takes pull at the haulyarls
(ha'lyards }. and he was glad to draw his
knie and sever the connection. o rsA,
The cubs, when young. arc tree-climb-
ers; la.er in life their claws unfit them for
this; so that, if a hunter can gain q tree,
he is safe. .aq - ssr .
b. A gigantic friend of mine--he stood
nearly six feet seven inches high, and was
stout In proportion-was an untiring
hunter. When the gold fever broke ont
he caught the injection. and went to
California: he made two completeness
and lost them by the fires which broke out
in the early settlement Of San francisco
a third tine be made $4,000. Deter