The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-09


many injurious insects. The toad lives
almost entirely on winged insects, and
never does harm to the plant.
--
The Governor ard the Grizzly.
A correspondent of tie San Francisco
Alta writes as follows of the new gov
ernor of California
Governor Pacheco has, among his ac.
cOmplishments-an they ere many
one possessed, we believe, by no other
governor in the United States. He can
lasso and get away with a wild grizzly
bear, and we saw him do it in May,
1852 on the Rancho de los Osos (Bear
Ranch), in San uis Obispo, then the
residence of Governor Pacheco's mother.
Away up in the mountains, among the
wild oats, the grizzlies take their morn
! ing maps, after their nightly prowling
about in search of any stray calf, pig,
or other small game. Early one morn
ing the enormous print of a grizzly's
foot was seen in the earth, close by the
| dwelling of the governors mother, aud
in few minutes Romualdo and two or
three others were in the saddle and off
! for the mountains. When the tall, wild
reached, the party had not ridden more
than two minutes among the tall, dry
wisps, when the horses suddenly started,
snorting loudly, and instantly huge
grizzly stood erect, with terrific pres
ence, high above the dry wild oats. He
looked Just like gigantic negro, with
shaggy, fur overcoat, his eyes cleaning
fercely, his cruel teeth and red mouth
"
and every horse for the instant seemed
petrifed-as if, while every nerve and
every muscle and every sense was at
its utmost tension. they bad suddenly
looked upon che Medusa. In a sec
ond's time Pacheco spurred forward,
swinging his lasso. The bear COM
menced sparIing warily, and few pro-
fessional boxers can fend off as these
creatures will. But Pacheco's lasso
shot like an arrow and clasped about the
huge fore-fOot, when the horse (whO
saw every movement, and was as wide
awake as Pacheco) sprang the other
way, and, the lasso being fast TO the
pommel, the bear was instantly thrown
to the ground, when two other men,
quick as lightning, had thrown their
lassos and caught the hind feet then
another rider caught the loose fore
foot, and the four horses took their
positions like cavalry animals trained
by some noiseless signal, and slowly
marched down the mountains side, two
horses in the van and two in the rear,
dragging Ursa Major quietly down the
grassy descent, the rear horses keeping
just taut line enough to prevent the
bear from getting any use of his terri |
bic hind claws. Nahl has painted some |
of these California lassoing scenes that |
have been as near justice to such excit- |
ing tableaux as could be done by the |
painters art, but nothing could portray |
the intensity of excitement and action
brought forth at such moment. Pach-
eco was, at that time, twenty-One years
old. and the handsomest man We ever
locked upon.
L guess the panther in the wilderness
was not more fair than he.
When he first realized the sudden
presence of the terrible enemy and
stood erect in his stirrups, his face
cleaning with the glory of youth, fear
lessness, and excitement-his great
black eyes sparkling, his white teeth
tightly pressed upon his neither lips,
perfectly still for a second, he was the
most glorious object in nature. In no
longer time than the sight of this could
be Just taken in he sprang forward, his
long. dark hair tossed wildly for a mo-
ment, and then he had captured the
bear, as related.
The captors slowly took their prisoner
down to the house, where q long, heavy |
piece of timber lay upon the grass.
Fastening the bears hind-feet to the |
timber with the strong iasso, aud the |
fore-feet to strong, deep driven stake,
they stepped away to respectful dis
tance, their eyes upon the ferocious |
creature and their hands upon their
saddle-pommels. We walked up close |
to the bear to take careful look at |
him All cried out Cuiado !" Take |
care"
"Why, he's all secure, " we said.
Yes, but look out.
"You don't think he could get loose?" |
Perhaps not, but you'd better keep |
awayp
And we did.
The hear lay with his head between
his huge paws, covering his eyes, save
when he could furtively
lift his eyes, like sulky child, to look
at his captors then covering his eyes
again, remain a moment and steal am
other look. Soon he gave heavy signs,
aud some one said, "He is dying"
We expressed surprise TO learn that
the bear was wounded.
"He is not wounded" they replied,
f but his heart breaks-he dies of
rage" And in few moments he had
breathed his last, and was dragged
away some distance from the house and
left.
Pacheco pointed to the sky. We
looked and saw a hundred carrion
crows, whose watchful eyes had seen
the feast long before it was halfway
down the mountain side; and before
we we're a hundred yards from the dead
bear it's body was completely hidden by
the sable, Tapping wings of the hungry