, 1868-02-28
From Deer Lodge.
prrn Loper. Montana, Feb. LIST, 1868.

DEER Lopez, Montana, Feb. LIST, 1868.
EDIroR SrArEsMAS:-Thinking, as l sit here
by my FIRE day after day, waiting for one Of
those long, dreary, cold Montana winters to
pass, about every imaginable ching, it popped
into my memory to-day that you might like to
hear from this portion of Samuel's dominions.
Accordingly, take the liberty, &c.
As to this winter here, it has been one contin
ual cold spell from the 18th of December until
the present time. Not single day during all
this period has it condescended to thaw one
particle The mercury has been dowL to thirty
degrees below zero, here in the valley, and fors
ty below in some mining camps. Yet we have
thus far had but very little snow, and in some
spots it has drifted and left the ground bare.
To Walla WaIah such long cold spell is un-
bearable. From perusal of the last sentence
or two above written, it occurs to me that !
am more or less afflicted with "bear" on the
brain. This may be accounted for when you
learn what shall now proceed to tell you:
Once upon a time-time about yesterday, as
near as l am able to remember-a neighbor of
mine and one of his boys, and myself and boy,
sailed out to attack bear that had taken up
his winter quarters within three miles of your
correspondents domicile. Considering this an
insult and au intrusion upon our reserved
rights not easily overcome except by square
fght we loaded our revolvers, also a shot gun
and one old bushwhacking rifle, mounted our
Cayuses, whlstled up our dogs and struck out
to attack Bruin in bis chosen forti6cations He
had selected dense thicket of willows. Arfivs
ing close to the thicket we sent out two pickets
and our four dogs to reconuoitre. 1t was no: long
till the dogs raised rumpus in the brush with
the bear. ln little time the bear had slapped the
dOOs ah0ut g rOnOhlV that thnv bao
and could Eot again be urged to make an at,
tack, so badly were they demoralized The
pickets were now called in and a council was
held, the object of which was to debate upon
a new order of attack. Pending the discussion,
old Bruin became restless and commenced re-
connoitering on his own account, and the first
thing we knew be assaulted us on our 'front.'
charging with great impetuosity. l was riding
a line pony, but on seeing Mr.. Grizzly il became
terribly frightened and before your correspond,
ent could say Jack Robinson, it had wGirled
around and was running off at full speed Af
ter running about 40 yards the pony and its ri
der brought up in deep gully, some twenty
feet wide, with four feet of snow to contend
with. The bear, soon discovered was bearing
down the gulch upon me. The situation was
dehghtiuI, for the pony could get no further
VI course, kept perfectly cool-it is very nat
urel 10 keep that way you know, under such pro-
pitious circumstanCes-aud | didn't Kick nor
try to make the pory get mp at all. o, no, it
wasn't mei it was the other chaps, who were
scared that done all that. Well, tue bear was
only few seconds in reaching our position.
He plOwed his way through the snow at furi>
Gus rate, and as he stopped in front an instant
TO make spring, the pony made plunge for
ward and lighting with his hind feet upon the
back of the monster, eaped to the opposite side
of the gully, gained footing ard made for camp
Looking back | saw the bear making after us |
again, and taking observation in front | dscov-
cred the other hunters, hatless and gunless go>
ing toward camp fast as their horses could |
carry them followed on quickly. Arriving
at camp we found that we had lost our two |
guns and ali of our hats. All hands appeared
satisfied with the losses incurred and were con-
tent. Thus ended my first bear hunt. God |
knows it will be my last.
Yours, &c, TMK