The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-05-21
CALIFORNIA BEAR STORY.

A few days ago very exciting but also
ludicrous incident occurred at the up
per end OF Hunters Flat, some ten miles
north of W est Point, Calaveras County.
John Giles, who has been profitably en-
gagged in trapping in the mountains
above the past winter, visited a Mr.
hall, who owns a small ranch en- Hunt
ers Fiat. A few hours previous to
Giles arrival bear had paid his re-
spects to one OF Hal's Berkshire hogs,
leaving the smaller portion Of 1t under
an oak tree for future lunch.
Giles owns a large steel trap, weighing
sixty pounds, which was hauled TO the
oak tree; pine some nine inches In
diameter was then cut down, the butt
nearly reaching tue oak. The heavy
chain attached to the trap has an enOr-
nous swivel at the end, which was at
tached to a strong iron bolt lnsered In
the butt END of the pine. Inc ghostly
remains OF Berky were carried UP the
oak tree and lashed to the trunk SO as
to be in sight. The trap was set and
Giles proceeded TO obliterate lootmarks.
All at ouce Hall yelled in sea p
raising tone, "Here he comesW Sure
enough, an enormous and apparently
enraged bear was making rapid head-
way toward the mOurners under the
OAK, Before Giles got started i'll the en-
suing race Hall had taken Lhe Lead by a
good many lengths, leaping wild coffee
bushes six ieet III neigh with ease. The
roaring of the ferocious brute in the
rear accelerated Giles speed until he
was exhausted, when he ventured to
look back aud note with CRATE III heart
that bruin had given up the race.
He shouted the happy lact to his
friend, who was some four hundred
Yards ahead, but Hall continued the
race until ne reached his cabin. The
two now concluded to wait some two
hours, Giles had no weapons with HIM,
and when the time expired Hall ad.
yanced trivial objections, but offered to
lend his riff. AS Han is acknowledged
to be a bold and skllltul hunter, Giles
pressed him to explain his apparently
cowaruly behavior, and the b.ushing
and suffering friend said that ne was
recently engaged to the reigning belle
of West Polnl-diu not fear deaJn-bul
seriously objected to The possibility OF
BRUINS unkipd scratching under the
circumstances.
Giles shouldered the rife and started
| in the direction OF the trap. He iouh0
the Berkshire epicure with his lett lore
paw in the trap which he had dragged
| some five hundred yards, tree ana all
| When the monster caught slght OF his
iAiler his rage knew no bounds IN his
efforts to get at him, but the trap anc
lhe tree which had become fastened in
the underground held him securely
GILES says that he lodged live balls il
the bears ears, which all inettecuvely
iattened. Balls fired at the head only
penetrated the skin.
Several shots in the region of tht
heart finally brought him down, but h'
did not die until three hours after
When the monster had been skinned
his head, back of mis- ears, was found u
be two feet ten and one-hall inches il
circumference. The carcass whel
dressed weighed one thousand lou
hundred and tlty-three and one-hal
pounds. II is PROBABLY the largest beal
| of Its species ever seen in Calllornla
| The skin 10 very iue one, and Giles in
lends 10 present IL TO President Hayes
I-TCalayeras (CaI. Chronioel.