Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-31
A California Bear Story,
From the Calaveras (Cal.) Chronicle.

From the Calaveras (Cal.) Chronicle.
IA few days ago a very exciting but also
ludicrous incident occurred at the upper
end of Hunters Flat, some ten miles
north of West Point, Calaveras county.
John Giles, who has been protitably en-
gagged in trapping in the mountains above
the past winter, visited a Mr.. Hall, who
owns small ranch on Hunters Flat. A.
few hours previous to Giles arrival bear
had paid his respects to one Of Halls
Berkshire hogs, leaving the smaller por-
ton of it under IN oak tree for future
lunch. Giles owns 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 the oak. The heavy
chain attached to the trap has an cnor-
nous swivel at the end, which was
securely fastened to strong iron bolt in
serted in the butt end of the pine. The
ghostly remains Of Berky were carried up
the oak tree and dashed to the trunk so as
to be in sight. The trap was set, and
Giles proceeded to obliteratc footmarks.
All at once Hall yelled in scalp-raising
tone, Here he comes" Sure enough, an
enormous and apparently cnraged bear
was making rapid Roadway toward the
mourners under the oak. Before Giles
got started in the ensuing race Hall had
taken the lead by good many lengths,
leaping wild coffee bushes six feet in
height with ease.
The roaring of the ferocious brute in
the rear accelerated Giles speed until he
was exhausted, when he venturcd to look
back and note with grateful heart that
Bruin had given up the race. He shouted
the happy fact to his friend, who was
some 400 yards ahead, but Hall continued
the race until he reached the cabin. The
two now concluded to wait some two
hours. Giles had no weapons with him,
and when the time expired Hall advanced
trivial objections, but offered to lend his
rifle. As Hall is acknowledged to he a
bold and skillful hunter, Giles pressed
him to explain his apparently cowardly
behavior, and the blushing and suffering
friend said that he was recently engaged
to the reigning bell Of West Point-did
not fear death-but seriously objected to
the possibility of Bruins unkind scratch
ing under the circumstances. Giles
shouldercd the rifle and started in the d.
rection of the trap. He found the Berk-
shire epicure with his left forepaw in the
trap which he had dragged some 500
yards, tree and all. When the monster
caught sight of his jailer his rage knew
no bounds in his efforts to get at him, but
the trap and the tree which had become
fastened in the underground held him
securely. Giles says that he lodged five
balls in the bears ears. which all ineffec-
lively dattened. Balls fred at the head
only penetrated the skin. Several shots
IN the region of the heart finally brought
him down, but he did not die until three
hours after. When the monster had been
skinned, his head back of his ears, was
found to be two feet ten and one-half
inches in circumference. The CARCASS
when dressed weighed 1853 1-2 pounds.
1t is probably the largest bear Of it's
species ever seen in California. The skin
is very fine one, and Giles intends to
present it to President Hayes.