American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-01-03
The Grizzly Bear.

country:
The grizzly, however, stands at the
head of the bear family, and is more
feared and respected than all others. lie
is a trcacherous, sullen, malicious, des-
per tic, ill-mannered, rncouth, shaggy
brute-one who stubborrly resists all sd-
vances toward friendship, and is ready at
any time 10 die in the last ditch. Like
the immortal "Old Guard" OF Napoleon
your genuine grizzly never surrenders,
but is game to the last. The grizzly has
a lordly, independent bearing, and, on
the native n,ountain-sides or in the for
ests, will hardly deign to make room for
man himself. If you meet one in the
road, the chances are, that he will not
bulge an inch, unless he happens to be
in an accommodating mood, and then he
will trot cut one side a few yards, rear
himself upon his enormous launches,
and graciously wait for you TO pass. No
matter whether you are armed with
breech-loading Ballard, needle gun, Win
chester, or Sharp, never attack grizzly
alone, or out in the open country.
The only safe position is on the back
of n good hcrse or in the limbs of Il cot
tonwocd tree. Many persons, disregard
ing this advice, have paid for their temer-
iiy with their lives; for, no matter where
you shoot a grizzly, whether through the
the ghost without struggle, and will
tight as long as he can lift paw.
Practical illustrations of the fighting
powers ofthe grizzly are to be seen in these
mountainous regions nearly every day The
other morning your correspondent en-
cOuntered a miner from Fairplav, who
had come down from the valley-region
for supplies. His personal appearance
was, to say the least, peculiar. He car
ried his right arm in a sling; one eve was
twisted upward, his face was scratched
and torn, and indented with ridges, while
his head was as guiltless of hair as a bill
lizard ball. At first l supposed that he
had been invited by some of the friendly
Indians to scalping picnic as chief per-
former; but, in conversation it turned out
that he had received each of all these
grievous wounds from the claws of a
grizzly: A social glass of the ardent
warmed up the heart of the miner, and
he related the dismal tale of his adven-
ture IN almost the following language:
You see, ssaid our hero. planting him
self on dry-goods box, and inserting an
enormous quid of Virginia natural next
TO his molars, II came to this region at an
early day, and, after bucking against the
monte-banks of Denver few weeks, and
losing every cent, struck for Gregory's
Gulch, and located a claim The blasted
thing didn't pan out rich; | could get
plenty OF color, but no nuggets or dust :;
SO sold to a bull-whacker who was rather
green, and crossed over to Fairplay, near
the main range, and there | have stuck
ever since l can't say, stranger. as I've
done anything very powerful; but I've
got lew nuggets slowed away, and the
coroner won't be called upon to paw nv
funeral expenses, even if l should happen
TO die with my boots on. But you want
to hear the bar story: Well, my cabin is
located Just twelve miles from FairDlay.
on the other side and at the foot of Mt.
Lincoln; and what with gold and silvec
Iodes, bear are mighty numerous in that
quarter; but L never troubled them until
the devils began troubling me. They
opened hostilities by raiding on NV hog
pen. which stood just back of the cabin
1 had some mighty fine Suffolks, and was
depending on them for nv winters
supply of pork: but the grizzlies got the
scent, and, in less than week, nearly
all the pigs are gone. l secured the pen
the best way | could; put logs over it,
and watched it some nights; but the
grizzlies were cunning, and, when l
would stretch out to take a short nap
they'd dash in, and another pig would be
gone. 1 could hear my darlings squeal,
and sometimes see the bear dashing down
mouth; but what could do, more'n to
cuss, and swear, and VOW that, the next
time grizzly came back. he would carry
on something more than live pork? By
his time l had only one hog left-the
attest of the lot, and the pride of my
iearf- l swore that, if any bloody Rocky
Mountain grizzly got that pig, it should
Ie over my dead body; and so brought
he darling into my cabin, and nailed
prxrr ind l.
DOR, and put fresh charge in my car
inc, and bid defiance to the whole bear
ribe. They did not modest me for some
lights and began to feel secure. Final
iy, the absence of danger gin me conf
hence there the narrator paused to brush
away tear and growed kinder careless
and needless like, and lowed the
pig to skirmish round loose in
the yard. One morning, about
SIX months ago, 1 got up early, as l
wished to do big DAYS work, and
cooked my breakfast by candIelight. Il
had just put down a square meal, and
was gathering up my traps to leave, when
l heard most agOniZin' squeal, followed
by rush and tear; and, springing to the
door, what should l see but an enormous
grizzly making for the bush with my
only pig! l was mad-no mistake-and,
in less time than l have been telling it, /
~ NJ uo"h MY rusty CdTDlne, ana let
the old grizzly have the contents right
and left. The first shot struck him some
where In the stern and never stopped
him, but the second took him plump
through the shoulder. and then there was
rumpus- Mr. Grizzly dropped the pig,
and came for me, jest a rippin' and tear
In, with his mouth wide open and his
eyes fairly snapped fire. Ny blood was
up, however, and let the old fellow have
the lead, hot and square; but, Lord bless
you. it never stopped him. l fired my
last cartridge, and then turned and bolted
for The cellar; but grizzly was too close,
and nailed me before 1 had got
fairly inside my own cabin. He
gave me one dig with that
paw of his, and knocked me clear across
the room, taking the scalp at the same
time; then he came up and chawed my
right arm, and turned me over and boxed |
me right and left and growled and |
grOwled and snuffed all the time. and |
finally upset and broke my entire stock |
of crockery. played 'possum and kept |
close, for, when the bear saw the least |
sign Of life, he would come up and give |
me dig with his claws, and then set up |
on his launches and wait for me to come |
TO. At last the varmint gave me up for |
dead, and trotted out of the cabin, taking |
the pig with him. And that, stranger, is |
the way L lost that scalp-lock of mine;
but, never mind, I've sworn to get even |
with that grizzly yet. I've nothing else
in the world to live for One or t'toher
of us has got - go under; but, stranger.
take my advice and never tackle a grizzly |
for the fun of the thing. They die awful
hard, and they fight to the last;" and, so |
saying, our scalped friend mounted his |
mule and rode enrraxvfuIIy xpao