New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-21
BRUIsgR SAM AND THE GRIZZLY
BEAR.


BY GENERAL JAMES 8. ER,sBrs.
We were campaigning on the Grow, ant
the camp had been pitched in pretty littl'
valley, through which ran q pure stream O
bright, cold water The supper had beer
esten, tho camp fires lighted, pipes filed
and all were ready for the evening yarn
Among the frontiersmen who accompanied
the expedition WIS., Mr.. Belden, the celebra
ted White Chief of the Plains, and noted
hanter, traPpsr and guide called upon
wild border life for some time, ~ II to select
tho choicest bits from hls vast experience
he relsted the following:
was one Of the first men in 1858 to ar
rive at Pixies Peak. I came up from the
Missouri, with . friend of my father, and
We stopped At Denver, or rather should
say, where Denver now is, for the city was
shanties. In one Of the mining camps be-
came acquainted with queer follow they
called "Bruiser Sam" He was q powerful
man. and some times drank . great deal,
but was always good-tempered and kind
hearted. The miners were rough set in
those days, and delighted in the most bru-
tai OF sports. Prize-fghting was one of
their pastimes, and at this Bruiser Sam ex-
celled-no man in all the camps being able
to stand up long before him. His feats of
strength were prodigiOus. Often would he
take barrel Of liquor by the chimes. and.
knocking ont the bung, lift it up and drink
from tho hole, as easily as if it were q small
keg. Then he would stand on box twelve
inches high, and lift $50 pounds with his
teeth. He could pick up a three bushel bag
Of flour with his mouth and carry it q rod
One day saloon keeper offended Sam, and,
to have revenge, he went out into the
street, and. shouldering large work horse,
carried 1t into the saloon, leaving the en-.
ragged bar-keeper to get it out and down the
steps - best he could At another time he
carried rock into store, and dropped it
through the floor.
SANS skin was as white and smooth as a
gtrisi but all over his arms, shoulders, and
broad chest, were lunches of knotty mus
cles as large as ones fist. He was q well
built and fine looking man, his waist being
remarkably small, his hips broad, the legs
well set, and feet small Once his face was
handsome, but whisky had bleared the eyes,
Dam was a, good looking man, and, when
dressed mp in new buck skin suit with vel
low fringe, and his long brown hair combed
out in curls about his neck, he was the pic
ture Of an athletic frontiersman.
However, Sam was fast degenerating
into loafer; he had left off work and gone
to living by bis strength, Just as thousands
of men live by their wits in the great cities, !
ANY one would pay for Sans liquor to see |
him lit barrel by the ends and drink from |
The bung hole, and occasionally he would. |
by way OF variety, shoulder q horse or a |
mule for glass of rum.
Dissipation told rapidly On "the Man of 1
Steel" az he was called, and when l saw
him In the spring, after q winters carous-
ing, he had the delirum tremens, and it
took five men to hold him. His frame was
wasted away, the knots of sinews were
gone, his chest drawn IN, and the skin of his
body soft and fiabby.
Ii was about this time an old Englshman
named Jones arrived at the mines, and,
hearing OF Sam, expressed desire to see
him. Old Jones was a well known prize
tighter. but, of late years, had given up
the ring himself and turned trainer. Sans
lame excited the envy of old Jones, and he |
no sooner saw him than he offered to fight |
Sam. The miners were astonished and |
tried to dissuade Jones from his purpose.
but nothing would do but he must have a !
bout with Sam. 30 the day was set. Sam
vas sick on the morning of the fight and |
looked badly enough; but bets ran two | ,
to one on "the Man of Steel" against the i
Englishman. Time was called and the |
bounded into the ring, while | :
Sam came up slowly and looked Ianguid i
md feeble; but at the very first pass, he | q
III John Bull between the eyes, and no =
AMOUNT OF sponging and bathing could in
luce him to stand up again that day 1t | I
vas feared Sam had broken the English /
mans skull, but he got about in a day or two |
md soon afterward both he and Sam dis | g
ppeared frCm the saloons. The bar-keep- {
RS were astonished. Sam did not come I
round any more for his grog, and no one | Il
ould imagine where he had gone or what v
10 was at. Foul play was beginning to be a
when it leaked out that Sam was h
u hat Eno liah |
's trainer. After old Jones got that awful o
lex from Sans brawny fist, he gave him a.
% peace until he agreed to 20 into train | t
ng ana accompany the Englishman to
.ngiand' there to fight the giants of the
rlze ring: Jones had not much money, a,
Ut at MS lhsugation a man named Durham :,
anne over from London with plenty of III
ash, and, as soon as Durham arrived old e'
ones quit, and the new Englishman be. u
anne Sans regular trainer "
/ saw Sam once while be was in train;no =,
I'd he looked well; the knots.were on h;s 6.
ms again, and the great chest firm and | IT
und. He had been at his dumb bells y,
nd bags and gum balls about six weeks n
hen, one morning, he. got mad about IN
knocked down both Durham e.
ID old Jones, and made his escape from | "
J keepers into. the street. Stopping at i ~
Q saloons and king several drinks, no be-
not forget it Was his hour for training, an
d amused himself by knocking down ne
cry stout looking FELLOW he met. Finally, *
er the sheriff and half the town had
On whipped, Sam was captured and
{ into jail; but here new difficulty pre-. an
tied itself, for the jail was not . strong GO
., and Sam swore he would instantly
r it down if they did not let him de
!. On promising that he would 60
sight 20 his lodgings, the door WAS
ned, and Sam kept his word, for be went wi
sctly homo and retired to bed. This
break was 90 unlike Sans natural dis 8
ition that every one was ct q loss to 90
Mt for it; and, soon afterward, another
llition of passion occurring. ''the Nan ha'
Steels" trainers abandoned him in dis.
B Md took themselves of Fest, each